Wings of Fire
-From' Dr. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM' Autobiography
Apart from being a notable scientist and engineer, Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam served as the 11th president of India from 2002-2007. People loved and respected him so much during his tenure as president that he was popularly known as the people's President. De to his achievements n the field of sscience, Dr. Kalam had received the Bharat Ratna Award before he assumed the highest office in the country in his autobiography 'Wings of Fire' he traces the various the various phases of his life as a son, student, scientist and leader.
I was born into a middle class family in the island town of Ramaeswaram. My father Jainulabdeen had neither much formal education nor weath. Despite these disadvantages, he possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit. He had an ideal helpmate in my mother Ashiamma.
My parents were widely as an ideal coulple. I was one of their children. We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the 19th century. It was large concrete house, made of limestone and brick at the Mosque street in Ramaeswaram. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However I would say mine was a very secure childhood both materially and emotionally. the famous Shiva temple, which made Ramaeswaram so sacred to pilgrims was about a ten minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly Muslim but there were quite a few Hindu families too living amicably with their Muslim neighbours.
There was a very old mosque in our locality where my father would take me for evening prayers. When my father came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outside, aiting for him. Many of the offered bowls of water to my ffather, who would dip his finger tips in them and sa a prayer. This water was then carried home for invalids. I also rememer people visiting our home to offer thanks after being cured. The high priest of Ramaeswarmam temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was a very close friend of my father. One of the most vivid memories of y early childhood is of the two me, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters. When I was old enough to ask questions, I asked my father about the relevance of prayer. My father told me there was nothing mysterious about prayer. Rather, prayer made possible a communion of the spirit between people. "when you pray." he said , "you transcend your body and become a part of the cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, cate or creed.
I have throughout my life tried to emulate my father in my own world of science and technology. I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths revealed to me by my father , and I feel convinced tha there exists a divine power that can lift one up from confusion, misery, mealncholy and failure, and guide one to one's true place.
I had theree close friends in m childood, Ramanadhha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan, All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children noe of us ever felt any difference among ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing . One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Ramaeswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class.
I used to wear a cap which marked me as Muslim and I always sat in the front row, next to Ramandha Sastry. He always wore a sacred thread.
The new teacher could not put up with a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the teacher saw it. I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to the last row, which left a lasting impression on me.
After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and in our presence told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly adked the teacher to either apologiese or quit the school and the island . Not oly did the teache regreat his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed, ultimately reformed this young teacher.
My science teacher Sivasubramania lyer though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservatie wife, was something of a rebel He did his best to break social barriers, so that people from varying backgrounds mingled easily.
One day the science teacher invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer was not .
Perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife , instead he sreved me ith his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal. His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal.
when I was leaving his house, Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend. Observing my hesitation, he told me not to get upset . "such problems have to be confronted," he said. when I visited his house the next week sivasubramania Iyer's wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands.
For my Higher Studies, I had to leave Ramaeswaram and study at the District Head Quarters at Ramanathapuram. My father took me to the mosque and recited a prayer from the Quarn. He said" This island may have housed your body, but not your soul. Your soul dwells in the house of tomorrow which none of us can visit, even in our dreams, May god bless you My child. Despite my hoesickness, I wa determined to come to terms with the new environment, because I know my father had invested great hopes in my success. My father visualized me as a collector in the making and I thought it was y duty to realize my father dream . although I desperately missed the familiarity, security and comfort of Rameswaram. I tried hard to control my thoughts and my mind, to influence my destiny.
My parents were widely as an ideal coulple. I was one of their children. We lived in our ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the 19th century. It was large concrete house, made of limestone and brick at the Mosque street in Ramaeswaram. My austere father used to avoid all inessential comforts and luxuries. However I would say mine was a very secure childhood both materially and emotionally. the famous Shiva temple, which made Ramaeswaram so sacred to pilgrims was about a ten minute walk from our house. Our locality was predominantly Muslim but there were quite a few Hindu families too living amicably with their Muslim neighbours.
There was a very old mosque in our locality where my father would take me for evening prayers. When my father came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outside, aiting for him. Many of the offered bowls of water to my ffather, who would dip his finger tips in them and sa a prayer. This water was then carried home for invalids. I also rememer people visiting our home to offer thanks after being cured. The high priest of Ramaeswarmam temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was a very close friend of my father. One of the most vivid memories of y early childhood is of the two me, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters. When I was old enough to ask questions, I asked my father about the relevance of prayer. My father told me there was nothing mysterious about prayer. Rather, prayer made possible a communion of the spirit between people. "when you pray." he said , "you transcend your body and become a part of the cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, cate or creed.
I have throughout my life tried to emulate my father in my own world of science and technology. I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths revealed to me by my father , and I feel convinced tha there exists a divine power that can lift one up from confusion, misery, mealncholy and failure, and guide one to one's true place.
I had theree close friends in m childood, Ramanadhha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan, All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. As children noe of us ever felt any difference among ourselves because of our religious differences and upbringing . One day when I was in the fifth standard at the Ramaeswaram Elementary School, a new teacher came to our class.
I used to wear a cap which marked me as Muslim and I always sat in the front row, next to Ramandha Sastry. He always wore a sacred thread.
The new teacher could not put up with a Hindu priest's son sitting with a Muslim boy. In accordance with our social ranking as the teacher saw it. I was asked to go and sit on the back bench. I felt very sad and so did Ramanadha Sastry. He looked utterly downcast as I shifted to the last row, which left a lasting impression on me.
After school, we went home and told our respective parents about the incident. Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and in our presence told the teacher that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. He bluntly adked the teacher to either apologiese or quit the school and the island . Not oly did the teache regreat his behaviour, but the strong sense of conviction Lakshmana Sastry conveyed, ultimately reformed this young teacher.
My science teacher Sivasubramania lyer though an orthodox Brahmin with a very conservatie wife, was something of a rebel He did his best to break social barriers, so that people from varying backgrounds mingled easily.
One day the science teacher invited me to his home for a meal. His wife was horrified at the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer was not .
Perturbed, nor did he get angry with his wife , instead he sreved me ith his own hands and sat down beside me to eat his meal. His wife watched us from behind the kitchen door. I wondered whether she had observed any difference in the way I ate rice, drank water or cleaned the floor after the meal.
when I was leaving his house, Sivasubramania Iyer invited me to join him for dinner again the next weekend. Observing my hesitation, he told me not to get upset . "such problems have to be confronted," he said. when I visited his house the next week sivasubramania Iyer's wife took me inside her kitchen and served me food with her own hands.
For my Higher Studies, I had to leave Ramaeswaram and study at the District Head Quarters at Ramanathapuram. My father took me to the mosque and recited a prayer from the Quarn. He said" This island may have housed your body, but not your soul. Your soul dwells in the house of tomorrow which none of us can visit, even in our dreams, May god bless you My child. Despite my hoesickness, I wa determined to come to terms with the new environment, because I know my father had invested great hopes in my success. My father visualized me as a collector in the making and I thought it was y duty to realize my father dream . although I desperately missed the familiarity, security and comfort of Rameswaram. I tried hard to control my thoughts and my mind, to influence my destiny.
"The Highest result of education is tolerance"- Helen Keller
Comments
Post a Comment