Strong Roots Question Answer (SAQ) | Class 12

On this page we have discussed about SAQ (Short Type Question) of APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiographical writing ‘Strong Roots’ with solutions. We have also provided similar questions. We hope it will be beneficial for the students as well as teachers. If you have an query, please comment on the comment box.

SAQ of Strong Roots

1. What is the name of the book from which the extract ‘Strong Roots’ has been taken?

Ans: The extract ‘Strong Roots’ has been taken from APJ Abdul Kalam’s autobiography ‘Wings of Fire’.

2. What type of writing is ‘Strong Roots’?

Ans: ‘Strong Roots’ is an autobiographical writing.

3. What is Abdul Kalam’s full name?

Ans: Abdul Kalam’s full name is Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam.

4. Where was Abdul Kalam born?

Or, In which town was Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam born?

Ans: Abdul Kalam was born into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras state (now in Tamilnadu).

5. Into what type of family was Abdul Kalam born?

Ans: Abdul Kalam was born into a middle class Tamil Family.

6. What were the names of Kalam’s parents?

Or, Who were Kalam’s parents?

Ans: Kalam’s father’s name was Jainulabdeen and his mother’s name was Ashiamma.

7. Where was Rameswaram?

Ans: Rameswaram was in the Ramanathapuram district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

8. What, according to Kalam, did his father possess?

Ans: According to Kalam, his father possessed great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit.

9. Who was Kalam’s father’s ideal helpmate?

Or, In whom did Abdul Kalam’s father have an ideal helpmate?

Ans: Ashiamma, Kalam’s mother, was his father’s ideal helpmate.

10. What was the name of Abdul Kalam’s mother?

Ans: The name of Abdul Kalam’s mother was Ashiamma.

11. What was the name of Abdul Kalam’s father?

Ans: The name of Abdul Kalam’s father was Jainulabdeen.

12. What were Kalam’s parents widely regarded as?

Ans: Kalam’s parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple.

13. How was Abdul Kalam’s mother’s lineage different from his father’s?

Or, What is said about Kalam’s mother’s lineage?

Ans: Abdul Kalam’s mother’s lineage was more distinguished from his father’s lineage and one of her forebears had been bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ by the British.

14. What was bestowed on one of Kalam’s mother’s forebears?

Ans: One of Kalam’s mother’s forebears was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ by the British.

15. Who was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ in ‘Strong Roots’?

Ans: In ‘Strong Roots’, one of Kalam’s mother’s forebears was bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’.

16. Why was the lineages of Kalam’s mother more distinguished?

Ans: Kalam’s mother’s lineages was more distinguished because one of her forbearers had been bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ by the British.

17. How does Kalam describe his appearance?

Or, How would Kalam look in his boyhood?

Ans: Kalam who was born to tall and handsome parents, describes himself as a short boy with rather undistinguished looks.

18. How was the physical appearance of Kalam and his parents?

Ans: Kalam was a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, but his parents were tall and handsome.

19. Where did Kalam live?

Ans: Kalam lived in their ancestral house, which was built in the middle of the 19^th century.

20. When was Kalam’s ancestral house built and where was it located?

Ans: Kalam’s ancestral house was built in the middle of the 19^th century and it was located on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

21. Where was Kalam’s ancestral house situated?

Or, Where was Kalam’s ancestral house located?

Ans: Kalam’s ancestral house was situated on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.

22. How was the house of APJ Abdul Kalam?

Or, Describe the ancestral house of Kalam.
Or, How was Kalam’s ancestral house?

Ans: Kalam’s ancestral house was a large pucca house which was built in the middle of the 19^th century and was made of limestone and brick.

23. What was Kalam’s ancestral house made of?

Ans: Kalam’s ancestral house was made of limestone and brick.

24. What did Kalam’s father avoid and what did he provide?
Or, What did Kalam’s austere father avoid?
Or, What did Abdul Kalam’s father use to avoid?

Ans: Kalam’s father avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries. He provided all necessities in terms of food, medicine and clothing.

25. What type of life did Kalam’s father lead?

Ans: Kalam’s father led an austere life.

26. What type of childhood did Kalam experience?
Or, How was Kalam’s childhood?
Or, What sort of childhood Kalam had?

Ans: Kalam experienced a very secure childhood, materially and emotionally.

27. Where and with whom did Kalam usually eat?

Ans: Kalam usually ate with his mother, Ashiamma, sitting on the floor of the kitchen.

28. What was the regular menu of Kalam’s meal at home when he was a child?
Or, What food was served to Kalam in his childhood?

Ans: When Kalam was a child, his mother would serve rice, aromatic sambar, a variety of sharp and home-made pickle and a dollop of fresh coconut chutney.

29. How many people did Kalam’s mother feed everyday?

Ans: Kalam did not recall the exact number of people his mother fed everyday but he was sure that more outsiders ate with them than the total family members.

30. Why was Rameswaram so famous to the pilgrims?

Ans: Rameswaram was so famous to the pilgrims for the Shiva temple which was about a ten-minute walk from Kalam’s house.

31. Which temple made Rameswaram famous to pilgrims?

Ans: Shiva temple made Rameswaram famous to pilgrims.

32. How far was the Shiva temple from Kalam’s house?

Ans: The Shiva temple was about a ten-minute walk from Kalam’s house.

33. How was the religious atmosphere of Kalam’s locality?
Or, How was the locality where Kalam lived?
Or, In what kind of locality did Kalam live when he was young?

Ans: Kalam’s locality was predominantly Muslim, but a lot of Hindu families lived amicably with their Muslim neighbours.

34. Who would take Kalam for evening prayers?

Ans: Kalam’s father would take him for evening prayers.

35. Where did Kalam’s father go for the evening prayers?

Ans: Kalam’s father went to the local mosque for the evening prayers.

36. Why would Kalam’s father take Kalam to the local mosque?

Ans: Kalam’s father would take Kalam to the local mosque for the evening prayers.

37. What was Kalam’s idea and belief about the prayers in his childhood?

Ans: In Kalam’s childhood, he had not the faintest idea about the meaning of the Arabic prayers chanted in the Mosque, but he was totally convinced that they reached God.

38. Who were found waiting when Kalam’s father came out of the mosque?

Ans: When Kalam’s father came out of the mosque, people of different religions were found waiting for him.

39. What did Kalam’s father do to the bowls?
Or, How would Kalam’s father sanctify water?

Ans: Kalam’s father would dip his fingertips in the bowl and say a prayer.

40. Why did the people carry the bowls to their houses?

Ans: The people carried the bowls in which Kalam’s father would dip his fingertips and say a prayer, to their houses for the invalids.

41. When did people come to thank Kalam’s father and what did Kalam’s father say to them?

Ans: People after being cured came to thank Kalam’s father and he said to them to thank Allah, the merciful.

42. Who was Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry?

Ans: Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was the high priest of Rameswaram temple.

43. Who was the high priest of Rameswaram temple?
Or, Who was the priest of the Shiva temple in ‘Strong Roots’?
Or, Who was the priest of the Rameswaram temple?

Ans: Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry was the high priest of Rameswaram temple.

44. Who was a very close friend of Abdul Kalam’s father?

Ans: Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, was a very close friend of Abdul Kalam’s father.

45. What was one of Kalam’s earliest memories?

Ans: Wearing their tradition attire, Kalam’s father and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, discussed spiritual matters was one of Kalam’s earliest memories.

46. What did Kalam ask to his father?

Ans: Kalam asked about the relevance of prayer to his father.

47. What did Kalam’s father say about the relevance of prayer?
Or, What did Kalam’s father say about the importance of prayer?

Ans: Kalam’s father said about the relevance of prayer that there was nothing mysterious about prayer and it made possible a communion of the spirit between people.

48. What happens when one prays?
Or, What, according to Kalam’s father, happens when one prays?

Ans: When one prays, one transcends one’s body and becomes a part of the cosmos.

49. How did Kalam’s father convey complex spiritual concepts?

Ans: Kalam’s father conveyed complex spiritual concepts in very simple, down-to-earth Tamil.

50. How can one remove one’s fear of difficulties, sufferings and problems?
Or, What should one do when troubles and difficulties come?

Ans: When trouble and difficulties come, one should understand the relevance of one’s suffering.

51. What, according to Kalam’s father, does adversity always present?

Ans: According to Kalam’s father, adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.

52. What effect did Kalam’s father’s answers have on Kalam?

Ans: Kalam’s father’s answers filled Kalam with a strange energy and enthusiasm.

53. What do human beings look for when they find themselves alone?

Ans: When human beings find themselves alone, they start looking for company as a natural reaction.

54. What do people look for when they reach an impasse?

Ans: When people reach an impasse, they look for someone to help them.

55. What role did Kalam’s father play for the people who come to him in distress?

Ans: Kalam’s father was the medium of communication for the people who come to him in distress, to propitiate demonic forces with prayers and offerings.

56. What are the two kinds of visions that Kalam speaks of?

Ans: Kalam speaks of a fear-ridden vision and the vision of seeking enemy of fulfilment within ourselves.

57. When did the father of APJ Abdul Kalam get up from bed?

Ans: APJ Abdul Kalam’s father got up from bed at 4 am.

58. When and how did Jainulabdeen start his day?

Ans: Jainulabdeen started his day at 4 am by reading the namaz before dawn.

59. What was Kalam’s father usual routine after the namaz?

Ans: After the namaz, Kalam’s father used to walk down to a small coconut grove which was about four miles from his house.

60. How far was the coconut grove from Kalam’s house?

Ans: The coconut grove was about four miles from Kalam’s house.

61. How long did Kalam’s father follow that routine?

Ans: Kalam’s father followed that routine even when he was in his late sixties.

62. How would Kalam’s father carry home the coconuts?

Ans: Kalam’s father would carry home coconuts tied together and thrown over his shoulder.

63. When would Kalam’s father have his breakfast?

Ans: Kalam’s father would have his breakfast after reading the namaz and his usual visit to the coconut grove.

64. In which special area has Kalam tried to emulate his father?

Ans: Kalam has tried to emulate his father in his own world of science and technology.

65. Whom did Kalam try to emulate throughout his life?

Ans: Kalam tried to emulate his father throughout his life.

66. What is the function of the divine power?

Ans: The divine power can lift one up from confusion, misery, melancholy and failure and guide one to one’s true place.

67. How is an individual on the road to freedom, happiness and peace of mind?

Ans: An individual is on the road to freedom, happiness and peace of mind by severing his emotional and physical bond.

Strong Roots Question Answer (SAQ) | Class 12 | West Bengal Board