My Childhood

My Childhood — A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

"My Childhood" is an autobiographical excerpt from Wings of Fire by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931–2015), India's beloved scientist and the 11th President of India. In this passage, Kalam recalls his childhood in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu — his family, his friends, the influence of his teachers, and the moments that shaped his character and worldview. The chapter is notable for its warmth, its portrait of communal harmony, and its message that humble origins and strong values are the foundation of great achievement.

• Key Themes
• Simplicity and humble origins: Kalam grew up in a modest Muslim family in Rameswaram. His father was not formally educated but was wise and hardworking.
• Communal harmony: Kalam's closest friends were Hindus. His teachers, mentors, and neighbours came from different faiths, and all are remembered with deep affection and respect.
• Influence of teachers and mentors: Two teachers stand out — Sivasubramania Iyer and Rev. Father Bodal — who shaped Kalam's mind and expanded his horizons.
• The importance of curiosity and education: Kalam's scientific curiosity was awakened early by a caring teacher.
• Values over status: The chapter consistently shows that character, integrity, and curiosity matter more than wealth, caste, or religion.

• Father (Jainulabdeen): A deeply devout Muslim who owned a boat used to ferry Hindu pilgrims to Rameswaram Island. He did not have formal education but had immense wisdom and warmth. He fasted, prayed regularly, and maintained deep friendships with the local Hindu community.
• Mother (Ashiamma): A loving, generous woman. Kalam describes how she fed many more people than just the family.
• Cousins and siblings: He grew up in a large, close-knit family.

Kalam's three closest childhood friends were all Hindu boys: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan. Despite coming from different religious backgrounds, they studied, played, and grew up together without any sense of division.

When Kalam was in the fifth standard, a new teacher came to school. Seeing Kalam (a Muslim boy) sitting next to Ramanadha Sastry (a Brahmin Hindu boy), the teacher made Kalam sit at the back of the class. This hurt both boys. Ramanadha Sastry's father, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry (the head priest of the Rameswaram temple), was angry when he heard about this and demanded the teacher change his attitude or leave. This incident powerfully shows how the older generation of Rameswaram actively fought prejudice and preserved communal harmony.

Sivasubramania Iyer was Kalam's science teacher in high school. He was a deeply progressive man. On one occasion, he invited young Kalam to his home for a meal. Kalam hesitated because he was a Muslim and the teacher was a Hindu Brahmin. The teacher's wife, however, refused to serve Kalam in her kitchen. Iyer was unperturbed — he served Kalam himself and invited him back. The next time, the wife herself served Kalam in the kitchen. This story shows Iyer's quiet, persistent effort to break down barriers of prejudice through personal example.

Sivasubramania Iyer also inspired Kalam's ambition. One day, after class, he showed Kalam a picture of a bird in flight and explained the physics of flight. He asked Kalam: "Do you understand now how a bird flies?" For the first time, Kalam saw science as something wondrous and practical — a tool to understand and reshape the world. Iyer ended by saying he wanted Kalam to grow up and develop India's first flying machine. This seed became the rocket scientist.

Kalam's father told him: "In my experience, most of the problems and grief in the world arise because of the lack of three things: honesty, compassion and diligence." Though not formally educated, his father had profound moral insight. This simple lesson guided Kalam throughout his life.

Kalam grew up in a place where a Muslim family ferried Hindu pilgrims; where the local priest and the local mosque elder were close friends; where children of different faiths sat together in class. This portrait of Rameswaram shows that communal harmony is not just an ideal — it is possible and natural when people choose it.

The incident with the new teacher shows that prejudice can enter even harmonious communities. But the key detail is the response: the head priest himself — a Hindu Brahmin — confronted the teacher and demanded he change. The community actively defended its values of inclusion.

When Iyer invited Kalam home, his wife initially refused. Iyer served the meal himself without complaint or anger. His quiet persistence — returning next time, inviting Kalam again — was more powerful than any argument. By the second visit, the wife had changed her mind. This is a lesson in the power of patient, persistent example.

When Iyer used a picture of a flying bird to explain aerodynamics, he was doing something profound: he was connecting abstract science to wonder, and wonder to ambition. Kalam says this was the moment he first thought seriously about science as a career. A single inspired lesson can change a life.

Throughout the chapter, Kalam does not present his Muslim identity as something that separated him from his community. He practised his faith (he wore a white cap and studied the Quran) but he was equally at home in Hindu ceremonies and had Hindu friends. His identity was plural and secure.

Kalam never forgot Rameswaram. As a great scientist and as President of India, he continued to speak of his father's wisdom, his teachers' kindness, and the values of his small island hometown. The chapter shows that greatness does not require a privileged starting point — it requires good values, curious minds, and generous teachers.

• Kalam's father was not a formally educated man — his wisdom came from life experience and faith, not schooling.
• Sivasubramania Iyer is the science teacher; do not confuse him with Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry (the temple priest and father of Kalam's friend).
• Kalam did not feel conflicted about his Muslim identity — he was comfortable and proud of it while equally embracing his Hindu friends and community.
• The incident with the prejudiced teacher was resolved through community pressure — it does not end unhappily.

"My Childhood" gives us a portrait of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as a boy: curious, modest, devout, and nurtured by a community that prized harmony over division. His parents' wisdom, his friends' loyalty, and his teachers' vision all played a role in shaping the man who would one day lead India's space programme and become its most beloved President. The chapter teaches students that great lives begin with great values — and that teachers who believe in their students can change the world.