how did the cyclone that struck the Rameswaram coast affect the author's family business? how did they deal with the situation?
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Answer:
Kalam,s father Jainulabdeen was wise and he possessed a truly generous spirit. His father was neither educated nor very rich. He lived frugally according to his austere principles. Jainulabdeen avoided comforts and luxuries which he considered non-essential. He had deep faith in God. He believed that when we pray, we move beyond our body, and its material concerns. One becomes a part of cosmos, where wealth, age, caste and creed are not standards for dividing people. Jainulabdeen’s philosophy was that one’s destiny should be vision born out of true knowledge of the self,a nd that fear often prevents one’s hopes being fulfilled. Kalam was greatly influenced by his father’s philosophy.
When Kalam was very young his father put his philosophy into practice. He decided to build a sail boat t ferry pilgrims from Rameswaram to Dhanuskodi and back. The wooden boat was built on the sea shore; timber was seasoned over wood fires to make hull and bulkheads. When the boat was ready Jainulabdeen started a brisk business. After few days, a severe cyclone struck the Rameshwaram coast. The strong winds wrecked Jainulabdeen’s boat. But Jainulabdeen was not at all distressed. He bore his loss with composure. Instead of worrying about his loss, he was more concerned about a greater tragedy caused by the gale. The Pambam Bridge has collapsed during the cyclonic storm, when a train full of passengers was crossing over it.
Kalam learnt both from his father’s attitude and the actual disaster. Kalam who just had experienced the beauty of the sea, now saw its force and uncontrollable energy.