I have read this story in the autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam sir, “Wings of Fire”. This story is very beautiful. Read it and let me know how you found it.
During his childhood, Kalam sir had a best friend, Ramananda Shastri. He was the son of the priest of the Rameshwaram temple. He used to wear a sacred thread which usually Hindus wear and Kalam sir used to wear a cap that marked him a Muslim.
This is the story when they were in the fifth standard. They both used to sit on the first bench of the class together. One day a new teacher came to school and saw them sitting together happily. He could not stomach this thing that how the children of two different religions can sit together. He ordered the Kalam sir to sit on the last bench. Both friends were so upset with the decision of the teacher. Kalam sir tells in the book that he still remembers the moistened eyes of his friend on that day.
After school, they went home and told the whole story to their respective parents. So Ramananda Shastry’s father called the teacher to him and said that you should not fill the children’s minds with the poison of communal intolerance and social inequality. Either apologize or leave the school and this place.
From that day not only did the behavior of that teacher improve but his perspective also changed.
So this was the story which I found so beautiful. This shows that how the teachers, parents, and society plays an important role in making our thought process. Where some people fight in the name of their religions there are the people as well who believe in humanity and believe in living together without any disparity.
I hope that you also liked this story. What is your opinion on this topic?
