Dr. Kalam had his early Schooling at the Rameshwaram Elementary School. His then teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer hailed from an orthodox Brahmin family, but he was very broadminded. He was a rebel who wanted the society to change, and was ready to face the challenges on the way. In one of the incidents, his wife refused to serve food to young Kalam, whom he had invited to his home. As a response, he himself served the boy and went on to invite the boy the next weekend as well.
Although Kalam was reluctant to visit Iyer’s home, this time he was welcomed by Iyer’s wife and she took him to the kitchen and served him food with her own hands. This was a great instance where Iyer reformed his wife not by force but by setting an example. Sivasubramania Iyer refused to believe that caste and religion segregate people and advised Kalam to be prepared to face such situations if he wished to change the system.
Iyer was also a dedicated teacher and established a good rapport with his students. He encouraged them to aim higher. He encouraged young Kalam to study further and to develop so that he could be “on par with the highly educated people of the big cities.”
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