Answer:
1. Yes, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam experienced segregation as a child.
2. The society practiced stratification and segregation of various social groups.
Explanation:
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, also known as the 'missile man', because of his contribution to the launching of India's first satellite, experienced segregation as a child. This is revealed in a story named the 'Three wise men', which he relayed to the Telegraph. He explained that he always wore a cap that distinguished him as a Muslim, and in the class, he sat next to his friend Ramanadha Sastry who wore a thread to identify him as a Hindu. A new teacher who was just assigned to their class, frowned against this sitting arrangement, arguing that it was not proper for people of different religions or social groups to sit together. He sent Kalam to the last seat, and this act upset the two friends who went back home and narrated the incident to their parents.
Their parents were not happy about the incident and so, Kalam's father (a Muslim), a Brahmin friend (Lakshmana Sastry, father to Ramanadha Sastry), and a Christian Priest came to the school and issued a warning to the teacher not to sow the seed of discord in the hearts of young children. The teacher's action was actually a reflection of the stratification and social segregation that was so prevalent in the society where young Kalam had grown up.
