A
vegetarian bachelor, Kalam was quoted as saying that like most of the
technology he spearheaded, he himself was “Made in India”, having never been
trained abroad. As a president of India, Dr. Kalam was immensely popular and
greatly admired his warmth, humility and simple ways endeared him to one and
all, He had a special love for children and sought to constantly inspire the
youth of our country through motivational speeches and personal interaction.
Dr.
Kalam set a target of interacting with 100,000 students during the two years
after his resignation from the post of scientific adviser in 1999. He explained,”I
feel comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school
students. Hence forth, I intend to share with them experiences, helping them to
ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India for which
the road map is already available”. A role model for students and young people
Dr. Kalam was always happy to be among them and educational institutions. He
breathed his last in the premises of an educational institution.
Dr.
Kalam has always been a favourite of the young people in India. The youngsters
look upto him as their mentor for a prosperous future. In fact, the biggest
contribution made to this nation by Dr. Kalam was to become a role model to the
youth both in urban and rural areas. During his presidency, he met with
children all over the country and encouraged them with his learned talks. His
vision about a flourishing India filled them with fresh energy and enthusiasm.
In fact, he entrusted the youth of the country with the responsibility of making
India a developed nation by 2020 as he said, “If India is to become developed
by 2020 it will do so only by riding on the shoulders of the Young.”
In
his book India 2020, Dr. Kalam strongly advocated an action plan to develop
India into “Knowledge Superpower” and a developed nation by the year 2020. He
regarded his work on India’s nuclear weapons programme as a way to asset Indi’s
place as a future superpower. He identified five areas where India has a core
competence for integrated action: (1) agriculture and food processing; (2)
education and healthcare; (3) information and communication technology; (4)
infrastructure, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and
infrastructure for all parts of the country; and (5) self-reliance in critical
technologies. These five areas are closely interrelated and if advanced in a
coordinated way, will lead to food, economic and national security.
Dr. Kalam has been a
constant source of inspiration to the youngsters. In fact, his bestselling
book”Ignited Minds: Unleashing the power within India” is addressed to the
young and exhorts and inspires them to lead and march country on to much
greater heights. The book ends with a “Song of youth” reiterating the
importance and duty of the younger lot in the country. Given his popularity
among the youngsters, Dr. Kalam was nominated for the MTV youth icon of year
award in 2003 and in 2006. Also in may, 2011, he launched his mission for the
youth of the nation called the “what can I give movement”? With a control theme
to defeat corruption.
Dr.
Kalam, a man who is known as the “Missile Man of India” was a successful
president, He is the most luminous star in the history of Presidents in India.
He was born on October 15, 1931 in a very poor Tamil Muslim family hails from
the southern-most tip of India i.e in Tamilnadu, the youngest but the most
responsible child of his parents. From Rameshwaram to Rashtrapati Bhawan in
Delhi, Dr. Kalam’s life is literally a story of success through sheer hard work
and determination. He grew up in Rameshwaram where his father was a boat
builder. This humble son of a boatman and a newspaper hawker himself, in his
childhood, used to go through the news himself before selling the news papers.
He hardly knew that a day would come when people would purchase the newspapers
to know his own achievements as a great scientist and as the 11th
President of India.
His personal life was full
of struggles and hard work. Starting the career as a newspaper vendor. Dr.
Kalam was striving only to go upward. He was the only one to do graduation in his
family. He was fascinated by the flight of seagulls. The boy who found his
vision in the wings of seagull donning the spectacles of observance, leaped
into fame in every step of life. Dr. Kalam has quoted “You have to dream before
your dreams can come true”. Later, his interest in flight led him to a
specialization in Aeronautical Engineering. In spite of deficiency of money, he
continued his education. After graduating in Science from St. Joseph’s College
in Tiruchirappalli, he enrolled for Aeronautical Engineering at Madras
Institute of Technology in 1954. In 1958, Dr. Kalam joined the DRDO and served
as a senior scientific assistant, heading a small team that developed a
prototype hover-craft. Following the lukewarm response to his hovercraft
programme. During this Period, India achieved a great milestone in the world of
space science. He was instrumental in the development of missiles such as
Prithvi, Agni, Akash, Trishul and Nag. After all, Dr. Kalam moved out of
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and joined Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO). He also instrumental in developing the cryogenic
engine in our country. He is rightly called the “the Father of the Indian
Missile Programme.”
Widely
known as the “Missile Man of India” for his work on development of ballistic
missile and space rocket technology, Dr. Kalam is acknowledged as the driving
force behind India’s leap in the defence technology that brought India into the
league of nuclear nations. Apart from being a notable scientist and engineer,
Dr. Kalam served as the 11th President of India from the period 2002
to 2007. He played a pivotal role in India’s Porkhan-II nuclear test in 1998,
the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974.
Dr.
Kalam is a man of vision, who is always full of ideas aimed at the development
of the country. His perspective on important topics have been enunciated by him
in the book “India-2020”. It highlights the action plans that will help to
develop the country into a knowledge superpower by 2020. For Dr. Kalam, India’s
true asset is its youth and he continues to try to motivate them. He has
quoted, “The nation requires role models in leadership who can inspire
youngsters. There is no dearth of resources and talent in this country, but what
we need is more creativity.” Apart from these, he is a professor at Anna
University (Chennai) and adjunct faculty at many other academic and research
institutions across India. Dr. Kalam is a very down-to-earth person. He is an
extremely simple man. He is a ‘workaholic’ who knows no holidays in the
seven-day week. He works 18 hour a day. Along the way, he is fond of music and spends
his leisure hours practicing and play with the lute (Veena), find time to write Tamil poetry. He is a great lover of books.
He is an ardent reader of both the Bhagvad Gita and the Quran.
Dr. Kalam quotes, “For great men, religion is a way of making friends, small
people make religion a fighting tool”. He is unassuming in nature and humane in
approach. One instance reflecting this quality in him is when somebody asked
him when he became the president of India, “What would you have been if not a
scientist?” He said laughing, “I would probably have been farming in a small
piece of land in Rameshwaram.” After being the president of the largest
democracy of the world, perhaps none can have any aspiration left, but Dr.
Kalam has and that is of opening a school for the poor children in Rameshwaram.
Dr. Kalam says, “if you want to leave your footprints on the sand of time, do
not drag yout feet” . Dr. Kalam has written several inspirational books, most
notably his autobiography, “Wings of fire”, aimed at motivating the Indian
youth. Another of his book is “Guiding Souls: Dialogues on the purpose of life”
which reveals his spiritual side.
The
seed of his unrivalled constructive power is hidden in his positive thinking.
According to Dr. Kalam, “Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter
whatever ups and downs you come across in your life”. Confronting every
problem, he always proceeded further and scaled the zenith of success. Dr.
Kalam’s achievements as a scientist have been acknowledged from time to time by
everybody across the globe and the government of India has also not lagged
behind in recognizing his contributions to the motherland. Many awards and
honours have been showered upon this eminent person. At first, in the field of
science he received many honorary doctorate degrees from 40 different
universities globally. He received a special honorary doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University. Then in the
year 1981, the government of India conferred on him one of the nation’s highest
honours, the Padma Bhusan and then
again, the Padma Vibhusan in 1990.
But the most valuable feather of fame was added to his cap when he was elected
the president. He was popularly known as the “People’s President”. He was
awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat
Ratna in 1997 for his work with ISRO and DRDO besides his role as a
scientific advisor to the Indian Government.
In 2013, he was the recipient of the Von Braun Award from
the National Space Society "to
recognize excellence in the management and leadership of a space-related
project".
His popularity lies in his simplicity and humility. His greatness lies in his
erudition and humanitarian approach to life. His utmost Endeavour to develop
our nation sets him at such position from where he would be remembered by the
prosperity as a source of inspiration.
We can say confidently that Dr. Kalam would
remain forever in the hearts of Indians, till there are the sun and the moon in
the sky. He was the second president of India after Dr. Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan who had no affiliation with any of the political parties. His two
books “India-2020” and “wings of fire” depict his personality as a thinker as
well as a great visionary. They bear testimony to his character, simplicity,
wisdom and personal integraty. Today young people like me salute him. May his
value should be kept alive to guide the destiny of our country.
While delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of
Management Shillong, Dr. Kalam collapsed and died from an apparent cardiac
arrest on 27 July 2015, aged 83. His death was mourned across the nation with
thousands including national-level dignitaries attending the funeral ceremony
held in his hometown of Rameshwaram, where he was buried with full state honours.
For me, "Dr. Kalam was a man of firm conviction and indomitable spirit,
and I saw him as an outstanding statesman of the world. His death is an
irreparable loss not only to India but to the entire world." His personal
contribution to the social, economic, scientific, and technical progress of
India and in ensuring its national security. On his his death, Kalam received
numerous tributes. The Tamil Nadu state government announced that his birthday,
15 October, would be observed across the state as "Youth Renaissance
Day;" the state government further instituted the "Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award," constituting an 8-gram gold medal, a certificate
and 500,000 (US$7,500). The award will be awarded annually on
Independence Day, beginning in 2015, to residents of the state with
achievements in promoting scientific growth, the humanities or the welfare of
students. Several educational and scientific institutions and other locations
were renamed or named in honour of Kalam following his death: An agricultural
college at Kishanganj, Bihar, was renamed the "Dr. Kalam Agricultural
College, Kishanganj" by the Bihar state government on the day of Kalam's
funeral. The state government also announced it would name a proposed science city
after Kalam. Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) was renamed "A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical
University" by the Uttar Pradesh state government. A new research
institute for digestive diseases research in Travancore.A new academic complex
at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala. A new science centre and planetarium in
Lawspet, Puducherry. Wheeler Island, a national missile test site in Odisha, was renamed Abdul Kalam Island in
September 2015.
***********
Name: Mahendra Kumar Nayak, M.Phil, M.Com, MARD PGJMC,
Mob- 8895117457, 7751092278, Jeypore, Koraput, Odisha.
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