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DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM: A SMALL TRIBUTE
The Times of India, in an unaccustomed burst of eloquence, front paged this morning "People's Prez joins the Stars... Missile man finishes in mission mode- collapses during lecture"
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India (2002-2007).
Before that, Scientific Adviser to the PM and head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The moving spirit behind our space, missile and nuclear missions, who received the nation's highest award, the Bharat Ratna, as far back as 19997.
A scientist who embodied the true questioning spirit of science, a scholar and writer, and a veena playing lover of Carnatic music and classical Tamil.
He passed away yesterday evening as he would have wished to do. Talking to youngsters at the IIM Shillong about " A livable planet". For them, as for millions like them across India, this silver-maned man, with twinkling eyes and infectious energy, was a real rock star.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India (2002-2007).
Before that, Scientific Adviser to the PM and head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The moving spirit behind our space, missile and nuclear missions, who received the nation's highest award, the Bharat Ratna, as far back as 19997.
A scientist who embodied the true questioning spirit of science, a scholar and writer, and a veena playing lover of Carnatic music and classical Tamil.
He passed away yesterday evening as he would have wished to do. Talking to youngsters at the IIM Shillong about " A livable planet". For them, as for millions like them across India, this silver-maned man, with twinkling eyes and infectious energy, was a real rock star.
Dr. Abdul Kalam was a visionary and, to use the evocative term, a karmayogi. Having no family bar his siblings, and next to no personal possessions and with no desire to acquire any, of him it could be said with complete truth that he lived for and by his work. And his work spoke for him. It also brought him, from very humble beginnings at the southernmost tip of India, Rameswaram, to the heights of decision-making on a host of critical issues for the nation, and then to the Rashtrapati Bhavan as the First Citizen of India.
He was a man whose achievements, both personal and as a leader of a team, where he was a legend, need no recounting. Despite this, he was modest to a fault, with a life style that was as simple as could be. In his youth, he used to often sleep in the lab, so as to lose no time from his work/ Later, till he became the President of India, he used, even when he was the Scientific Adviser to the Govt, and head of the Defence Research Development Organisation, to live in a 2 room suite in the DRDO guest house. When his family came all the way from Rameswaram, at the southern tip of India, to New Delhi for his inauguration as the President of India, they paid their own way.
He was an inspiration to youth all over India, and to the end of his life, indeed literally so, he was a teacher. His Republic Day eve messages, which I used to read out as an Ambassador, were full of pep and go, refreshingly free of cant, and always listed out concrete ideas for all of us, especially the young, to contribute to make India a better nation.
I had the great good fortune of calling on him in January 2005, when he was the President and I was the High Commissioner of India to Canada, and he was kind enough to autograph two of his books for me. Ignited Minds, and Wings of Fire. Even in a brief meeting, I was pepped up by the energy that radiated from this man, who dreamed 24x7 of his vision for India.
No wonder his Twitter profile said of him: Scientist, teacher, learner and writer. Served as the 11th President of India (2002-2007).Working for an economically developed nation by 2020.
He passed away too soon. India needed him for longer. But in one sense, he will still be with us, in the minds of the millions he touched and inspired by his relentless urge to learn, to think, to dream and to do.
But Rest in peace? No way! That is about the last thing he would think of doing. I bet he is up there, already proposing to the Almighty a mission for salvaging both us and the planet!
Shyamala B.Cowsik
PS: I know that this is the second thread in memory of Dr. Kalam, but I hope the mods will bear with me for this. I felt that many IF members, especially those living abroad, might be interested in this information about him.
Anupamaa
