The real tribute

Messages of tributes are pouring in. The nation mourns the death of its inspiring son. But, the time has come to explore the real tribute to this genius. We need to decode the life of someone who deciphered the Science to the millions of young men and women in a relentless effort.

At a time when interest in Science and scientific research is on the wane, Kalam’s life and works should motivate our students to take up science as career. The monumental contribution of the Father of India’s Missile Programme signifies the nation’s unflinching quest for self- reliance. Braving international sanctions, India’s missile development programme has catapulted the nation into a galaxy of science powers.

The Chandrayaan and the Mangalyaan programmes which exemplify India’s close engagement with science and technology owe their might to him. But, still the nation spends just around one per cent of its GDP on science, while the developed countries spend two to three times more. Kalam’s motherland cannot remain so non-committal to financing science.

Excellence is not a skill. It’s an attitude. India lags behind its giant neighbour in terms of contribution to the research, from patents to publications. Abdul Kalam reached the pinnacle of glory in the world of science that too coming from a modest beginning. An uncompromising commitment to achieving excellence can only create many more Kalams in India.

Our education system makes youth job seekers. Kalam’s message was to make them job creators. He always preached to us the need to apply science to all human endeavours. Improving productivity in agriculture, industry, education and health using the knowledge of science is essence of his teachings.

Kalam was a great teacher. He ignited millions of minds. He taught us how education, especially teaching and learning process can be made a joyful experience. Let’s transform our education system as true tribute to this legend. The young men and women are our wealth. Let’s invest in their future to translate Kalam’s dreams into reality. Transforming the nation into a knowledge society will be a complete tribute to someone who personified Indian genius.

Editor