Abdul Kalam-Another Mahatma

World has lost a ‘Great Indian’. Former President of India, a rocket scientist, a missile man, a nuclear backbone, a teacher and of course an Indian role model Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is physically no more. However, he lives on in the vivid imagination of billion Indians.

I strongly believe he is a rare Indian. Certainly another ‘mahatma’.

India we live in today, has ever decreasing scope of producing individuals like him. There’s a steady but steep erosion of core Indian values & alarming deviation from simplicity, selflessness, service, diligence, honesty, nationalism, ethics & morality. The same core values that made Dr Kalam who he is, a mahatma.

There’s a massive need for a ‘Great Indian’ to at least ‘model’ in this nation. There were hardly any with an exception of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the 65 years of Independent India. Mahatma Kalam was a fresh surprise as an ‘Individual’ who grew up to be a ‘unique global leader’ in the devastating era of mass customization & demoralizing political environment.

He was so pristine like a dew droplet on a lotus leaf in a massive dirt pool. The environment could neither engulf him, corrupt him nor transform him. He was never ‘adaptive’ nor ‘conforming’.

He was unique. He blossomed & shined with the reflection of his own light of wisdom, purity, honesty and childlike curiosity till the end. He was unlike any, totally individualistic, amazingly unique, endangeringly rare & unbelievably special.

In the world we live in today, where everyone demands his pound of flesh, sometimes fight for it, and at times even snatch it from others as their right. Here was a man, who never complained, never demanded, never pushed, never plotted, never betrayed, and simply lived all along his life in the pleasure of ‘giving’ than in the constant struggle to ‘take’, ‘acquire’ or ‘achieve’.

He was driven to accomplish tasks, deliver his roles, than achieve positions. He longed to contribute & share knowledge than amass meaningless wealth.

What meant ‘everything’ to others around him, meant ‘nothing’ to him. What meant ‘everything’ to him was to live every moment contributing his individual might to his countrymen & to the glory of this great nation.

I am extremely proud to have had opportunities to interact with & spend time with this rare Indian. I see myself walking all life, in the reflection of his giant shadow.

My heartfelt tributes to a spectacular, eventful, celebrated, purposeful, spirited & a soulful life of Mahatma Abdul Kalam.

By Krishna Sagar Rao

The author is BJP spokesperson for Telangana State