Dr Kalam will live in our hearts, forever

On Wednesday (the 27th of July), the nation observed the first Vardhanti that is, the first anniversary of the demise of Dr APJ Kalam one of the tallest among the Bharata Ratnas and Presidents of India and a scientist who endeared himself to all sections of the people except for a few in the fundamentalist fringe. It would be proper to recall some of the distinctions of this Missile Man of India who named many of the missiles after those used in Mahabharata war at Kurukshetra.

Dr Kalam as Rashtrapati was the chief of the Armed Forces. He was the only President who flew to Siachin, the treacherous glacier which is so crucial for the defence of India and where in freezing cold hundreds of our soldiers are keeping guard against Pakistan. He piloted solo a Sukhoi Jet fighter and also performed certain manoeuvres. He entered a submarine and dove into the sea. No Rashtrapati had ever undertaken such risky acts which our soldiers and airmen and navy men are daily performing.

Rashtrapatis, Rajyapals (Governor), Chief Ministers are giving Iftar parties to Muslims during Ramzan at government expense. This Rashtrapati, Dr Kalam broke with this communal tradition. He asked his Secretary how much such a feast was costing. The reply was Rs 2 lakh. Dr Kalam wrote out a cheque from his personal account and asked his Secretary to buy gifts and distribute them in different orphanages. He did not stoop to spend government money to humour minorities as non-Muslim Rashtrapatis had been doing to prove that they are “ secular”.

52 members of Dr Kalam’s extended family came from Rameswaram to Delhi to see the magnificent sites of the historic city. Dr Kalam paid from his pocket the expense of their travel, their stay in the Rashtrapati Bhavan including their food and he engaged private taxis for those 52 members to go round Delhi’s historic sites. What an integrity he displayed! It is not blasphemy to say that no Rashtrapati before or after was so scrupulous about the use of government money and facilities for private purposes.

I was my fortunate to know him personally and commune with him on several issues on several occasions both when I was the Chairman & Managing Director of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (1987-89) and IT Adviser to the Government of Andhra Pradesh (1997-2004) . On one visit to Delhi, he asked me to convene a meeting of teachers from government and private schools. In that meeting in March 2003 at the Rashtrapati Nilayam in Bolaram, he interacted with over 50 teachers.

He enquired as to why in government schools where teachers were paid very handsomely, the results were far poorer than those in private schools where teachers were paid a fraction of the government pay but the results were far superior. He wanted teachers to be gurus and not simple wage-earners. He told them that they should be the sculptors moulding the young into highly aspiring and learning persons with noble character with the aim of building Bharat as a great a nation.

On another occasion in June 2003, at my initiative he addressed the Vice Chancellors of AP and selected chiefs of private colleges. After defining the purpose of universities as places where the young were to be motivated for research, invention and innovation and patriotism, he took questions. One of the VCs said that there was so much corruption in all sections of society and wondered whether Dr Kalam could suggest how it could be removed.

To one side of Dr Kalam was the Governor, Surjit Singh Barnala, and to the left was Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister. He looked at the Governor. He did not respond nor react. He looked to Naidu who also did not respond. He looked at me I smiled and told him that he should answer that question. He said, “here is a Governor who has no answer. Here is a Chief Minister who too has no answer. I am a paper and file-signing Rashtrapati. Neither do I have an answer.

I believe that only three people can answer this question: the Mother, the Father and Teacher who is a guru. It is only these three people who have to inculcate into the young from their childhood sterling character - buddhi, viveka and chaitanya. They alone can contain corruption. Could there be any other answer?” Dr Kalam is an ideal for every Bharatiya, especially to our children. Rarely has the President of any nation endeared himself to so many, in so short a while, so immensely. His memory will be an inspiration for every Indian .

Once at a meeting at the Anna University at Chennai an Engineering student wanted Kalam’s opinion on the Nobel Laureate Dr Amartya Sen’s statement that the nuclear test at Pokhran in May 1998 was “ill-conceived.” Kalam acknowledged the greatness of Dr Sen in the field of economic development, and said: “It seems to me that Dr Sen looks at India from a western perspective. Pt Nehru spoke at the United Nations against nuclear proliferation and advocated zero nuclear weapons in all counties.

We know the result. One should note that there are more than 10,000 nuclear war heads on the American soil, another 10,000 on the Russian soil and there are a number of them in the UK, China, France,Pakistan and some other countries. There should be a movement by those who are against the May 1998 test, in America, Russia and other western countries to achieve zero nuclear weapon status. It is essential to remember that two of our neighbouring countries are armed with nuclear weapons and missiles. Can India be a silent spectator?” The argumentative Indian kept quiet after this courteous retort.

By Dr T H Chowdary