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The government has announced a seven-day State mourning in honour of Kalam.
Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam died after suffering a massive cardiac arrest during a lecture at the IIM-Shillong on Monday. His body was flown to Delhi early Tuesday morning by a special aircraft.
Several leaders including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior IAF officials joined in paying tribute to India’s 'Missile Man' whose departure has plunged the nation into overwhelming grief.
Wrapped in the tricolour, the casket carrying his body was taken inside the aircraft as a mournful hymn played in the background.
The Union Cabinet is expected to hold a special meeting in New Delhi to condole his death. The date, place and time of his funeral would also be decided today.
The government has announced a seven-day State mourning in honour of Kalam.
President, PM condole
Condoling Kalam’s death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “India mourns the loss of a great scientist, a wonderful President & above all an inspiring individual.”
President Pranab Mukherjee said in a message, “In his passing away, we have lost a great son of India who dedicated his entire life for the welfare of the motherland and its people. Dr. Kalam was a people’s President during his lifetime and will remain so even after his death.” More..
A stellar career:
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015)
Timeline
- » 1931: Born Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam on October 15, in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
- » 1954: Graduates in Physics from Saint Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli, in 1954.
- » 1960: Gains degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology.
- » 1969: Transferred to ISRO from the DRDO.
- » 1980: India enters the space club by putting the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit with the first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), developed under the stewardship of Dr. Kalam.
- » 1980s-1990s: As the chief of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, he was responsible for the development and operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles.
- » 1992-1999: works as Chief Scientific Advisor to the PM and Secretary of the DRDO.
- » 1998: India conducts the Pokhran II nuclear tests in May with Dr. Kalam as the chief project coordinator.
- » 1999-2001: Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.
- » 2002-2007: President of India
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam passes away
The 11th President of India, widely acclaimed as the "people's President", passed away on July 27, 2015 after collapsing during a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong.
Mr. Kalam through the years
A look at photos from the archives of The Hindu of the former president.
- » Mr. Kalam's recent article in The Hindu talks about neutrino research. Read here.
- » Failed in my dream of becoming pilot: Mr. Kalam says in new book. Read here.
- » Memorabilia of former President at his Rameswaram house attract visitors. Know more.
- » Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's vision for the nation. A message on Teacher's Day from the former President, exclusively for The Hindu In School.
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Failed in my dream of becoming pilot: Abdul Kalam in new book
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For former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, becoming a fighter pilot was a “dearest dream” but he failed to realise it by a whisker as he bagged the ninth position when only eight slots were available in the IAF.
In his new book “My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions”, published by Rupa, Mr. Kalam, who specialised in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology, says he was desperate to pursue a career in flying.
“Over the years I had nurtured the hope to be able to fly to handle a machine as it rose higher and higher in the stratosphere was my dearest dream,” he writes.
Out of the two interview calls Mr. Kalam got, one was from the Indian Air Force in Dehradun and the other from the Directorate of Technical Development and Production (DTDP) at the Ministry of Defence in Delhi.
While the interview at DTDP was “easy” he recounted that for the Air Force Selection Board, he realised that along with qualifications and engineering knowledge, they were also looking for a certain kind of “smartness” in the candidate.
Mr. Kalam bagged the ninth position out of 25 candidates and was not recruited as only eight slots were available.
“I had failed to realise my dream of becoming an air force pilot,” he writes.
He says he “walked around for a while till I reached the edge of a cliff” before deciding to go to Rishikesh and “seek a new way forward.”
“It is only when we are faced with failure do we realise that these resources were always there within us. We only need to find them and move on with our lives,” says Mr. Kalam who went on to put his “heart and soul” at his job as the senior scientific assistant at DTDP.
The book is filled with stories of “innumerable challenges and learning” in his years as the scientific adviser when India conducted its second nuclear test, his retirement and dedication to teaching thereafter and his years as President.
Mr. Kalam has compiled life’s learnings, anecdotes and profiles of key moments and people who inspired him profoundly in the book, which will hits the stands on August 20.
He recounts “staring into the pit of despair” when he failed to make it as an IAF pilot and how he pulled himself up and rose to become the man who headed India’s missile programme and occupy highest office in the country.
While the 82-year-old, popularly known as the Missile Man for his contribution to the development of ballistic missile technology, had in 1999 brought out his autobiography “Wings of Fire” and followed it with “Turning Points”, a journey through challenges” in 2012 that details his political career and challenges, the latest book talks about the people who left a deep impression on him as he was growing up.
In the 147-page book, Mr. Kalam writes about his experience of watching his father build a boat, his early working life as a newspaper boy at the age of eight and even his first-hand experience of the way in their religious elders settled a religious matter in his school.
In a chapter “A brush with fire”, Mr. Kalam recounts the 1999 January 11 incident involving two aircraft which took off from Bangalore towards the Arakkonam-Chennai coastline and crashed, killing 8 men on board.
While Mr. Kalam immediately flew to Bangalore from Delhi and met the bereaved families, he says the grief of the devastated parents and the wailing of the infants remained with him even after years of the incident even after he moved from his office at South Block to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The former President says that true nation building is not made by political rhetoric alone but should be backed “by the power of sacrifice, toil and virtue”.
“When grand plans for scientific and defence technologies are made, do the people in power think about the sacrifices the people in the laboratories and fields have to make?” he writes.
The book also contains a chapter detailing Mr. Kalam’s favourite books “which have always been close companions” who “were like friends” guiding him through life. Lilian Eishler Watson’s “Light from Many Lamps,” the “Thirukural”, Nobel Laureate Alex Carrel’s “Man the Unknown” have been listed.
Poetry says Mr. Kalam has been “one of his first loves” and poems by T.S. Elliot, Lewis Carroll and William Butler Yeats has “played out in my over and over again”.
In conclusion, Mr. Kalam writes his life can be summed up as “Love poured to the child... struggle... more struggle... bitter tears... then sweet tears... and finally a life as beautiful and fulfilling as seeing the birth of the full moon.
“I hope these stories will help all my readers understand their dreams and compel them to work on these dreams that keep them awake,” he writes.
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Life and times of Kalam in images
A touching tribute to his mother is the chief attraction at the ‘Mission of life - Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,’ a gallery housing an impressive memorabilia of the former President at his modest house in the tiny island of Rameswaram.
A beautiful painting that the science teacher-turned “missile man” put on display at the gallery illustrates his love for his mother. No visitor will fail to notice the poetic words written below the painting which depicts Dr. Kalam lying on his mother’s lap as a five-year-old boy. "There is no God like mother. In my boyhood, one night, to the envy of my brothers and sister, I slept in the lap of my mother. Later in the night, I woke up when my mother’s affection-filled tears fell on me. The memory remains fresh in my thoughts," the caption reads.
For visitors to the island, especially students and children from all parts of the country, a trip to the island town will not be complete without a visit to the gallery, located on a narrow lane in a residential area. The gallery was inaugurated by Dr. Kalam and distinguished scientist A. Sivathanu Pillai on July 27, 2011. Ever since, people have been making a beeline to this gallery. The power crisis and resultant load shedding forced the gallery to stay shut on most days over the past two years. Many visitors returned disappointed and when students e-mailed the situation to Dr. Kalam, he immediately ordered the installation of solar panels to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the gallery.
"Thanks to green energy, the gallery is open to visitors on all days except Fridays, much to the joy of the steady stream of visitors," says Sheik Saleem, grandson of Dr. Kalam, who maintains the gallery. "Grandpa was against sponsorship and spent about Rs. 9 lakh to install the solar facility. The 24 solar panels produce 6 kv to power lighting and air conditioning facilities at the gallery," Mr. Saleem says. ‘We spend about Rs. 10,000 a month for maintenance and the expenses are borne by Dr. Kalam. He was strictly against collecting an entry fee. About 600 to 800 people visit the gallery daily," he says.
While moving around the gallery set up on the first floor of the house, visitors can get a peek into the life of Dr. Kalam through old photographs of his — as a student in Schwartz High School in Ramanathapuram; at St. Joseph’s College in Tiruchi (1952-54); at Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai (1954-57).
The visitors stop for a while on reaching the corner to take a second look at the portrait of Dr. Kalam playing the veena. "Not many know that he learnt to play the veena when he was working in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) during 1985-95. He plays the veena to relax," says Mr. Saleem. Dr Kalam has a veena at his Delhi residence, he says.
The photos on display feature Dr. Kalam riding a bicycle, carrying ‘Menaka,’ a rocket, when he was working in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the 1960s; Dr. Kalam at the Mission Control Centre when SLV 3 was launched at Sriharikota; with the then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee when Operation Sakthi, the nuclear test, was carried out at Pokhran in 1998; and Dr. Kalam at the European Parliament.
An audio-visual work on missiles and rockets provides added attraction to students. His group photo with his friends Sivathanu Pillai, G. Madhvan Nair, former ISRO chief, and Y.S Rajan, co-author of ‘India 2020 vision’ illustrates his admiration for friendship. "Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow, don’t walk behind me, I may not lead, walk beside me and be my friend," was another poetic caption.
The Chinese version of Thirukural, the couplets of Thiruvalluvar, translated by his Taiwan poet friend Yuschi attracts many. When former Supreme Court judge S. Mohan introduced him to the poet, Dr. Kalam presented an English version of the master literary work and asked him to translate it for the benefit of the people of China, Mr. Saleem said. The innumerable shields and awards, including the Bharat Ratna conferred on him in November 1997, more than 55 honorary doctorates given by Indian and foreign universities, national and international recognition and the ‘G-suite’ he wore when he zoomed into the skies in Sukhoi-30 were among the items displayed in the gallery.
"We are setting up a knowledge centre on the second floor with about 5,000 books, mostly on science and technology and handpicked by grandpa," says Mr. Saleem. About 1,000 books have arrived and the centre will be inaugurated soon. Dr Kalam last visited this house in July 2011, when he came to inaugurate the gallery. He is in regular touch with his elder brother A.P.J.M. Maraikayar (96). He is expected to pay a visit in February next year, Mr. Saleem says.
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A message on Teacher’s Day from the former President, exclusively for The Hindu In School
Despite being an eminent scientist and former President of India, you always wanted the people to remember you as a teacher. What is it about teaching that you place it above others?
Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me. Youth have a dream and also they have a pain. The pain comes out of their dream; they want to live in a prosperous, happy and peaceful India. This type of student’s environment ignites me and leads me to interact with young minds.
What does Teachers' Day mean to you? Do you think the advent of technology and free access to abundant information has the changed the profile and relevance of teachers over the years?
Teachers day for me, gives me an opportunity to remember my teachers. Great teachers emanate out of knowledge, passion and compassion. Teacher’s Day is to celebrate the great teachers who empower the students and put them into the higher ladders of thinking.
Internet has no doubt simplified access to information. Modern gadgets and education learning websites will be assistive to teachers and the students. Technology can only facilitate but never replace a teacher. The more tech-savvy they are, the simpler their work becomes.
Ultimately, education in its real sense is the pursuit of truth. It is an endless journey through knowledge and enlightenment.
Such a journey opens up new vistas of development of humanism where there is neither scope nor room for pettiness, disharmony, jealousy, hatred or enmity. It transforms a human being into a wholesome whole, a noble soul and an asset to the universe. Universal goodwill in its true sense becomes the sheet anchor for such education. Real education enhances the dignity of a human being and increases his or her self-respect. If only the real sense of education could be realized by each individual, and carried forward in every field of human activity, the world will be so much a better place to live in. Such a great role to be assumed by teachers.
You advocated the concept of making schools enjoyable to children. But students seem to be under constant pressure to perform better to join professional courses. How to slow down this race without compromising on career prospects?
Schools should always be enjoyable to children. But, there is nothing wrong in the classrooms having heavy teaching provided it is interactive and participatory which make learning enjoyable. The educational demands on the students from teachers will have to be designed in such way it is transformed into interesting learning experience, rather than a usual home work.
Our primary school teaching is not creative. What is important is to bring in reforms here.
We need creative classes, we need creative teachers, and we need creative syllabus, which will ultimately make the learning process simple. Teachers should imbibe the spirit of enquiry and make the students seekers of knowledge and become their guide and friend.
With increasing commercialization of education and private institutions investing huge money to create world class infrastructure, what are the challenges before Government Schools and teachers?
Really a competitive environment is emanating in the education sector. It is very important for the government schools to face the competition and create global human resource cadre. All the IITs, NITs, Universities, higher education/research institutions and schools should take the responsibility of enhancing the quality of teaching.
What is your message to new generation teachers? With the cane becoming almost irrelevant, how can the teacher inculcate discipline among students? Do you remember being caned by any teacher in school days? If yes, can you share the occasion?
Knowledge is always unique. When our teachers entered classrooms, we saw the radiation of knowledge around them, because of their accomplishments in education. We also saw the radiation of purity because of their Gandian way of life. Based on my classroom experience, it is always true that the great teacher derives respect by his knowledge, his way of thinking and his way of life. If we have such teachers, then necessity of the cane may disappear. It is an ideal condition for both the good teachers and good students…sometimes caning may become inevitable by certain teachers.
For example, I have been caned for indiscipline in doing my work by my Mathematics teacher Shri Ramakrishnan. Since he caned me, it gave me an opportunity to correct myself in my studies and that enabled me to score 100/100 marks. So both are possible and needed to imbibe the value system and also make the student excel in studies.
Realising the goals of energy independence, self-sufficiency, economic stability and overall growth is a long term programme that needs more well qualified and employable youth joining the national work force, particularly Government. Given the brain drain and lucrative corporate world, how can we achieve this?
The nation is going through a difficult economic situation, there is a feeling of despair among the youth whether India will succeed? This is the time Parliament should sit for on an exclusive session and discuss action for reviving the economy without any walkout or protest.
The topic for discussion may be “What should be the vision for the nation at the critical situation to revive our economy?” Hence it is not only teachers who have a role, but the parents and the Parliament and the legislatures also.
Is there still a dream that doesn't let you sleep?
My dream is to see the smiles in the face of billion plus people of my nation. To realize this Parliament should have a constructive discussion for bringing out a “ Vision for the nation to evolve a Sustainable economy ”
Instead of thinking what we can get from foreign countries to improve the nation’s economy, we must think and evolve proactive policies through the Parliamentary Vision and by doing away with the old polices which have not yielded the sustainable growth.
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It is uncanny that a book authored by Dr. Abdul Kalam (with Arun Tiwari) was released in Chennai on Saturday last. 'Transcendence, My Spiritual Experiences With Paramukh Swamiji' captures the philosophy of this extraordinary man, who had a great vision for India and worked tirelessly for it. In his introduction, the former president recalls how his house in Rameswaram would resonate with the healthy debate that went on among three persons - his father Jainulabdeen, an imam in the mosque, Pakshi Lakhmana Sastrigal, Vedic scholar and head priest of the famous Rameswaram temple and Rev.Fr. Bodal, who built the first church on the island. As a ten-year-old boy, Kalam had learnt secularism, in its true sense. "Now throughout the nation and the world, the need for such frank and genial dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations is more urgent than ever," he observes. He dedicates the book to all the righteous people of the world, wherever they are.
Dr. Kalam meets Pramukh Swami for the first time in 2001 and seeds are sown for a fruitful guru-disciple relationship. Dr. Kalam asks the swami: How do we transform a developing country into a developed one within the next 30 years? We have identified five important areas - eucation, healthcare, communication, infrastructure and critical technology. The swamiji says: "Add one more - faith in God and developing people through spirituality." Dr. Kalam describes the moment as Divine Presence. What Swami Pramukh said subsequently had a great impact on the scientist, who took it up as a mission: "Go and channel the minds of youths all over the world. Lead India."
He was called upon to do exactly that, on June 10, 2002. Through a telephone call, the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, expressed his wish that Dr. Kalam should be President. By evening the candidature was confirmed and the rest is history. In the book, Dr. Kalam reflects upon the unexpected events and blessings that came into his life. Hours of pain as first an earthquake and then riots ravaged Gujarat that were overcome through grit and faith. Akshardam, the temple of love and peace that Swami Pramukh raised became a symbol of hope. He marvels at the swamiji's equanimity when the place was attacked by terrorists. You can drive out hate only with love and not hate, he learnt. A belief he found in Nelson Mandela, whom he met much later.
The concluding words echo the tenor of the 220-page account of Dr. Kalam's spiritual saga: "All of us - bright atheists and committed religionists - need to awaken now and hear the earth's call... the only thing that will redeem humankind is cooperation. Let us make our planet more liveable! A strong message, looking back his last, from a man, who only thought of the country's progress, who cherished the youth as the hope of the future!
(The book has been released by Harper element)
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Abdul Kalam was an institution-builder and a team leader who always favoured a strong and self-reliant India
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam always used to say he would like to be remembered as a teacher. When he became the President in 2002, he made no compromise on his penchant for teaching. He grabbed every opportunity to teach students, especially children, wherever he went. Administering a pledge on national development to the youth was his passion.
In an exclusive interview to The Hindu on the occasion of ‘Teachers Day’ on September 5, 2013, the former President said: “If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.”
Minutes before his end came on Monday, Mr. Kalam was teaching students at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong.
“Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, calibre and future of an individual…youth have a dream and also they have a pain. The pain comes out of their dream; they want to live in a prosperous, happy and peaceful India. This type of student’s environment ignites me and leads me to interact with young minds,” he said in the interview.
Mr. Kalam also taught scientists who worked with him. V. Ponraj, a senior scientist of the Aeronautical Development Agency who is associated with the ‘Missile Man’ since 1995, is now the Adviser to the former President.
“I am doing a research on ‘affordable health care through cloud infrastructure,’ and Mr. Kalam is my guide. He suggested that I take this subject and guided me all through. On July 16 this year, the former president spent a couple of hours reviewing my work and asked me to start writing the thesis,” Mr. Ponraj told The Hindu on Monday.
Mr. Kalam and Mr. Ponraj have authored a few books. The latest one in Tamil titled Puyalai thandinal thendral, yennathil nalam irunthal kanavu Tamilagam malarum is half complete. “We have written seven chapters together. Now, I have to finish this book with his thoughts…he will remain my teacher and guide forever,” Mr. Ponraj said.
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Abdul Kalam was an institution-builder and a team-builder who always wanted to build a strong and self-reliant India.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, Bharat Ratna and far-sighted architect of India's space and missile programmes, passed away in Shillong on Monday.
Kalam was an institution-builder and a team-builder, a visionary and a dreamer, who always wanted to build a strong and self-reliant India. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Defence Minister R. Venkataraman, scientific advisor to the Defence Minister V.S. Arunachalam and Kalam were a formidable team in the early 1980s who wanted to weld into India into a puissant country in science and technology. Kalam devised every stratagem in the book to beat the embargoes and sanction regimes including the Missile Technology Control Regime imposed on India following the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1974 and later in 1998.
As K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said, "Kalam had a single-minded approach in leading projects and his connect with other scientists and the younger generation distinguished him from everybody else. His taking over the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) programme as its Project Director led to its spectacular success in 1980 and it was the turning point in India's space programme.”
In the 1960s, Kalam was at the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station near Thiruvananthapuram, and he built ISRO's sounding rocket programme to probe the upper atmosphere. The scientist’s puckish sense of humour came to the fore during celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the first sounding rocket. Now President, Kalam began his address to the gathering from Rashtrapathi Bhavan thus: “Ten , nine, eight, seven...” His countdown sent ISRO’s scientists and engineers into raptures.
Rockets in his DNA
Civilian rockets, military missiles and aircraft were in his DNA. He was fond of saying that "It was a joy to study the structure of an aircraft” when he was a student of aeronautical engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology, Chromepet, Chennai. In 1983, Kalam left ISRO and joined the DRDO as director of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) at Hyderabad. As director of DRDL, he envisioned India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and led teams that built India's Agni, Akash, Prithvi and Nag missile programmes.
Brahmos tie-up
He was instrumental in forging India's collaboration with Russia to build the world's first supersonic cruise missile called BrahMos. As Director-General of DRDO and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, he played an important role India's nuclear tests in 1998.
Dr V. K. Saraswat, former DRDO Director-general, said, “Kalam was an institution-builder, team-builder, visionary, dreamer and motivator of men.”
Kalam never hesitated to take a stand on issues - be it in support for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, the setting up of the neutrino observatory in Theni, India's nuclear weapons programme or the strategic missile programme.
Keywords: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
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Tributes started pouring in on social media to mourn the death of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who had earned the sobriquet of the ‘People’s President'. Incidentally, Dr. Kalam’s last tweeted on the microblogging site Twitter was about his visit to Shillong where he collapsed during a lecture to the students of the IIM.
Going to Shillong.. to take course on Livable Planet earth at iim. With @srijanpalsingh and Sharma.
— APJ Abdul Kalam (@APJAbdulKalam) July 27, 2015
Remembering him for his pioneering work as a scientist, Minster of Railways Suresh Prabhu tweeted.
Dr Kalam great scientist,super patriot,peoples Prez.All of us are proud of his superlative achievements.Am fortunate,worked closely with him
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) July 27, 2015
Home Minister Rajanth Singh described him as a man of impeccable character, indomitable spirit, profound knowledge and firm conviction.
The death of Dr. Kalam is an irreparable loss to this nation. He has left a big void hard to fill. I deeply mourn his death. RIP Kalam Sahab— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) July 27, 2015
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also mourned Dr. Kalam’s death.
Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam was people's President. My homage to the great soul.— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 27, 2015
BJD’s Baijayant Jay Panda tweeted his tribute.
Very sad to hear. Farewell, people's President, you made us proud to be Indian. R.I.Phttps://t.co/LE8pD5Itst— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) July 27, 2015
NCP’s Supriya Sule said he inspired a new generation and that a “a real Bharat Ratna lost today”.
Deeply saddened by the demise of Dr Abdul kalamji - he truly inspired a new generation - a real Bharat Ratna lost today— Supriya Sule *******
his was posted on Facebook at 4 am by the former President's aide, Srijan Pal Singh.
Here is the full text of the post:
What I will be remembered for... my memory of the last day with the great Kalam sir...
It has been eight hours since we last talked - sleep eludes me and memories keep flushing down, sometimes as tears. Our day, 27th July, began at 12 noon, when we took our seats in the flight to Guwahati. Dr. Kalam was 1A and I was 1C. He was wearing a dark colored "Kalam suit", and I started off complimenting, "Nice color!" Little did I know this was going to be the last color I will see on him.
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That was followed by another 2.5 hours of car drive to IIM Shillong. For these two-legged trip of five hours we talked, discussed and debated. These were amongst hundreds of the long flights and longer drives we have been together over the last six years.
As each of them, this was as special too. Three incidents/discussions in particular will be "lasting memories of our last trip".
First, Dr. Kalam was absolutely worried about the attacks in Punjab. The loss of innocent lives left him filled with sorrow. The topic of lecture at IIM Shillong was Creating a Livable Planet Earth. He related the incident to the topic and said, "It seems the manmade forces are as big a threat to the livability of earth as pollution". We discussed on how, if this trend of violence, pollution and reckless human action continues we will forced to leave earth. "Thirty years, at this rate, maybe", he said. "You guys must do something about it... it is going to be your future world"
Our second discussion was more national. For the past two days, Dr. Kalam was worried that time and again Parliament, the supreme institution of democracy, was dysfunctional. He said, "I have seen two different governments in my tenure. I have seen more after that. This disruption just keeps happening. It is not right. I really need to find out a way to ensure that the parliament works on developmental politics." He then asked me to prepare a surprise assignment question for the students at IIM Shillong, which he would give them only at the end of the lecture. He wanted them to suggest three innovative ways to make Parliament more productive and vibrant. Then, after a while he returned on it. "But how can I ask them to give solutions if I don't have any myself".
For the next one hour, we thwarted options after options, to come up with his recommendation over the issue. We wanted to include this discussion in our upcoming book, Advantage India.
Third, was an experience from the beauty of his humility. We were in a convoy of 6-7 cars. Dr. Kalam and I were in the second car. Ahead of us was an open gypsy with three soldiers in it. Two of them were sitting on either side and one lean guy was standing atop, holding his gun. One hour into the road journey, Dr. Kalam said, "Why is he standing? He will get tired. This is like punishment. Can you ask a wireless message to be given that he may sit?" I had to convince him, he has been probably instructed to keep standing for better security. He did not relent. We tried radio messaging, that did not work. For the next 1.5 hours of the journey, he reminded me thrice to see if I can hand signal him to sit down. Finally, realizing there is little we can do - he told me, "I want to meet him and thank him". Later, when we landed in IIM Shillong, I went inquiring through security people and got hold of the standing guy. I took him inside and Dr. Kalam greeted him. He shook his hand, said thank you buddy. "Are you tired? Would you like something to eat? I am sorry you had to stand so long because of me". The young lean guard, draped in black cloth, was surprised at the treatment. He lost words, just said, "Sir, aapke liye to 6 ghante bhi khade rahenge".
After this, we went to the lecture hall. He did not want to be late for the lecture. "Students should never be made to wait", he always said. I quickly set up his mike, briefed on final lecture and took position on the computers. As I pinned his mike, he smiled and said, "Funny guy! Are you doing well?" 'Funny guy', when said by Kalam could mean a variety of things, depending on the tone and your own assessment. It could mean, you have done well, you have messed up something, you should listen to him or just that you have been plain naive or he was just being jovial. Over six years I had learnt to interpret Funny Guy like the back of my palm. This time it was the last case.
"Funny guy! Are you doing well?" he said. I smiled back, "Yes". Those were the last words he said. Two minutes into the speech, sitting behind him, I heard a long pause after completing one sentence. I looked at him, he fell down.
We picked him up. As the doctor rushed, we tried whatever we could. I will never forget the look in his three-quarter closed eyes and I held his head with one hand and tried reviving with whatever I could. His hands clenched, curled onto my finger. There was stillness on his face and those wise eyes were motionlessly radiating wisdom. He never said a word. He did not show pain, only purpose was visible.
In five minutes, we were in the nearest hospital. In another few minutes, they indicated the Missile Man had flown away, forever. I touched his feet, one last time. Adieu old friend! Grand mentor! See you in my thoughts and meet in the next birth.
As I turned back, a closet of thoughts opened.
Often he would ask me, "You are young, decide what will you like to be remembered for?" I kept thinking of new impressive answers, till one day I gave up and resorted to tit-for-tat. I asked him back, "First you tell me, what will you like to be remembered for? President, Scientist, Writer, Missile man, India 2020, Target 3 billion.... What?" I thought I had made the question easier by giving options, but he sprang on me a surprise. "Teacher", he said.
Then something he said two weeks back when we were discussing about his missile-time friends. He said, "Children need to take care of their parents. It is sad that sometimes this is not happening". He paused and said, "Two things. Elders must also do. Never leave wealth at your deathbed - that leaves a fighting family. Second, one is blessed if one can die working, standing tall without any long-drawn ailing. Goodbyes should be short, really short".
Today, I look back - he took the final journey, teaching, what he always wanted to be remembered doing. And, till his final moment he was standing, working and lecturing. He left us, as a great teacher, standing tall. He leaves the world with nothing accumulated in his account but loads of wishes and love of people. He was successful, even in his end.
Will miss all the lunches and dinners we had together, will miss all the times you surprised me with your humility and startled me with your curiosity, will miss the lessons of life you taught in action and words, will miss our struggles to race to make into flights, our trips, our long debates. You gave me dreams, you showed me dreams need to be impossible, for anything else is a compromise to my own ability. The man is gone, the mission lives on. Long live Kalam.
Your indebted student,
Srijan Pal Singh
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Harry Sheridon (53), who had been with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam as his personal secretary for the past 24 years, can't believe the former President is no more.
Speaking to mid-day from Delhi, Sheridon said, "Sir (Kalam) left around 12.20 pm on Monday and was supposed to return on Tuesday evening. His health was fine, when he left Delhi. Around 7 pm, I received a phone call from one of our staffers. He said that sir had fainted while addressing the gathering at IIM Shillong and had been taken to the hospital. A few minutes later, I received yet another phone call, stating that the military doctors had arrived and they had declared Mr Kalam dead."
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Sheridon worked with Kalam since the latter joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation as Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and was later Secretary, Department of Research and Development.
The secretary recalled that Kalam never had a television at home and would start his day between 6.30 am and 7 am and stay awake until 2 am. He would listen to the radio, mostly news on All India Radio, and would personally check his emails on a daily basis. He would be invited for some seminar or the other every week. Kalam's personal physician would visit him regularly, but he had not complained of any ailments. His last book titled 'Target 3 Billion' co-authored by Srijan Pal Singh, was published in December 2011.
"APJ Kalam sir was a very, very good human being in all aspects. The country needs more leaders like him" was all Sheridon could say in conclusion.
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