Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: A man who made missiles with a genial smile

Can a same person be a common man…

missile man…Bharat Ratna…

People’s President…Youth Icon?

Yes, if & only if he is Dr. Kalam.

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred as A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the 11th President of India for the term 2002 to 2007. Popularly known as the People’s President he was the chief brain behind India’s attainment of the nuclear status in the global arena and was known as the ‘Missile Man of India’ for his work on the development of ballistic missiles and space rocket technology.

Very few are like this great man who enter into the politics & still remain untouched by the splatters of it. He was an epitome of simplicity, patriotism & honesty. There are a plethora of incidents from his life which can impart the best teachings of life. Most of us Indians know him as the president, many know him as the missile man of India. But the real fact is that he was a great human first of all the things & was admired by each & every citizen of this country irrespective of their religion, caste, race, creed etc. He was a person of such demeanour that he was appreciated & loved uniformly in all four sides of this country. Not only Indians inside the country but the diaspora outside also have a big corner of their heart reserved for Kalam Sir.

Instances of his greatness are numerous but some really are thought provoking. It’s quite unbelievable how a person who held such important positions in GOI can be so humble, simple & down to earth in his approach to life. It was once, under a very tight project launch a scientist working under him requested an early leave as he was supposed to take his son to an exhibition. Engrossed in his work, it was three hours late when the scientist realised that he forgot to keep his promise. Going back home with a guilty heart he was amazed to know that his son was not at home. None other than Kalam Sir had accompanied his son to the exhibition. This showed his utmost level of care & thoughtfulness towards his employees. In another incident when he was offered a bigger sized chair in a seminar at IIT Varanasi, he refused it gently as he strongly believed in equality. He was truly an epitome of simplicity & source of inspiration to many. These instances from his life tell us about his character’s height. He was working on a book before his untimely & sudden death. 

It was during his tenure as a President of India that he became a nationwide name & common people of India came to know about this simple yet great son of India. He was the brain behind the advanced missile technology of India. Not even he proved India’s prowess in missile tech but Pokharan-II nuclear test was a success story that was possible only because of scientists like him. As there were prying eyes of Uncle Sam & allies on India’s nuclear ambitions it was more than necessary for the then PM Shree Atal Bihari ji to keep it a concealed affair. And here Dr. Kalam sir came to the rescue. He & his team wore camouflaged uniforms to disguise them as army personnel. They worked at night under smoke cannisters for their nation. Later, it would be known as one of the failures of CIA to detect nuclear testing activity. This shows the dedication level of that man who sacrificed his life truly for this nation. People like him are the real saints who present themselves in the service of the nation without ever demanding for any returns. 

We salute Kalam Sir for his great contribution to this nation & we will always be indebted to him for his efforts in making India- a world power.  The nation will always remember Dr. Kalam. As a token of respect, Mr. PM, today will inaugurate APJ Abdul Kalam’s memorial in Rameshwaram, TN.

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