From the small town of Rameshwaram, from what looks like a severed link to the island of Sri Lanka, came this young boy who finished his schooling in Schwartz Matriculation School while supplementing his family with additional income by distributing news papers early morning, who moved on to Trichy to graduate in Physics at St Joseph’s College. With the dreams of becoming a fighter pilot he went to Madras and graduated in Aerospace Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology, Chromepet.
A life in the IAF wasn’t in Dr Kalam’s destiny having narrowly missed out in getting selected and joined the DRDO as a Scientist getting to work under greats like Vikram Sarabhai and Raja Ramanna. Dr Kalam moved to the ISRO and led India’s efforts in developing high-technology to greater heights despite budgetary constraints and at times international sanctions like the one right after India’s II nuclear test in May 1998.
Dr Kalam led from the front in operationalizing the Agni and Prithvi missiles right from conception, development, testing and adding them to the armed forces kitty. Dr Kalam’s contribution in the field of medicine is without any parallel. He’s steered DRDO to design easy to wear prosthetics for the disabled. He also helped design a low cost coronary stent. Dr Kalam’s account about the devastating effect of the 1964 Dhanushkodi cyclone and how it changed his outlook towards life is awe inspiring.
Dr Kalam loved students and children and spent a lot of time interacting with them and sharing ideas. It’s almost poetic that his end came at one such stage in Shillong, Meghalaya. Dr Kalam has authored (or co-authored) a total of 15 books which remain best sellers. Dr Kalam was also a scholar of Tamil and could quote from the Thirukkural, Thiruppavai, Kurunthokai and many other old texts verbatim at will. He was also an exponent of the veena and was a discerning listener and fan of Carnatic Classical music.
Dr Kalam is a sterling example of what’s destiny can make off if one puts one’s heart and mind to a purpose using the limited means of the state in the idea that India became after 1947. That a little boy from an almost under privileged background at the southern most tip of this country could make it to the top of the country becoming it’s President by sheer hard work. A devout Muslim who had a truly secular outlook, who bowed to none nor expected anyone to bow before him.
RIP Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. God bless your soul.
