India's Missile Man Dedicated His Entire Life For The People

Delhi Diary By M.Santhiran M.Santhiran, Bernama's correspondent in New Delhi shares his take on the Indian capital city and its unique social nuances. NEW DELHI, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- India's "missile man" and former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's demise last week left the nation with 1.2 billion people mourning. The media highlighted the many fine achievements of Abdul Kalam, both in public and private, and his dreams of seeing India emerging as a superpower by 2020. The son of a boat operator who took Hindu pilgrims back and forth between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu has always been an enigma for the Indians. He not only helped create missiles that could cause great destruction but also in improving medical devices to alleviate the suffering of polio victims and heart patients. I was following the Indian news channels New Delhi when at about 8.30 pm (Malaysian time 11 pm) on Monday (July 27) there was a news break that Abdul Kalam had collapsed while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong, Meghalaya. I was keeping a close watch on the development knowing well Abdul Kalam was 84 years old. Within an hour, all channels stopped their routine programmes and started reporting on his passing with similar headings, "India missile man no more" and "People's president no more". ABDUL KALAM MORE THAN A MISSILE MAN While the whole world knew Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen "A. P. J." Abdul Kalam as the man who successfully spearheaded India's ballistic missile programme that raised the eyebrows of the country's neighbours, namely Pakistan and China, there was also another side of this man that not many know. Even I was not much aware on Abdul Kalam's long list of contributions and accomplishments beyond his scientific pursuits and the fact he was the former president of India. He was not only seen as a role model to millions of youngsters, but also a teacher, writer and poet who dedicated his entire life to his people and nation. His childhood dream was to be a pilot but ended up at the Madras Institute of Technology where he specialised in aeronautical engineering. Abdul Kalam never pursued his tertiary education beyond India and he was a true "Made in India" product. PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT Apart from being a notable scientist and engineer, Abdul Kalam also served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. It was the Hindu rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that nominated the Muslim Abdul Kalam for the president's post. He was also credited as a president who was down to earth and broke all barriers of protocols and formalities to be with the people. He invited the aam admi (common man), especially youngsters and under privileged children to his presidential palace regularly. He directly engaged with the young Indians by sharing with them his vision and believed the two key mantras in unlocking the potential of youths were hardwork and dedication. HIS CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTHCARE During a media interview few years back the lifelong bachelor confessed that his biggest accomplishment was not in the missile or the satellite technologies but in helping those in need of medical help. In mid 1980s, a doctor friend requested his help in alleviating the suffering of polio patients who have to bear with heavy calipers that restricted their movements. He and his team who were working on lighter carbon composites for missiles helped to reduce the weight of calipers from 4.0kg to just 400 grammes. Abdul Kalam recalled that he was almost in tears seeing the joy of polio patients and their parents when he visited a hospital during his days as the president. When he was the director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory, he contributed in designing much more cheaper stents (small tube used to keep arteries from clogging) for those heart with heart blockage. In his literary pursuit, four of Abdul Kalam's books were won the hearts of Indians. "Wings of Fire", "India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium", "My Journey" and "Ignited Minds - Unleashing the Power Within India", have been translated in many Indian languages and major languages of world. Until the end, even before he took his last breath, Abdul Kalam went to impart his knowledge to the others. May his soul rest in peace. -- BERNAMA