THRISSUR: Former President A P J Abdul Kalam turned a teacher in the midst of students at several functions he attended here on Monday.
Interacting with students of various schools located near Thrikkur on Monday morning Kalam taught the students the secret to achieve peace. He said: “Where there is righteousness at heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony at home.
When there is harmony at home, there is an order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.” He said that there are three sources that can build a youth with righteousness at heart.
First is mother, second is father and the third and the most important is the teacher, particularly primary schoolteacher.
He said that apart from righteousness, the youth have to be equipped with creativity and courage.
Later, responding to the questions raised by Jubilee Mission Medical College students during an interaction with him on Chandrayaan Mission, Kalam expressed his opinion that no nation can claim the moon as its own. The resources of the moon should be a common property and that is one of the aims of the moon mission.
Responding to another query, he said that no doctor can give life and hence the medical professionals should not resort to means that will destroy life by different names like euthanasia, abortion etc. Only kindhearted and compassionate people can become ‘doctors’.
They are basically the teachers of the society.
He exhorted the medical personnel to take up research and in India money is not a prime factor in research. He invited doctors and medical students to associate themselves to find out a solution to diseases like AIDS, diabetes etc. Answering yet another question, he opined that music gives harmony to life and even tyrant surrenders to music.
Kalam also said that he is able to smile, even against odd situation, thanks to his association with good friends and books.
Later Kalam interacted with students of the St Thomas College and the Amala Medical College and Research Institute.