A P J Abdul Kalam was my mentor at ISRO. It was he who recruited me fresh from the engineering college and I was fortunate enough to work with him for 27 long years. He had a strong conviction that whatever be the reason, the petty, menial jobs should not be entrusted to the subordinate staff like peons and attenders. On the contrary, if he had to bring a file to my section, he would have brought it by himself.
It was in 1972 that I joined under him at the DPS4 Solid Propellant stage of SLV4 at the VSSC. Though he had been very strict to utilise his colleagues’ resources, he had given me sufficient freedom to go ahead with my artistic endeavours as he strongly believed that science and culture should go hand in hand.
Had it not been him, I would not have received the same level of support. Naturally, when he resigned from ISRO, I also resigned to go ahead with my artistic endeavours.
He was such a workaholic that even personal tragedies could not stop him from working. I remember him convening a meeting of his colleagues, mainly scientists at the Rocket Club on Keston Road, Vellayambalam on the evening of his father’s death. In fact, we all had the feeling that we could be relaxed at least for a week in his absence. But convening us at Rocket Club, he briefed us about our immediate jobs to be finished by his return. Still, we were relaxed that he was away for a week. But immediately after the funeral of his father, he returned to Thiruvananthapuram to resume the work he had left halfway.
My father and Kalam sir were the two persons who had influenced me a lot. His simplicity, love for music and equanimity in stressful situations had always been great influence on me.
In the evenings, after 5.30, he had not used the official vehicle. Thereafter, if he wanted to go to a music concert or a food joint, he would ask me to take my Lambretta Scooter (KLF5302) and he would ride pillion. After the concerts he would ask me take him to Savoy Hotel, near Ayurveda college. Being a strict vegetarian, he naturally would order vegetarian food.
Food was his luxury and he would order a lot, only to be left untouched and he would force me to eat it all.
In the beginning stages of Soorya, he and C R Sathya, also from ISRO, had helped a lot. After he was elected as President, I had not got any opportunity to meet him personally. But I happened to be at the inauguration of the Heritage Centre opened at the Kowdiar Palace. Knowing his special liking for music, especially for Veena, I, being the director of the cultural programme, arranged to play Veena for some time.
When he rose to speak, breaking away from his prepared speech, he mentioned my name while appreciating the programme, underlining that he still had me in his mind.
I was shocked when Captain Lakshmi decided to contest against him in the Presidential elections as no one could have opposed him. He was such a great man close to the hearts of the millions of people.