It has been two years since India’s most loved, respected and revered president passed away, but Dr A P J Abdul Kalam lives on in our hearts. An inspiration for countless people, it is with fondness that I remember the president who still inspires me to follow my passion of writing.
While Dr Kalam served as an inspiration for countless engineers across the globe, it was his simple, elegant and optimistic literary works which got me into writing. When I was in the 10th standard. I had participated in an essay writing competition organised by the Chandigarh branch of the Aero Space Club. While I was elated at having stood first in the tri-city, what excited me most was the prospect of receiving the award from none other than Kalam, who had just taken leave of his duties as India’s president.
I clearly remember putting on my scholar’s tie, along with all the badges I had received for my academic performance to make a favourable impression on him. Kalam’s arrival, however, was delayed and we received our prizes from someone else, much to our dismay. When Kalam finally arrived, he made a simple and quiet entrance, unlike any VIP I had seen before, and the words which he spoke mesmerised the crowd. We had to console ourselves with a group picture with him, which is now a treasured memory. I vividly remember the antagonised look on Kalam’s face when, on stopping for a moment to interact with our young group, he was brusquely taken away by his security. He looked as disappointed as us.
A few years earlier, I had the privilege of attending a speech he delivered while still in office. My father, a renowned gastroenterologist, took me all the way to the Ashoka hotel in Delhi so I could attend the speech Kalam was delivering at an international medical conference. Not even into my teens then, I recall him speak about Hepatitis A in his famous melodious voice. Due to lack of sleep and a poor understanding of the subject, it wasn’t long before I succumbed to sleep. When I woke up, it seemed as if he was staring right at me. To this day, I feel pangs of guilt.
Dr Kalam was a source of inspiration to countless people. As an engineer, he filled me with hope for India and made me believe that our nation can achieve anything it wants to. Kalam’s vision gives me hope that someday, brain drain from our nation will stop and India will be at the helm of modern engineering and science. It is up to us to turn what Kalam envisaged for the year 2020 into reality. An inspiration, an honest human being, a prolific writer, a great scientist, and above all, a great patriot—India’s most popular president lives on as a legend.