THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s first museum dedicated to renowned scientist and former President of India A P J Abdul Kalam is to come up at the Dale View, Punalal in Thiruvananthapuram district under the auspices of the Dr Kalam Smriti International, an organisation which has been set up to promote the ideals and visions of the late visionary.
The museum will feature rare photographs of Kalam as well objects used by him. It will also feature posters carrying messages by the former President. The museum will also run a short film based on the life of the space scientist who was born in Rameswaram and went on to inspire millions of youngsters around the world.
“Dr Kalam had visited the Dale View in 2015 for its 38th Foundation Day and was impressed by the activities taking place at the centre. So, it is only apt to start the museum in his name here,” said Shaiju David Alfi, managing trustee of the Dr Kalam Smriti International.
The museum is expected to be opened early in 2017.
The organisation will also present this year’s Dr Kalam International Excellence Award for a world leader by September 2017, he said. Maldives president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom was the recipient of the award last time around.
The trust will also conduct various programmes to channel youth in the right path. These includes various awareness campaigns against drug and alcohol abuse as well as a ‘child scientist’ programme which will aim to kindle the scientific talents of students at a very young age.
Decisions regarding these were taken during an advisory council meeting chaired by former diplomat T P Sreenivasan here the other day. The meeting was also attended by former civil servant T Balakrishnan, former DGP S Pulikeshy, former scientist and Kalam’s colleague M K Abdulmajid, P S Subrahmaniam, V C Vijayakumar and Dr Kalam Smriti Trust member S Sasidharan among others.