APJ Abdul Kalam’s ‘theatre of action’, the Integrated Test Range (ITR) on Chandipur-on-Sea and the missile launch complex on Wheeler Islands off Odisha coast, was built on the promise of making missiles that could reach China. A promise that was made by the Missile Man to none other than the legendary Biju Patnaik, former chief minister of Odisha. The promise has long been fulfilled with the Agni series of ballistic missiles capable of striking targets up to 5,000 km away.
And, Kalam’s brainchild has grown on to fill India’s arsenal with missile tech and prowess, that has catapulted the country to a position of envy. The former President and DRDO chief’s fruit of sweat and toil, in fact, got tangled in uncertainty due to bureaucratic shackles, but for the then Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. At a particular point of time in 1993, they had to seek a political decision for acquisition of the Wheeler Island where the launch pads were to be set up.
“When we reached his office, the file was in front of him. Biju Patnaik said he had decided to give all the five islands but only on one condition. He held my hand and said, ‘I have an invitation to visit China. I will do so only when you promise that you will make a missile that will reach China”, Abdul Kalam reminisced about the encounter in his address to civil services officers in 2012.
The Integrated Guided Missile Programme (IGDP) started by Kalam in 1982-83 has developed a whole range of indigenous missile systems. With missiles like Agni, Prithvi, BrahMos, Akash, Trishul, Nag, etc. at hand, India now has the capability to strike from land, air and sea at both short and long-range targets. Since the news of his demise trickled in, a pall of gloom has descended on the ‘Karma Kshetra’ of the Bharat Ratna, where he confessed to spending more than 50 per cent of his time during his tenure as the chief of Defence Research Development Laboratory (DRDL) Hyderabad.
The scientists and employees associated with the two DRDO establishments ITR and Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) are in shock and remember his deep association and sense of belonging to the place.
“India owes its missile strength and capability to Dr Kalam. It was one of his dreams which he could realise during his lifetime. He will continue to guide and inspire us forever,” Director ITR MVKV Prasad said. Prasad, who was associated with Kalam from his days as junior scientist at DRDL, remembers him as a leader who never believed in hierarchy and mingled with staffers without any air of superiority. “ Everybody was equal before him and this attitude brought out the best in everyone. I can recall one incident, where I was part of a small team sent to Canada to study and design a new facility for high temperature material testing. He used to call us in the middle of the night everyday without fail. The first thing he enquired was about our wellbeing and then how things were progressing,” Prasad recounts.
Former Director of ITR, SP Dash, reminisces about his close association with Kalam and says he would spend days and nights at the missile hangar and launch pads during testing of missiles. “I was then a systems manager for Prithvi and Agni projects and would often visit Chandipur during the tests. He would reach out to all — from senior scientist to junior most on the team seeking their inputs and suggestions. Accessible to everyone without restrictions, his greatest strength was his ability to get the best out of people and motivate them. Such men are rare to come by,” he said.
While being a scientist, Kalam had deep concern for protection of environment and ecology. In ITR he developed a man-made lake, which has now turned a bird sanctuary drawing migratory birds from across the world, Prasad said.
Similarly, when his attention was drawn to lights from the launch complex at Wheeler Island disorienting the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, Kalam ensured that the illumination was controlled and movement of DRDO personnel and vehicles restricted to safeguarding their nesting ground.