BANGALORE: All her life, C Visalakshi was able to fulfil most of her wishes, except one. And at 97, when it seemed as though her long-cherished wish to meet the country’s Missile Man and former President A P J Abdul Kalam, would set like the sun, hope dawned on July 12.
The wish of the die-hard fan from North Coimbatore, who is Tamil Nadu’s first woman Chief Educational Officer, came true when she sent an e-mail to Kalam’s office on July 3 with the help of her great-granddaughter Architha Srinivasan. “It gives me great pride to know that in my lifetime, I was a citizen of a country whose President was as great a personality as you, especially since you reached great heights from humble beginnings,” she wrote in the e-mail.
She further went on to state her contributions in the field of education and her efforts to make education available to the poorest in Tamil Nadu. “I was privileged to have worked with some of the greatest minds, including Kamaraj and Periyar. During your Presidency, I observed a period of revolution. You have taken the time to reach out to young minds and provide the spark that lit the fire that we see in the youth today. To me, it would be a great privilege if I could meet you during your visit to Coimbatore,” she wrote.
Anuvalentina, granddaughter of Visalakshi, said that her grandmother was third time lucky. “In 2008, we took her to an event attended by Kalam, but the security cordon prevented us from reaching anywhere near him. Then in 2011, he came to attend a convocation in Coimbatore but again we were not permitted to meet him. But she never gave up hope,” said Anuvalentina, a professor at A J K Institute of Management.