A.P.J.AbdulKalamALife

ARUNTIWARI

HarperCollinsPublishersIndia

To

TheYouthofIndia

Indiamuststanduptotheworldandactlikethecountryofabillionpeoplelivingtogetherforovertwomillennia.Countriesofafewmillionassembledinthelastfewhundredyearscan’tdecidethedestinyofagreatcivilization.

–A.P.J.AbdulKalam

Contents

Foreword:SwamiBrahmaviharidasIntroduction

PartI:Simulation

1.1 TheParadiseofHope

1.2 TheBeginning

1.3 DisillusionedLearner

1.4 Bootstrapping

1.5 CogintheWheel

1.6 Noah’sArk

1.7 NoFreeLunch

1.8 UnreasonableMen

PartII:Creation

2.1 Indra’sNet

2.2 VasudhaivaKutumbakam

2.3 SmilingBuddha

2.4 StrengthRespectsStrength

2.5 CrystalCathedral

2.6 ChariotofFire

2.7 ProphetofSelf-Reliance

2.8 TheRazor’sEdge

PartIII:Realization

3.1 MajorGeneralPrithviraj

3.2 Aarif

3.3 WhoIsOurEnemy?

3.4 KingdomofGod

3.5 AngelandMarshal

3.6 ThinkingIsGrowth

3.7 BirthofaHumanist

3.8 GemintheLotus

PartIV:Expansion

4.1 TamasoMaJyotirgamaya

4.2 Anjuman

4.3 Samagam

4.4 TheWorldMachine

4.5 TheDesertedVillage

4.6 NationBuilders

4.7 WethePeople

4.8 CreativeLeaders

PartV:Dispersion

5.1 DeterminationIsPower

5.2 LendMeYourEars

5.3 InstrumentsofGod

5.4 AMan’sCompass

5.5 IWillFly

5.6 WhatCanIGive?

5.7 Awakening

5.8 OneMan’sBible

PartVI:Emancipation

6.1 WhereEaglesSoar

6.2 IntotheUncharted

6.3 Transformers

6.4 ProveAllThings

6.5 LiveablePlanetEarth

6.6 SettheBallRolling

6.7 MadeforLife

6.8 Aalam-e-Barzakh

Notes

AcknowledgementsIndexPhotographicInsertsAbouttheBookAbouttheAuthorCopyright

T

Foreword

here’snothingnewtobesaidaboutDrA.P.J.AbdulKalam,justasthere’snothingnewtobesaidaboutthemountains,theoceans,theearth,theskies,

the stars, the sun and the moon. They never cease to amaze and mesmerizemankind,andcontinuetoinspiredreamsandvisions,fromtimebeforetimetoatimelesseternity.

Asinlife,evenindeath,DrKalamremainedaninspiration.PerhapsthemostidealIndianofournation,hebreathedhislastservingthecountryhelovedmost,fulfilling a mission he cherished most – speaking before students, igniting agenerationofyoungminds.

On27July2015,thedayhepassedaway,wewitnessedthebeginningofhislifelongdream–theunityofIndia.Thewholenationunitedacrosspartiesandpolitics,statesandstatutes,castesandcommunities,regionsandreligionstopayhomagetoapersonweallloved.Thenextday,hugelinessnakedtillmidnightinNew Delhi to see him lying in state at 10 Rajaji Marg. A million or moreswarmedtoRameswaramforhisburial.Manyweresimple,poorvillagerswhowalkedfordayswithnomeansoftransport.Charitiesvolunteeredfreefood,freetransportandfreeaccommodation.Abillionheartspulsedwithprayers.Wordsno longermattered.Not sinceMahatmaGandhi has anyone leader captivatedandmotivatedthemindsandheartsofourpeoplelikeDrKalam.Fromnamingroads and islands, universities and institutions, to naming children and awardsafterhim;hisnamehasenteredtheconscienceandconversationsofdailylife.

EveryonehassomethingtosayforDrKalam.Thisisproofofhispopularity.However,hissingularityasastudent,ascientist,athinker,awriter,avisionaryanda leaderwillbestudiedandscrutinizedbyeverynewgeneration tocome.Why?Because,hislifeisallaboutinspiration.Heistherareexampleofaleaderwhocreatedhisownworld,hisownreality,hisownlanguage–effectivetothepointwhere its emulation is not only impossible, but simply too daunting formostleaderstoevenconsider.Hecreatedabenchmarkforotherpresidentsandprime ministers to aspire to, providing future generations of leaders from allfieldsaparamountpointofreferenceforself-evaluation.

Dr Kalam’s life is a fusion of contradictions – he shunned the ego andmaterialism that are typical of socio-political prominence, and reconciledausteritywithhiscelebritystatus.Whatintriguespeoplearenotonlyhishumblebeginnings,buthumblebelongings.Everyonewashumbledbyhisfinitelistofpossessions: awristwatch, six shirts, four trousers, three suits, a pair of shoesand2,500books.Onecannothelpbutbowinreverenceathislastitems.Hedidnot possess even basic household necessities such as a vehicle, television orrefrigerator.Beyondthat,DrKalamdidnotevenwriteawillforhisrelatives.

He chose to remain simple and self-effacing in the face of his scientific,societal and political achievements. From a boatman’s boy, he went on tobecomeIndia’seleventhpresident.Hailedasthe‘MissileMan’andthe‘People’sPresident’,hewasconferredtwentyprominentnationalandinternationalawardssuch as the Von Braun Award, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, BharatRatna, and forty-eight honorary doctorates from leading universities of theworld.Yetnoneof these accolades left an impressiononDrKalam’s life.Hishumility and simplicity, despite his overwhelming accomplishments andabilities,revealareserveofpersonalwisdomthatmatcheshisgiftasaleader.

In addition to being a relentless achiever, Dr Kalam was one of the mostgentle and soulful human beings. His words, values and vision are a perfectreflectionofthemaninside.

He was a teacher who never stopped being a student. He loved problemsmore than solutions, questionsmore than answers. To him, every answerwasanotherquestion,awindowtodeeperknowledge.Thisinnerfireforknowledge,fuelled with hard work, honesty, sincerity and purity, helped him grow andevolve. His ability to transform himself from an average student into asuccessful scientist, then into a popular statesman and finally into a saintlyleader is simply phenomenal! Though he has been recognized as a celebratedscientist,hewilleventuallybe rememberedasasaint;amanwithnopersonalfamilywhoadvocatedfamilyvaluesastheanswertosocialevils;onewhowassinglewithnochildofhisownandyetbecameafatherformillionsofchildren;someonewhooccupiedIndia’shighestofficefromwherehereachedouttothelowest of the low. But most importantly, he remained a child at eighty-three.Filledwithinnocence,achildlikecuriosityandanunendingfascinationforlife,hisenergyneverseemedtoebb.

MyfirstmeetingwithDrKalamwasunexpectedandunplanned,completelyoutoftheblue.On15March2001,hehadarrivedinBhuj,Gujarat,inanarmyaircraft,withhisentireretinuetoreviewtheearthquakerehabilitationoperation.HewastheprincipalscientificadvisortotheGovernmentofIndia,whileIwasjust one of the many sadhus serving in the Bochasanwasi Shri AksharPurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) camp. We had provided reliefsupplies to 400 villages, fed almost two million people and constructedtemporary tin-tent colonies for 2,500 displaced people.We briefly met at theairportonhiswayback.Thoughasascientisthedidnotbelieveintinsheltersinthe desert heat of Bhuj, he inquired whether our tin houses remained cool. Iproffered,‘Asascientistyoushouldnotacceptmyword,youshouldseeitforyourself.’ He spontaneously delayed his flight and visited our tin-tent colony.Notonlydidhechangehisopinionwhenhesawthatthehouseswerecool,healso appreciated our simple science of natural ventilation through crosswinds.Hecongratulatedthesadhusandvolunteersandexpressedadesiretomeetourspiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj. I was overwhelmed by hishumbleness and openness. He was big and well known, I was small andunknown; yet, Dr Kalam had the large-heartedness to call us, change hisschedule to accommodate us, and appreciated our little science – which wasinsignificant compared to his lead role in making India a nuclear power. Hisability to accommodate and appreciate others stunned me. This was thebeginningof a fourteen-year-long friendship that involvedmanymeetings andmanymoreconversations.

Whenweonceaskedhimhowhemanagedtoremainsoyoungandhappy,hereplied,‘Ionlyask:“WhatcanIgive?”Ifeveryoneaskedjustthisonequestiontothemselvesandothers,thewholeworldwouldremainhappyandyoung.’

Helivedtothecorethisprincipleofgivingtimeandenergytoothers.Once,DrKalamarrivedattheAhmedabadCircuitHousewellaftermidnight.Hewasyettohavehissupper.Alittlegirlstoppedhimtoask,‘HowcanIbecomethebest scientist in theworld?’ Even her dotingmotherwould have replied, ‘It’sgetting late, dear, I’ll tell you tomorrow morning.’ But not Dr Kalam. Hepatientlyexplained,‘Whatdidyoujustdo?Askedaquestion…Sokeepasking,askingandaskinguntilyoufindtherightanswer.Thisisthewaytobecomethebestscientistintheworld.’

IpersonallywitnessedhiscareandcompassiononahotsummerafternooninSarangpur,avillageinSaurashtra,on20June2015.Hehadcometopresenthisbook,Transcendence,toPramukhSwamiMaharaj.Itwas2p.m.Hotandhumid.Verytiredafteraddressingayouthconference,DrKalamwasapproachedbyachildofsix.Everyonewasinahurry.Theboywavedaloose,tornpaper.Itwasscruffyandcrumpled.DrKalamallowedhimthroughthesecuritycordon.Theboy wanted his autograph, but didn’t have a pen. Very lovingly, Dr Kalamborrowed a pen and signed thepaperwhich theboy carelessly crumpledbackintohispocket.DrKalamsmiled.‘Neverdisappointachild,forheislivinghisfirstyearsoflife.’Justminuteslaterhewasbeingescortedtohiscar.Aninety-year-oldfarmerraisedhishandfromthecrowd.Instantly,DrKalamwalkeduptohim.Hisgreat-grandsonwantedapicturewithDrKalam.Satisfyinghim,hesaid, ‘Never disappoint an oldman, for he is livinghis last years of life.’Hisphilosophy of lifewas this simple.He neverwanted to see a sad face on thisearth.

Once,atourBAPSSwaminarayanMandirinShahibaug,Ahmedabad,hewassurroundedbyawallofmediapersons.Theybeganshoutingquestionsregardingthe dangers of nuclear power plants. I was both puzzled and perplexed. Verycalmly,likeaprincipal,DrKalamsaid,‘Firstputdownallyourpadsandpens,mikesandcameras.Iwanttoofferyouafreepartnership.Fromtomorrow,allofyouare freepartners inmakingournationsmile.Daily,writesomething,printsomething that will make our nation smile.’ Everyone was stunned into athought-provokingsilence.

Incredible as it may sound, I can never forget how he left the RashtrapatiBhavan.Duringhis lastweekas thepresident inJune2007, Imusteredup thecourage to visit him. Itwasmore than just courtesy, itwas our long-standingfriendship.Earlier,IhadvisitedtheRashtrapatiBhavanonmanyoccasionsforlivelydiscussionsandinvitations,butthistimeitwasforhisfarewell.Unsureofwhattosay,Ichosetoremainsilent,deeplysaddenedtoseesuchanexemplarypresidentretirefromhispostwhenIndiaandIndiansalloverwerestillrootingfor him to continue. Sensing my discomfort, he jovially sprang up from hispresidential chair and asked buoyantly, ‘Brahmavihariji, have you seen theRashtrapatiBhavan?’

Ireplied,‘No,justyouroffice.’

Withabrightsmile,hesaid,‘Come,letmeshowyoutodaywhatIamleavingtomorrow!’Withoutashadowofsorrow,hecheerfullygaveusapersonaltouroftheRashtrapatiBhavan.Heleftthehighestofficeonahighnote,unattachedandunaffected by his achievements. A man is idolized by the way he lives, andimmortalizedbythewayheleaves.

And truly, Dr Kalam left the world in the way he always wanted,spontaneously,keepingeveryonewondering.Iremembervividly,theeveningof11 September 2006. President Kalam had come to meet Pramukh SwamiMaharaj, whom he regarded as his ultimate spiritual teacher, at theSwaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi. After their spiritual exchange, heproducedahandwrittennote.ItwasaSanskritversetransliteratedinTamil.Heread it as aprayerbeforeSwamiji. ‘Shatam jivo sharadah’whichmeans ‘Mayyou live a hundred years’. Returning his sentiment, Swamiji said, ‘You tooshouldliveahundredyears.’Then,hegentlyelaborated,‘Godhasblessedeachoneofuswithasetnumberofyearsonthisearth.WeshouldbehappywiththelifespanthatGodgives.’

On leaving the room,PresidentKalam turned tome and requested, ‘PleasetellSwamiji,whatevermyage, Iwant tobreathemy last in frontofstudents.’Hence, the sudden sad news of his passing away while addressing the IIMstudents at Shillong on 27 July seemed surreal and supernatural, like a prayerfulfilled.Itshockedme,butknowingitwasDrKalam’sownwish,itcomfortedme. The truth of his faith in his students, in his speeches, in hiswork, in hiscountryandinhumanity–butmoresoinhisGuruandGod–stillreverberates.Hewasamanwithhismissionaccomplished.

Thewayheleft,hestilllives.DrA.P.J.AbdulKalamcontinuestoliveintheimaginationsofchildren,intheinnovationsofyouth,intheaspirationsofadults,intheinventionsofscientistsandinthevisionofournation.Hehasinspiredustodreamonceagainwithourheartsandminds;todreamwithoureyesopen,forworld progress, prosperity and peace. I cannot thank Professor Arun Tiwarienough,hisclosefriendandco-authorofmanybooks,forauthoringthistimelybiography–atimelessgiftforgenerations!

SadhuBrahmaviharidasBAPSSwaminarayanSanstha,Ahmedabad.

Friday,11September2015

E

Introduction

veryagehasitsheroesandeveryherohasastory.Theworldwideattentionthat the demise of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam attracted and the profound grief

expressedbymillionsof people across theworlduponhis suddenpassing aretestimonytohisstatureasaheroofthisage.DrKalam’sstellarcareerwonhimthe highest civilian honour of the Indian nation, the Bharat Ratna, andculminatedinhistermastheeleventhpresidentofIndia.Buthewasnotborntopower. He came from a geographically isolated village, was raised in a poorfamily,studiedinpubliclyfundedschools,workedinthegovernmentthroughouthislife–andmadehismarkthroughasimpleandpiousexistence.Kalamwasarare human beingwhowould soften even the hardest hearts of his critics andadversaries by his caringmanners, impeccable character and truthful conduct.This book presents in a most accurate manner the details of his long life ofeighty-threeyears,hissalientachievements,hisideals,andhislegacy.

Thefirstpart,‘Simulation’,isbasedontheAristoteliandictumthatmanisbynature a social animal. Society is something that precedes the individual.Anyonewhoeithercannotleadthecommonlifeorissoself-sufficientasnottoneedto–andthereforedoesnotpartakeofsociety–iseitherabeastoragod.The eight chapters in this part capture the growth of the child Kalam toadulthood, wherein he did what was told him by the system, got educated,graduated in physics – and then realized that his heart lay elsewhere. Thehoveringseagullsattheshoreofhisislandbirthplacehadcreatedadesireinhimtofly.Becomingapilotwashisdream,andhesoughtawayinto theair forcethroughtheaeronauticalengineeringroute,whichwastheonlywaypossibleatthat time. He changed his studies accordingly; but when he failed in hisselection,hejoinedHAL(HindustanAircraftLimited,asitwasknownthen)andlater the Aeronautical Development Establishment, two of the only choicesavailableinthosedays.Thispartofhis life,spanningfrom1931to1962,seeshimacquiringanidentityofanengineer,withaflairforinnovationandthegrittogetthingsdoneinimperfectsituations.

The second part, ‘Creation’, presents Kalam’s years in aerospace. He was

among the first batch of young scientists inducted into the new set-up in thecountrytoundertakespaceresearch,andhisgrowthcoincideswiththegrowthoftheIndianSpaceResearchOrganization(ISRO),asitcametobeknown.KalamhadthegoodfortuneofworkingwiththelegendaryVikramSarabhaiandSatishDhawan.HewasmadeprojectdirectorofIndia’sfirstSatelliteLaunchVehicle(SLV)andanointed for still senior roles in theorganization.Thisphaseofhislife saw the evolution of his leadership traits, and Brahm Prakash refined hisessentialingenuityandtemperedhisimpatiencewiththestatusquobyimpartingfinermanagementskillstoKalam.ThesupporthereceivedfromhisseniorsafterthefailureofthefirstSLVflight–andtheenvythatheevokedafteritssuccessayearlater–taughthimsomegreatlessonsabouthowtheworldworksandhowonemustdecidetoplaythegameoflife.

Thethirdpart,‘Realization’,givesthedetailsofhisleadershipoftheIndianmissileprogramme,which led tohisascent to thecorridorsofpower inDelhi.Hisriseinstaturewasnot,however,withoutarealizationthattheexpenditureontechnologyprojects from taxpayer’s fundsentails a ‘whatdoyougiveback tosociety’ element. Here, the well-known facts of Kalam’s great success areintentionallykept in thebackground tohighlight themore important aspect ofhowhemadehisendeavourshappen.Itemergesthathewasworkingwithinthevery same political and bureaucratic system that is often cited as a reason fornon-performance, tardiness, and even outright failure by all and sundry in theIndian establishment. Leadership is one of social science’s most examinedphenomena. In industrial, educational, and military settings, and in socialmovements,leadershipplaysacritical–ifnotthemostcritical–role.Thispartestablishes the great contribution of Kalam in creating a new brand ofleadership:onethatgetsthingsdonewithoutexcuses.

The fourth part, ‘Expansion’, looks at his Delhi years as a scientistbureaucrat. It captures the reasons behind the not-so-successful story of theIndianLightCombatAircraftproject, andoffersuseful suggestions to free thestagnatingmammothIndianaeronauticalindustry.Kalam’svisionofadevelopedIndiabytheyear2020emergedoutofhisinsightsintohowlargerforcesthatrunthe world must be handled in the national interest. His involvement with thePokhrannuclear tests isgivenperspective, andcertainmyths are corrected forposterity.ThispartalsocapturesKalam’slesspleasantexperiencesinthenewly

createdofficeoftheprincipalscientificadvisertotheGovernmentofIndia,andthesnubhereceiveduponhisdelayedretirementfromthegovernmentservice.

The concluding two parts of the book, ‘Dispersion’ and ‘Emancipation’,presenthisyearsastheeleventhpresidentofIndiaandmaphisemergenceasagreat leader of the people post-presidency. A current of transformation drivesKalam’s evermore spiritual focus through these years. Well-known anddiscussed issues are not repeated here, and emphasis is placed on howKalamrealizedtheblendingofhisscientificmindwithhisspiritualheart.Hispointedobservationsontheroleoffamiliesincreatingaclimateofcorruption,andalsotheircapacitytoovercomeit,areexplained.Hisformulaofsuccessforyouthiselucidated.Kalam’sunfinishedagendaof fosteringglobalcooperation inspacefor developing a sustainable international economic system is given mention.His passion for new medical wisdom based on traditional well-being andcutting-edge technology is outlined, and his vision of Thorium-based nuclearpower is recorded for future generations. Underpinning the book is Kalam’sspiritualjourney,whichisexemplifiedinhisprofoundfellowshipwithPramukhSwamiji.Hewouldadvocate inhis lateryearsa fourfoldwayof lifebasedonrighteousness,knowledge,austerityanddevotion.

Themeaningof life isaphilosophicalandspiritualquestionconcerning thesignificanceoflivingorexistenceingeneral.Thereaderwillfinditexpressedindifferentformsthroughtheeighty-three-year-longjourneyofKalam.Byreadingabout Kalam’s life, the reader will find his or her own personal answers for‘WhatshouldIdo?’,‘WhyamIhere?’,‘Whatislifeallabout?’and‘Whatisthepurpose ofmy existence?’ The authorwas privileged to be closely associatedwithKalamforthirty-threeyears,ashissubordinatescientistdevelopingmissilesystems, his technology manager developing civilian spin-offs of defencetechnology,andfinally,hisco-authorandspeechwriter.TheauthorshareswiththereaderKalamasachampionof theunderdog,amanwhowoulduntiringlyusehispositionasaplatformtoinspireandupliftthelessfortunate.Ultimately,theauthorproffers thereaderKalamthesaint, someonefreefromall the threepoisonsofmind,namelygreed, aversionand lethargy. In thisbook,he canbeseen as a truly piousmanwith a disciplinedmind and in total control of hissenses–amanwellworthyofemulation.

PARTONE

SIMULATION

Lifeisn’taboutfindingyourself.Lifeisaboutcreatingyourself.

–GeorgeBernardShawIrishplaywrightandNobellaureate

I

1.1

TheParadiseofHope

Threegrandessentialstohappinessinthislifearesomethingtodo,somethingtolove,andsomethingtohopefor.

–JosephAddisonSeventeenth-centuryEnglishessayist

twason the seconddayof the sixthmonthof theyear 1350 in the Islamiccalendar,correspondingtoThursday,thefifteenthdayofOctoberin1931,that

JainulabdeenandAshiammawereblessedwiththearrivaloftheirfifthchildandfourthson.Theboywasborn,aschildrenmostlywere in those times, in theirancestral home: amodest traditional housewith a small, tiledverandah facingthestreet,neartheRamanathaswamyTempleonPambanIsland.

Pamban Island is steeped in religious tradition and history. Located 2kilometres from themainland between peninsular India andSriLanka, its 30-kilometre-longlandmassnarrowstoafinepoint,reachingtowardsSriLanka.Ithas twomain settlements: Pamban andRameswaram. Pamban, situated at thewesternedgeofPambanIsland,isafishingvillageandaharbour;itisthemainpoint of entry toRameswaram, the larger settlement,which is one of themostsacredHindureligioussitesinthecountry.

RameswaramisapilgrimagedestinationforcountlessHinduseveryyear.Theerstwhile town ofDhanushkodi,whichwas laidwaste by a cyclonic storm in1964, is at the southernopposite tip of the island, closest toSriLanka. In theyears that Jainulabdeen and his wife Ashiamma were raising their family,Dhanushkodi was still a thriving town, supported largely by devotees of theRama temple. It is believed that the godHanumanwith his armyofmonkeysconstructedabridgeheretoLankaforLordRama’sarmy.

Rameswara means ‘Lord of Rama’ in Sanskrit; an epithet of Shiva, the

presidingdeity of theRamanathaswamyTemple.According to theHindu epicRamayana,Rama,theseventhavatarofthegodVishnu,prayedtoShivaheretoabsolveanysinsthathemighthavecommittedduringhiswaragainstthedemonkingRavanainSriLanka,about50kilometresaway.Inmuchlatertimes,IslamarrivedontheislandthroughMalikKafur,theheadgeneralofAlauddinKhilji,the ruler of theDelhiSultanate.MalikKafur reachedRameswaramduringhisthree military campaigns in the early fourteenth century, in spite of stiffresistancefromthePandyanprinces.

The region remained a conflict zone over the following centuries, andwasruledvariouslybytheNawabofCarnatic,theNawabofArcot,andMuhammedYusufKhan, awarrior in theArcot troops. In1795,Rameswaramcameunderthe direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to theMadrasPresidency.Bythe timeofBritishrule,Christianityhadarrivedon theisland, and its devoted band of adherents joined the equally devotedMuslimsandHindusonthissmallbuthallowedpieceoflandinthePalkStrait.

Jainulabdeen was a pious man. He lived with his family in a communitywhose economy was based on marine products – fish and shells – and thebusinessofprovidingbasicservicesandprovisionstotheisland’spilgrims.Healsoownedasmallcoconutgrove,4milesfromhishouse.ThesixthmonthintheHijricalendarisknownasJumadaAl-Thani;itisonthetwentiethdayofthismonth that Prophet Muhammad was blessed with the birth of his daughterFatimaZahra.On this day in 1931, Jainulabdeen named his infant sonAbdulKalam–quiteaptly,asKalam’slifewouldunfold–afterthegreatIndianscholarandeminentpoliticalleaderoftheIndianIndependencemovement,AbulKalamAzad.JainulabdeenandAshiamma’sboywasthuscalled‘Azad’ashegrewupinhisjointfamilyoftenchildren.

Azad’smotherAshiammahailedfromanaffluentTamilMuslimfamily.OneofherforebearshadbeenbestowedthetitleofBahadurbytheBritish.ShehadmarriedJainulabdeenattheageoftwenty-fiveandgivenbirthtofivechildren,Azad being the last. After Azad’s arrival in the family, Jainulabdeen becameimamofthelocalmosque.Hiscongenialwaysandinscrutableconductwonhimrespectandsocial influenceacross the three religiouscommunitiesonPambanIsland. He enjoyed close friendships with the chief priest of Rameswaramtemple,PakshiLakshmanaShastrigal, andRev.FatherBodal, thepriestof the

ChristianfishingcommunityandbuilderofStAntony’sChurchatOriyurontheeasternshoreoftheisland.

JainulabdeenandAshiammagaveAzadquiteacomfortablechildhood.Life’sbasicamenities–shelter,food,clothingandeducation–wereprovided,andallof life’s complications were kindlymanaged. Of greater significance, though,werethelovingenvironmenttheyfosteredathomeandtheexampletheysetforyoungAzadintheirroutine.OfthemoreformativelessonsearlyinAzad’slifewasthewillingdailytoilofhisparentstomakeendsmeet.Whilethefamilywasnot especially poor by the standards of the time, scarcity was a constantchallenge.Azadwouldgetupearlyinthemorningandwatchhisparentssettlingdown towork immediately after their Fajr (daybreak) prayer. Even before thesun emerged out of the sea, Azad would see his father heading out to theircoconutgrove.HewouldmimicJainulabdeen,steppingoutofthehousebeforedaybreakandplayinginthefreshairalivewiththecacophonyofseabirds.

Azadwassent toanArabicschoolalongwithotherchildren in theMuslimcommunity,buthealsoattendedthepanchayatelementaryschool,whereHinduteachers taught himhumanities, sciences andEnglish.Azad’s innate brillianceand cheerful disposition captured the attention of his teachers. One teacher,Muthu Iyer, tookaparticularlykeen interest in influencingandshapingyoungAzad’sdevelopment,suchthathebecameacherishedfriendofthefamily.Azadhad three close childhood friends: Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan andSivaprakash. The three boys were from orthodox Brahmin families, but theywouldallplaywithAzadaschildrenfromonefamily.

LoosecommunalboundariesandcordialrelationsbetweenthethreereligionsinRameswaramwereahappyfeatureofthesocietyinAzad’schildhood.Duringthe annual Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, Jainulabdeen, his elder sonMaracayerandson-in-lawAhmedJallaluddinwouldarrangeboatswithaspecialplatformforcarryingidolstothemiddleofthepondcalledRamaTirtha.Fromtimetotime,JainulabdeenwouldmeetwithPunditPakshiLakshmanaShastrigalandFatherBodalat the family’shome,where theywouldsitovercupsof tea,discussingissuesfacingthepeopleofRameswaram.ThesocietythatAzadwasborn to was indeed remarkable for its harmony – religious and social eventswerecelebrated,andproblemsmanaged,acrosscommunitylines.

Thisremarkable inter-religiousexperienceofAzad’sformativeyearswas to

have a profound influence on his later life.He enjoyed a society that seemedenriched rather than divided by its different faiths.Undoubtedly, JainulabdeenwasAzad’s rolemodel in his penchant for embracing those of all faiths. Hispietywasbalancednotmerelyby a tolerance for other religions, but a deeplyspiritualunderstandingofthebrotherhoodofmanthatisintegraltothereligionofIslam.Andhisacknowledgementof thoseofotherfaithsaspartofhisowncommunitywaswarmlyreciprocated.

WhenAzadwasaboutsixyearsold,Jainulabdeenembarkedonaprojectofbuilding awooden sailing boat thatwould ferry pilgrims toDhanushkodi.Heworkedatbuildingtheboatontheseashorewitharelative,AhmedJallaluddin,who later married Azad’s elder sister Zohara. The two men employed thetraditional carvel planking method in their boat building, where planks areaffixed edge to edge on to a sturdy underlying framework. Azad would sit,intentlywatchingaswoodenplankswerepreparedandaffixedtotheframe,andthe formofaboatbegan toappear.Hewas fascinatedby theseasoningof thehull and bulkheadswith heat fromwood fires.Azad learned that the abrasionresistance of wood varies according to its hardness and density. His fatherexplained that the wood must be protected; it could rapidly deteriorate ifpermeatedwithfreshwaterormarineorganisms.Withhisinnatecuriosity,Azadtooknoteofsuchdetails.Throughouthislife,hewasintriguedbythequalitiesofmaterials,andhowthesequalitiescouldbeputtouseforagreaterpurpose.

At any rate, the boat business was a great success for the family, andJainulabdeen employed somemen to operate it. There were days when Azadwouldslipinamongthecrowdofpilgrimsandsitontheboat.Hewouldlistenon these trips, captivated by the stories of how Hanuman and his army ofmonkeysbuiltthebridgefromheretoSriLankaforRama;howRamabroughtbackSita,stoppingatRameswaramagaintoperformpenanceforhavingkilledRavana;howHanumanwassenttobringalargeShivalingambutwhenittooklongerthanexpected,Sitamadealingamwithherownhandssoasnottodelaytheworship.

ThesestoriesandmanyothersfloatedaroundAzadindifferent tonguesandforms,aspeople fromallover Indiaconvergedat theboatservice.Thebright,engaging youngster naturally found himself welcome. Even at this age, Azadpossessedacertainmagnetism,andtherewasalwayssomeonewillingtotalkto

him, share a life story, religious perspectives or reasons for making thepilgrimage.ItwasablissfultimeinAzad’slife,butaswitheverything,itwouldpass, and times would quickly change for the growing boy. Nevertheless, hisexperience of meeting people and making friends from all walks of life andfaithswas tostaywithhimfor therestofhisyears.His loveof theseawouldalsoremain.Evenasanadult–whenhewasnotworking–Kalamcouldsitforhours,lookingouttosea,contemplatingtherhythmofthewaves,andfollowingthepoeticmotionofflocksofgullsoverthewater.

Interestingly,Azad’slifelongpassionforflightbeganwithhisobservationofseabirdsduringprimary school.WhenAzadwas studying in the fifthgrade, alessongivenbyhisteacherSivaSubramaniaIyeronavianflightmadealastingimpressiononhim.Toteachaboutabird’sflight,Iyerdrewadiagramofabirdon the blackboard, depicting the wings, tail, body and head. He carefullyexplainedhowbirdscreateliftandfly,howtheychangedirectionwhileflying,andhowbirdsflyinformationsof ten, twentyormore.Fornearlyanhour,helectured to a quiet and seemingly attentive class. He then asked whether thestudentsnowunderstoodhowbirdsfly.Azad,evertheinquiringtype,stoodupandfranklysaidthathedidnot.Iyerthenaskedtheotherstudentswhethertheyunderstood.Mostofthestudentssaidtheydidnoteither.

SivaSubramaniaIyerwasnottheleastperturbedbytheirresponse;hesimplytooktheclasstotheseashoretoshowbirdsflying.Azadobservedtheseabirdsand began to understand their flight.He saw the simultaneous flappingwingsandtwistingtails,whichwerethephysicalimperativesfortheirflying.Butmoresignificantly, Azad realized that a bird is powered by its own life and themotivationtofly– itswill.ThelessonleftadeepimpressiononAzad,andhewoulddevelopafascinationwithflyingfarbeyondthatofitsbasicmechanics.Forhim,SivaSubramaniaIyer’sclasswasnotmerelyaboutcomprehendingthephysics of how a bird flies. A bird’s flight would become a metaphor forwillpower,forstriving–andforrisingbeyondearthlylimitations.

Siva Subramania Iyer was not one for limitations himself. An orthodoxBrahminwithaconservativespouse,hewassomethingofarebel.Hewoulddohisbesttobreaksocialbarrierssothatpeoplefromvaryingbackgroundscouldmingle easily.Azad emerged as his star pupil, andhewould tell him to studyhardanddevelop,sohewouldbecometheequalofthehighlyeducatedpeople

ofthebigcities.Oneday,IyertookAzadtohishouseandofferedhimameal.Iyer’swifewasastonishedat the ideaof serving food to aMuslimboy inherrituallycleanedkitchen.SherefusedtoserveAzadinherkitchenandofferedthefoodoutside.Iyerwasquiteunruffledanddidn’texpressangerwithhiswife.HeinsteadservedAzadhimselfandsatdownbesidehimtoeathismeal.

Iyer’swifewatchedAzad and her husband eating from behind the kitchendoor.WhenAzadwasleavingthehouse,Iyeraskedhimtocomeagain.Readinghis perplexed expression, Iyer told him that once you decide to change thesystem, such problems ought to be confronted: ‘Youmust learn to defeat theproblemandnotgetdefeatedbyit.’WhenAzadcameforamealthefollowingweek,Iyer’swifebroughthiminsidethekitchenandservedfoodtohim,justasshewouldtoherownchild.

InOctober1942,underthedarknessofWorldWarII,acyclonehittheBayofBengal, generating destructive gusts of more than 100 miles per hour nearPambanIslandandsaturatingthecoastalareaswithdrivingrains.Jainulabdeen’sboat was dashed to pieces and his coconut grove razed to the ground.Jainulabdeenkept his poise anddidnot react to hismisfortunebeyond saying‘Innalillahiwainnailayhiraji’u’.WhenAzadaskedthemeaningofthisphrase,Jainulabdeenreplied,‘Itoftenhappensin thisworldthatmanlosessomething,orsufferssomecalamity.Onsuchoccasions,Islamteachesustowillinglyresignourselvestoourmisfortune, takingthat tobeGod’sdecree.Godhasmadethisworldforthepurposeofputtingmankindtothetest.Here,receivingandlosingarebothdesignedasa trial forman.Therefore,whenmanreceivessomething,he should prove himself to be a thankful servant ofGod.Andwhen he losessomething,heshouldadopttheattitudeofpatience.OnlyonewhocandosowillpassGod’stest.

Thephrase‘Inna lillahiwa inna ilayhi raji’u’ translates loosely as ‘Wearefrom God and to God we shall return’. It is indeed an acknowledgement ofGod’sguardianshipoverHiscreation.AzadlearntfromthisincidenceanattitudeofsurrenderingtoGod’swillinsteadofcomplainingagainstfate.Helearntthesecretofconvertinglossintoanewdiscovery.JainulabdeentoldAzad,whowasdeeplyworriedbythefamily’slosses,

Whatevermisfortune happens to you is because of the things your hands havewrought, and formany(ofthem)Hegrantsforgiveness.1

This verse of theQuran tells us thatwhenever aman is afflicted by somemisfortune, it is necessarily the result of one or more of his own actions.Complainingagainstothers in thisworld ismeaningless.Wheneveryonemustsuffer the consequenceof his ownactions, protesting and complaining againstothersisonlyawasteoftime.Itwillinnowaysolvetheproblem.

This is a merciful system devised by nature itself, and its acceptance is arevelation:naturehasplacedourproblemsinourownhands,andwearethusnotleftdependentonthecharityandcompassionofothers.Ifproblemsthatfaceuswere the resultofothers’ actions,wewouldbe reduced tobegging forothers’kindness.ButGodhascreatedtheworldinsuchawaythatHehasmadeone’sconcernsone’sownpersonalaffair.Thatis,onecanconstructhislifebydintofhisownefforts.Everyone’sfutureisinhisownhands.

Jainulabdeenwas not aman to need the charity and compassion of others.With singular determination, he set to the task of building a new boat, usingwhatever he could salvage from the wreck of the old boat. When his fatherprocured teak logs for thepurpose,Azad learned that themain reasonfor teakwood’sdurabilityisthatitisnoteatenbywhiteants.Woodnormallyservesasfoodforwhiteants,andoncetheyhavemadeinroads,itquicklydegenerates.Yetfoesas theyareofwood ingeneral, theyposeno threat to teak.Thereason isquitesimple.Teakhasabittertaste,whichisnottothelikingofthewhiteant.This example of an inherent quality acting as a life preserver set youngAzadthinking. He saw in this the way of nature. To preserve teak from thedepredationsofthewhiteant,naturedidnotformulatedemandsorutterprotests,butsimplyendowedteakwithsuchapropertyaswouldkeepitsinsectattackersatbay.Kalamwouldlatersay,‘Justaswoodhasanenemyinthewhiteant,sodomenhavetheirhumanenemiesinthisworld.Nowwhatshouldamandotosavehimselffromthem?Takingaleafoutofnature’sbook,heshouldstrivetoproduceinhimselfsuchqualitiesaswillkeephisenemiesawayfromhim,andrefrainfromindulginginanyinjuriouscourseofaction.’

Inspired by the hard work of his father in building the new boat, Azadventured into his first line of work: selling tamarind seeds. The pressures ofWorldWarIIonthetextile,paperandjuteindustriescreatedasuddendemandin

themarketfortheseeds.Azadstartedgoingdoortodoor,collectingseedsandsellingthemtothetradingshop.Aday’sworkwouldfetchhimaprincelysumofone anna (one-sixteenth of a rupee), which was enough for a hearty meal inthosetimes.Azadwouldproudlypresentthecointohismotherattheendofthedayforsafekeeping.

ThePamban areawas initially unaffected byWorldWar II.But soon Indiawas forced to join theAllied forces, and troopsweredeployed to counter anyJapaneseinvasionbysea.ThetrainhaltattheRameswaramrailwaystationwassuspended,andthetrainnowpassedthrough,stoppingonlyattheDhanushkoditerminus. Azad’s cousin Samsuddin was a newspaper vendor, and he draftedAzadintocatchingandthendistributingthenewspapersthrowninbundlesfromthemoving train. It is during this tumultuous phase of India’smodern historythatAzadstartednoticingpicturesofnationalleadersinthenewspapers;andhewascaptivatedbytheideaofanindependent,self-determinedIndiannation.

WorldWarIIended,andfreedomfromBritishrulewasimminent.Gandhijideclared,‘IndianswillbuildtheirownIndia’,andanunprecedentedhopefilledtheair.AzadaskedJainulabdeen’spermissiontoleavetheislandandstudyatthedistrictheadquartersinRamanathapuram.JainulabdeentoldAzad,asifthinkingaloud,‘Iknowyouhavetogoawaytogrow.Doestheseagullnotflyacrossthesun, alone andwithout a nest?Youmust forego longing for the land of yourmemoriestomoveintothedwellingpaceofyourgreaterdesires;ourlovewillnotbindyou,norourneedsholdyou.’2

AshiammaproducedallthecoinsAzadhadearnedbysellingtamarindseedsand distributing newspapers door to door, now a significant amount towardsAzad’sschool fees.WhenanemotionalAzadresisted,shesaid, ‘Mothersonlygive.’AzadtravelledwithhiseldercousinSamsuddinandbrother-in-lawAhmedJallaluddin to SchwartzHigh School at Ramanathapuram.Hewas enrolled asA.P.J. AbdulKalam. The lettersA, P and J indicate his genetic lineage – hisgreat-grandfatherAvul,hisgrandfatherPakirandhisfatherJainulabdeen.

B

1.2

TheBeginning

Everynewbeginningcomesfromsomeotherbeginning’send.

–SenecaRomanStoicphilosopher

uilt in 1785, the Schwartz Higher Secondary School in Ramanathapuramhad a characteristic old-world charm.Therewas notmuch else, however,

thatwasremarkableabout theplace.The largegrounds, thebig trees, thehighceilings and columns had been built along a familiar utilitarian model ofcolonial-era institutions. The desks and benches were battered by the years.Kalam’s first reaction to the schoolwas one of indifference.His enchantmentwith the rustic and simple life of Rameswaram was strong, and the fustyorderliness of his new school in Ramanathapuram seemed foreign andunwelcomingbycomparison.

Withinafewdaysofhisarrival,KalamvisitedtheSethupathiRajaPalace.Itwasthefirststatelybuildinghehadseeninhislife,andhewasawedbyitsfadedgrandeur.HelearnedfromhisnewfriendsinschoolthattheRajaofSivagangaandtheSethupathiofRamanathapuramweregreatkingswhoweresubduedbytheNawabofArcotintheeighteenthcentury.ThethroneofArcotitselfhadtworivalsinthesetimes:ChandaShahibandMuhammedAli,theformersupportedby the British, and the latter, the French. This paved the way for a series ofmilitaryconflictsamongstseveralnominallyindependentrulersandtheirvassals– struggles for succession and territory, and a struggle for supremacybetweentheFrenchEastIndiaCompanyandtheBritishEastIndiaCompany.

Eventually, the British East India Company prevailed, establishing itsdominance among the European trading companies within India. The French

companywasthereaftercorralledintheseveralenclavesofPondicherry,whichremainedunderFrenchcontroluntiltheircedingtotheIndianUnionin1956.In1910, theBritishcarvedoutanewdistrict,Ramnad, fromportionsofMaduraiand Tirunelveli districts, with the intention of maintaining tighter governanceover this area.Later, thedistrictwas renamedRamanathapuram in conformitywiththeTamilnameforthisregion.

The Schwartz Higher Secondary School itself was named in honour ofChristian Frederick Schwartz (1726–98), a celebrated German LutheranProtestant missionary who came to India in 1750. Kalam learned, to hisamazement,thatallChristiansarenotthesame.Hediscoveredthat,apartfromthe Eastern Churches, there are ostensibly two main categories of Christians:CatholicswhoseleaderisthePopeandProtestantswhodonotacceptthePope’sauthority.ProtestantsadvocateadoctrineofjustificationbygraceoffaithinGodon the basis of scripture, shunning certain practices of the Catholic Church.Lutheran Christians are the followers of Martin Luther, an early sixteenth-centurydissidentGermanpriest,andtheprototypeProtestant.Schwarz’ssuccessingatheringnewadherentsforhisLutheranChurchexceededthatofanyotherProtestantmissionaryinIndia.Moreover,andperhapsoffargreatersignificance,he managed to win the esteem of Muslims and Hindus in spite of hisproselytizing.

AtSchwartz,Kalam’s first lessonwas in dealingwith the unknownothers.The approach of the school’s faculty contrasted with the teachers atRameswaram,whereeverystudentwas treatedasanextendedfamilymember.ThetownofRamanathapuramatthistimewasathrivingbutdiscordanttownofsomefiftythousandpeople.ThesocialcoherenceandharmonyofRameswaramwas absent here, as perhaps it would have been in almost any urban centre.Furthermore,while the teachersatSchwartzwererefined in theirmethodsanddemandingofthestudents,theirmannerwas,atfirst,somewhataustere.Kalamfeltuncomfortable in thisnewsetting,buthe realizedhemust adapt: ‘Despitemyhomesickness,Iwasdeterminedtocometotermswiththenewenvironment,becauseIknewmyfatherhadinvestedgreathopesinmysuccess.’1

A rapport with S.T.R. Manickam, a revolutionary nationalist, was to be asavinggracefortheyoungKalam.ManickamhousedalargelibraryofbooksinRamanathapuram and encouraged people to access them; the library was a

welcomeescapeforKalam–bothfromhishomesicknessandthemundanenessofclasswork.Kalamwasfirstdrawntherebyhis innatecuriosity,butquicklyfound solace in the company of good books. It was in this library that hediscovered the seminal 1925 book The Law of Success2 by American authorNapoleonHill,who proclaimed in the introduction that hewrote the book forhigh-schoolstudents.Kalamwastransfixedbyasentenceinthefirstfewpagesofthisbook:‘Whateverthemindcanconceiveandbelieve,itcanachieve.’

From thesewords, anewunderstandingof thepowerof thoughtpenetratedthe youngKalam’s inquiringmind.The idea thatman alone has the power totransformhisthoughtsintophysicalreality,thatmanalonecandreamandmakehisdreamscometruefascinatedhim;thatathoughtenergizedwithwillpowerislikeaseedwhich,whenplantedinfertilesoil,germinates,grows,andmultipliesitselfoverandoveragaininfusedhimwithanewenergy.IyaduraiSolomon,ateacheratSchwartz,wasthefirsttorecognizethissparkinKalam’syoungmind.Kalam, for his part, found reassurance in Solomon’s company and positivity:‘He[Solomon]mademefeelverycomfortableinclasswithhiswarmandopen-minded attitude.Hewould encourageme by saying that a good student couldlearn more from an ordinary teacher than a poor student even from a greatteacher.’3

Iyadurai Solomon was a patriot by heart. He overstepped his assignedsyllabus to give his young students a clear perspective of India’s protractedstruggle for freedom that was about to succeed. The students themselves feltenthusiastic at the prospect of India gaining Independence, and Solomon’sexcursions from the regular curriculumwerewelcomed.Thiswas a fewyearsafterGandhi’sQuitIndiamovement,andtheprecedingyearshadseenamarkedchange in the attitude of the British authorities to Indian Independence. Theexpectationofaneweraof self-determinationwasexciting forKalamandhispeers.

While the Quit India movement had galvanized unprecedented popularsupportforself-ruleinthoseyears,KalamlearnedfromSolomonthattheterm‘IndianIndependencemovement’encompassedactivitiesandideasnotjustfromGandhiandhiscontemporaries,but fromefforts toendBritishruleasearlyasthelatenineteenthcentury.

Theexpectationoffreedomhadunleashedadarkness,though,thathadbeen

long suppressed by colonial force. Kalam read in disbelief the news reportsabout a slew of atrocities committed by members of the Muslim communityagainst theirHindu compatriots in the districts ofNoakhali, in theChittagongDivisionofBengal inOctober–November1946.TheverynotionofcommunalviolencewasutterlyforeigntoKalam;itwasacruelshockaftertheidyllicinter-religious society that had sheltered him in childhood. For him, Hindu andChristianneighboursweremorethanfriendsandteachers–theywerepartofhisextended family. The very thought that men could wound and kill theirneighbourswasprofoundlydisturbingfortheteenageKalam.

TheyoungstudentsatSchwartzsatinregularprayermeetingswhenGandhicamped in Noakhali for four months and toured the district in a mission torestore peace and communal harmony. The failure of his peace missionforeshadowed a more drastic breakdown of communal relations. DuringGandhi’s tour, theCongress leadershipacceptedPartitionof India; themissionand relief camps were abandoned. The greater number of the riot survivorsmigratedtoWestBengal,TripuraandAssam.

On 14August 1947 Pakistan was declared a separate nation, and at 12.02a.m.,justaftermidnight,on15August1947,Indiaalsobecameanindependentnation. Communal bloodletting involving Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims on anunprecedented scale followed,withhorrors that could scarcelybeconveyed inwords.Somefourteenmillionpeopleweredisplacedandasmanyasonemillionperished during Partition. It had given rise to the largest mass migration inhumanhistory.ThenationalupheavalhadbarelyabatedwhenNathuramGodse,amilitantHindunationalist,assassinatedMahatmaGandhiinNewDelhion30January1948.

Kalamwasdeeplygrievedbythisturnofevents,newsofwhichreachedthecalmdeep southmostly in stark black-and-white accounts of daily papers.Hetook some time off from school to stay at Rameswaramwith his parents andbecamewithdrawn.Kalamwouldsitinthemosqueforlonghoursalone,deepincontemplation.Oneday, Jainulabdeensatby the sideofhis sonandasked thereasonforhissorrow.Kalamsaid,‘Father,ourworldismarredbyinjusticeanddishonesty and all kinds of atrocities at both the individual as well as thecommunal level.Why do people feel free to do as they please, unfettered bymoralconsiderations?’

JainulabdeentoldKalam,‘Thefreedom,whichpeopleabuse,hasbeengiventothemnotastheirpowerbutanobligation.Ourworldisatestingplace,andontheDayof Judgement allwithout exceptionwill be called to account for howtheyhaveused this freedom. If theyhave ignored anddenied the truth in thisworld,theyshallbeobligedtoacceptit,becausetheiroptionswillhaverunout,andsubterfugeandpleasformercywillbeofnoavail;bythattimeitwillbetoolateeithertobegforforgivenessortoattempttomakeamends.’

Headded, ‘Son,donoteverwait tobeforced tobegood:begoodbyyourownfreewill,hereandnow.Anddonotworrybeyondapointaboutwhatisnotinyourcontrol.Manisconstantlyundertrialinthisworld.Topassalltests,youmustlearnyourlimitationsalongwithyourintellectuallimitlessness.Bydoingso,youwillbe savingyourself fromallmisapprehensionsandexercisingyourfreewillinthesphereofreality,tothepleasureofAllah.’

In any event, the political turmoil and communal upheaval ofPartition hadbeen more than a thousand miles away from tranquil Rameswaram, and itsbrutality had seemed from another universe. The birth of the Indian nationbrought change, though, and Jainulabdeen would play his part in the new,autonomous India. Just after Independence in 1947, panchayat board electionstook place at Rameswaram. Jainulabdeen, who had earned respect across thecommunities of the island, was elected the president of the Rameswarampanchayatboard.Hewas,however,certainlynotonetosavourthefruitsofhisnewposition.

One afternoon, Azad was reading his lessons loudly in his house when avisitorcameandaskedforJainulabdeen.Azadtoldhimthathisfatherhadgonefor namaz. The visitor said, ‘I have brought something for him, can I keep ithere?’Azadcalledtohismotherforherconsent,butshewasalsoprayinganddid not respond. Azad asked the man to leave the bundle of clothes he hadbroughtonthecotandcontinuedhisstudy.WhenJainulabdeenreturnedandsawthebundleheaskedAzad,‘Whatis this?Whohasgiventhat?’Azadtoldhim,‘Somebody came and left this for you.’ Jainulabdeen became immediatelyenraged and gaveAzad a thorough beating – one of the very few of his life.Azad was frightened and began weeping. Hismother embraced and consoledhim.

Whenhis anger subsided, Jainulabdeen touchedhis son’s shoulder lovingly

andadvisedhimnottoreceiveanyuntowardgiftfromanyone–ever.HequotedtheHadith,‘WhentheAlmightyappointsapersontoaposition,Hetakescareofhisprovision. If aperson takes anythingbeyond that, it is an illegal gain.’HetoldAzad that such a gift is always accompanied by some purpose and so isdangerous: it is like touching a snake and in turn suffering its poisonous bite.ThisincidenttaughtAzadavaluablelessonforhislaterlifeinpublicoffice.

KalamreturnedtoSchwartzandagainbecameimmersedinhisstudies.HisonlydiversionwastospendtimewithS.T.R.Manickam.Kalamwascurioustoknow,aftersuchahorrendousstart,whatkindofcountryIndiawouldbecome.Manickam would reassure him, telling him that horrific though Partition hadbeen, this too would pass. He also explained the sincere work of Dr B.R.Ambedkar indrafting theConstitutionof India.Manickam toldKalamofhowthis most learned man was adapting and incorporating elements from theconstitutions of the world’s great democracies: the United States of America,Australia,Canada,Ireland,Germany,Franceandinevitably,thestatutesofGreatBritain.

TheConstitutionofIndiaasthesupremelawofthenationcameintoforceon26January1950.Thedateof26JanuarywaschosentocommemoratethePurnaSwaraj (Absolute Self-rule) declaration of independence of 1930. Manickamwould make time to help Kalam, and the young students who would gatheraround him, understand the great political changes written about in thenewspapers.Perhapsmoreimportantly,ManickamsharedwithKalamBenjaminFranklin’s famous words apropos the Constitution of the United States: ‘TheConstitutiononlygivespeopletherighttopursuehappiness.Youhavetocatchityourself.’

Bythistime,KalamwaswellensconcedatSchwartz,andhistalentshadbeennoted.Themathematicsteacher,RamakrishnaIyer,developedaspecialfondnessfor him. Ramakrishna Iyer believed that true education is not a process ofpouringintoastudentfromoutside,butofcallingforthwhatiswithin.Hesawitnot as a process of memorizing but a process of nurturing, of allowing, ofevoking.Hefeltthatitwasultimatelyamatterofbringingforththepersonthatismeanttobe.ForRamakrishnaIyer,educationwasmanifestingtheinnerdivinepotentialitiesofstudents,andhesawagreatinnatepotentialinyoungKalam.Hetold Kalam, ‘Book-based education cannot make a trueman. Physical health,

mentalpurity,intellectualacuteness,moralpowerandaspiritualoutlookonlife–with the right effort directing its aim –must combine if perfection is to beachieved. Students should be diligent, Brahmachari (observing chastity),adherents to satya (truth) and dharma (righteousness), to countenance theiroptimumphysicalandmentalabilitiesandattainarighteousmodeofliving.’

RamanaMaharshi,theancientsageofthemodernera,diedon14April1950.Therewasacondolencemeetingintheschool.StudentsweretoldthatRamanaMaharshi was noted for his belief in the power of silence and his relativelysparseuseofspeech,aswellasforhis lackofconcernforfameorcriticism–and his special love of animals and plants. Ramakrishna Iyer toldKalam thatevening, ‘Sat-chit-ananda (Existence,Consciousness, Bliss) is a description ofthe subjective experience of God. This sublimely blissful experience of theboundless, pure consciousness is a glimpse of ultimate reality.’ Notunderstandingmuchof this,Kalamnonethelessdeduced thesimple fact that ifyour innerworld ispeacefulandwithoutconflict,yourouterworldwillbenodifferent.

KalamdecidedtopursuehisBachelorofScienceandsecuredadmissionatStJoseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli. But before leaving Ramanathapuram, hesought a joint session with his three great teachers to comprehend the greatupheavals of those times. Some other students also joined.Thismeeting gaveKalam some deep insights that indeed triggered a long-term transformativeprocessinhim.

HisteacherstoldhimthatIndiahadasserteditssovereignty,andestablisheditself as a state among the world’s nations. It had implemented a secular,democratic system of governance based not merely on an inherited Britishtradition, but also calling on select provisions of other prominent countries’systems.Ithadinstitutedtheruleoflawinitsdominions–animperativeforitscitizens–andmadesomeeffortstoputthelawtouseasatoolforIndia’sself-transformation.Ithadthuslaidthefoundationsforrelativepeaceandeconomicstability on the subcontinent. Moreover, it had expressed its will for self-determination by creating institutions, such as the Council of Scientific andIndustrial Research (CSIR), the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and thePlanningCommission.

But Kalam’s teachers lamented that other challenges remained, and there

appeared to be scant political will to address these. First and foremost: Thegovernmentwasfailingtoeducatethecitizenry.Indiabeganitsfirstdecadewithamere18percentofitspopulationclassedasliterate.Further,India’sunequaldistribution of landownership was a stumbling block for development, andvested interests would naturally resist reform in this area. And on aninternationallevel,Indiaappearedtobewithoutacogentvisionforitsplaceintheworld; foreign policywas adrift, and Indiawould be blown to and fro byeventsandmovedbythetidesofthetimes,ratherthansteeredaccordingtoitsnationalpriorities.

This succinct, clear-sighted analysis of the country’s predicament lodgeditselfinKalam’smind,allthemoredeeplyfortherespecthefeltforhisteachers.Hewouldberemindedoftheirwords,atanyrate,byhisobservationsoverthecomingyearsthattalliedwiththeirthoughts.Hisnativewisdomwouldalsotellhim,though,thatthoughtsandwordscouldnotbeenoughtobringgreatnesstoIndia.

K

1.3

DisillusionedLearner

Your visionswill become clear onlywhen you can look into your own heart.Who looksoutside,dreams;wholooksinside,awakes.

–C.G.JungSwisspsychiatristandphilosopher

alam arrived at St Joseph’s College at Tiruchirappalli to study for hisintermediate cum graduation. He had never travelled out of

Ramanathapuram,andthiswashisfirstexposuretoalargetown.Theimposingcollege building with its renaissance-style spires and cloisters captured hisimagination,andhefeltsurprisinglyathomewith itsEuropeanambience.Thecollege had been established in 1844 by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) – amaleorderof theCatholicChurch– and affiliated toMadrasUniversity since1869.

Kalamwas lodgedina three-storeyhostelbuilding,sharingaroomwithanorthodoxIyengarBrahminfromSrirangamandaSyrianChristianfromKerala.Kalamwas not an outstanding student in terms of examination grades, but aninsightful proclivity that had awakened under the guidance of his three greatteachersatSchwartzwouldnowcometothefore.Hisengagingintellecthelpedhimgelwithhisroom-mates,andhebecametheleaderofthetrio,inandoutofcollege.

The three friends would walk through the town in their free time.TiruchirappalliwasthecapitaloftheearlyCholasinthethirdcenturybc.Withthe passage of time, power changed hands between the Pallavas, medievalCholas, Pandyas, Delhi Sultanate, Madurai Nayaks and finally rested withChanda Sahib, Nawab of the Carnatic, before British rule. The Nayaks madeTiruchirappalli their capital in the seventeenth century and augmented the

magnificentRockFortTemple.TheRockFortTemple,perched83metreshighonamassiveoutcrop, lords

overthetownwithstonymajesty.ThePallavasfirsthewedtheancientrockandthePandyas cut small cave temples on its south side, but itwas the tacticallyadeptNayakswho latermade strategic use of this naturally fortified position.There aremore than 400 stone-cut steps to climb to the top, which the threefriendsvigorouslydidwithoutevenoncestopping.Kalamwasdisappointed tofind that the Thayumanaswami Koil, the rock’s largest temple, was closed tonon-Hindus.

Kalamknewwellbynowthatpossiblythemostcriticalfactorforsuccessinschool is a close and nurturing relationship with at least one teacher. It is atremendous benefit for a student to feel there is someone within the schoolwhomheknows,towhomhecanturn,andwhowillactasanadvocateforhim.ThehostelwardenandEnglishteacherReverendFatherSequeirawasonesuchteacherforKalamatStJoseph’s.

TheReverendFathersaweachstudentasanindividualwithhopes,dreams,strengthsandvulnerabilities.Andheworkedtocreateaclassroomatmosphereinwhicheachstudentcouldseetheirfellowstudentsinthislight–anatmosphereinwhichrespectforothersbecametheguidingprinciple.Hefosteredalearningenvironment in which all his students felt safe to share their thoughts andfeelings; and in whichmaking amistake would be seen as an opportunity tolearnratherthananobligationtofeellikeafailure.KalamwouldlaterrecollectfondlyoftheReverendFather’skindness:

Reverend Father used to visit each boy every night with a Bible in his hand. His energy andpatience was amazing. He was a very considerate person, who took care of even the minutestrequirements of his students. On Deepavali, on his instructions, gingelly oil would be given toeveryonefortheritualheadbath.1

Kalamwasnowtwentyyearsofage.Thenation’s firstgeneralelections, toconstitutetheLokSabha,wereheldbetweenOctober1951andFebruary1952.ThepopulationofIndiaatthistimewas360million,ofwhich173millionwereregisteredvoters,and45.7percentof thesevoters turnedout toexercise theirfranchise.TheIndianNationalCongress(INC)wonalandslidevictory,securing364ofthe489seatsand45percentofthetotalvotespolled.JawaharlalNehru

becamethefirstdemocraticallyelectedprimeministerofthecountry.Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, as head of the former provisional

parliament, had already moved a raft of constitutional changes, which werepassed amidst a good deal of public clamour on 18 June 1951. The firstamendment of the Constitution of India made several alterations to thefundamentalrightsprovisionsoftheConstitutionthathadbeenfinalizedbarelyayear earlier. The amendment provided powers to the government against theabuse of freedom of speech and expression, validated laws pertaining to theabolitionof zamindari, and clarified that the right to equalitydoesnot bar theenactment of laws that provide ‘special consideration’ for weaker sections ofsociety.

A debate on the topic was held in the central hall of St Joseph’s, withhundreds of students present. Why did the Nehru government pass the firstamendment? Critics of Nehru decried his government’s alterations to theConstitutionasauthoritarian,whereashissupportersarguedthatthelossofsomefreedomswas a reasonable price to pay for ensuring unity and stability in thefirstfewyearsofindependentIndia.ItwasKalam’sfirsttasteofthecomplexityofnationalaffairs.Hedidnotunderstandthenuancesoftheissue,anddecidedto focus on his immediate studies rather than become engrossed in politicalconcerns.

A fewmonths later, however,whenKalamvisitedRameswaramduring theChristmasholidays,hemadeastopatRamanathapuramtoreconnectwithS.T.R.Manickam,andcapturedthelearnedrevolutionary’stakeonthesedevelopments.Manickam toldKalam that freedom of expression is, frankly, themost Indianand holy of values. From ancient times, India had been largely a tolerant,pluralist land,nurturingavarietyofreligiousfaithsandpractices.Amyriadofversions of the epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were publiclyrecited,andeven theatheisticviewsopenlyairedby theCharvakreceiveddueconsiderationbytheircontemporaries.ManickamexplainedthatIndiahaslongexhibited an almost infinite capacity for absorbing divergent views, lifestylesand religious practices. Freedom of expression even has its place in the RigVeda,withthemaxim:Ekamsatviprahbahudhavadanti–Truthisone,butthewisemenspeakitasmany.

Kalam departed from S.T.R.Manickam’s house with much to ponder. But

afterarrivingatRameswaramandmeetinghisparentsandfamilymembers,hecouldnothelpbutnoticeachangewithinhimself.Kalamwasfeelingastrangedisconnect.While physically present there in his family home, Kalam’smindwas far removed,andheappearedpreoccupiedordistracted tohis family.Hismotherwasfirsttodetectthemalady.Shepickeduptheissuewhileservinghimbreakfast.Kalamopenedhishearttohismotherandsharedwithherhisdoubtsforthenewtrajectoryofhislife:Washeontherightpath,studyinginacityandpreparinghimselfforajobthatwouldtakehimfurtherawayfromhisroots?Themorehebecameinvolvedwith theworldaroundhim, themorehewasfeelinghimselfbeingdrawnaway.

Ashiamma smiled and said lovingly to her grown-up and yet still innocentchild that whenever one is ambivalent or unsure about a decision one has tomake,oneshouldsurrendertothewillofAllah.AndthemethodfordoingthisisbyIstakhara.This isaprayeraskingAllah tohelponemakeachoice,usuallymeaningchoosingthebetteroftwooptions.InIstakhara,sheexplained,youareessentiallyaskingAllahaboutHiswill;youarediscussingyourissuewithAllahandseekingHisexpertadvice.Then there isnopoint inworrying.Thatnight,KalamassiduouslyrecitedtheIstakharaprayers.Hethensleptdeeply,wakingupthenextmorningwithhismindunclutteredandhisresolveclear.HepackedhisbagandleftforTiruchirappallithefollowingday.Heknewinhisheartthathislifewouldtakehimfarfromthecomfortableseasidevillageofhischildhood.

During hisBSc,Kalam encountered a number of great teacherswho urgedhimtopursuefurtherhighereducation.HefoundhismathematicsteacherProf.Thothathri Iyengar particularly inspiring, and it is during this time thatKalamfelt that his consciousness was shifting to a higher plane. It is important todiscussthisshift,fornolifecantrulybepurposefulwithoutatransformationinaperson’sinnerworld.Kalamrecounted:

I had an opportunity at St. Joseph’s College to witness a unique scene of a divine-lookingpersonality walking through the college campus every morning, and teaching mathematics tovariousdegreecourses.Studentslookedatthispersonality,whowasasymbolofourownculture,withaweandrespect.Whenhewalked,knowledgeradiatedallaround.ThegreatpersonalitywasProfessorThothathriIyengar,ourteacher.2

In his third year at St Joseph’s, Kalam was made the secretary of the

vegetarianmess.OneSunday,heinvitedtherector,ReverendFatherKalathil,tolunch.Thismarkedthebeginningofayear-longspiritual fellowshipofagreatJesuit and a young seeker. His discussion of great men of the ages wasparticularlyinspiringfortheyoungKalam:

IuniquelyrememberthelecturesgivenbythehighestauthorityoftheJesuitinstitution,ReverendFatherKalathil…Heused to talkaboutgoodhumanbeingspresent andpast andwhatmakesagoodhumanbeing.Inthisclass,hegavelecturesonpersonalitiessuchasBuddha,Confucius,St.Augustine,CaliphUmar,MahatmaGandhi,Einstein,AbrahamLincolnandmoralstorieslinkedtoourcivilizationalheritage.3

KalamlearnedfromRev.FatherKalathilthateveryonehastwonatures;oneis lowerandtheotherhigher.Thelowernatureconsistsofvariousdefects likeanger,impatienceandgreed,ignoranceandsloth.Itisverystubborn.Ithatestochangeandreleaseitsgrip.Thelowernaturehasaverystrongwillthatmaynotalwaysmanifestitselfopenly,andwantsitswaywithoutpayingthepriceofhardwork or perseverance. It is full of pride and selfishness. It exhibits itself aspersonalvanity.

Rev.FatherKalathil taughtKalamthatpurity,humilityandausterityare thethreemost potent weapons to tame and conquer our lower natures. A certainlevelofdevelopment isnecessary to interpretwhich thought formscomefromthehigherself,andwhichfromthelower.Wecanalsodeterminewhichwishesand endeavours of the higher self may bemixed in with tendencies from thelowerself;theiroriginalshadetwisted,colouredordirtied.Whenmessagesfromthehigher self are taintedwith lower-selfmotives, a disorder is created in thesoulthatgivesrisetoemotionalillness.Rev.FatherKalathilsharedwithKalamhiswisdom,cultivatedoveryearsofpiousconductanddisciplined living, thatvarioustendencieshavedifferentcolours–andinmanycasesdifferenttonesandscents.

Amostcommonmanifestationofthelowerselfoccurswhereapersonmaywantsomethingselfishly,andbecausehedoesnotwanttoadmithisselfishness,herationalizeshisdesireanddeceiveshimselfabouthismotives.Wecanseeallthisveryclearly–especiallyinothers–andindeed,thiskindofself-deceptionisafoundationofmuchconflictamongpeople.Whiletheformsofthehigherselfhaveanentirelydifferentcharacter to thoseof the lower, andaremore subtle,

theyareultimatelymorepowerful.And it is inconceivable that thehigher selfcould give rise to human conflict. The treacherous lower self, though, has nolimittoitsdissembling.

Kalam learnt a crucial skill from Rev. Father Kalathil: seeing through themaskspeoplewear.Thesemasksareindeedamodeoflivinginthelowernature,intheworldofconveniencesandcomforts.Weputonmaskswhenwerecognizethatwemaycomeintoconflictwithoursurroundings,therebygivingintoourlowerselves.Thisisbecausewearenotreadytopaythepriceforrisingaboveourlowernatures.Subconsciously,wedecidetopresentdifferentimagesofourselves in order to avoid certain difficulties, unpleasantness, or disadvantages.Theseimagesbecomeourmasks,otherlayersofourselves,whichhavenothingtodowith the realityof thehigher selvesoreven the temporary realityof thelowerselves.Kalamcametoknownowthatwhenapersonisemotionallysick,it isalwaysasign that, inonewayoranother,a ‘maskself’hasbeencreated.Thepersondoesnotrealizehe is livinga lie.Hehasbuilta layerofunreality,andisthusnotbeingtruetohisrealpersonality.

Rev.FatherKalathil taughtKalam tounderstandhimself in the lightof thiswisdom. He was led by his teacher to comprehend the truth that beyond thelayersofhislowerselfistherealmofhishigherself;andthehigherselfistheultimateandabsoluterealitywhichhemusteventuallyreach.Inordertoreachit,hemustfirstfacehislowerself,orhistemporaryreality,insteadofcoveringitup,becausethatputsanevengreaterdistancebetweenhimandhisownhigherself.Tofacethelowerselfhemust,atallcosts,tearawaythemaskself.

Kalam’stestarrivedsoonenough.ArelativelivinginSivagangaproposedamarriagealliance.Theeasywayoutwastoofferanexcuse–thathewasbusywithstudies,waiting tosettledown,etc.ButKalamrefused towear thismaskself. And he resisted the cravings of the lower self for a companion, for hishigherselfcouldseehewouldtreadalongpathalone.Hethusdecidedhewouldnotmarry;andhedeclaredhisdecisionloudandclear toall in thefamily,andthrough them to the community. Kalam’s teacher Professor K.V.A. Pandalaiwrites in his reminiscences: ‘He [Kalam] slowly began to realize that throughscience,spiritualenrichmentandself-realizationwerepossible.’4

Indeed,Kalam’squestforself-realizationwasbecomingparamountforhim,anditreceivednolessofhisdiligencethanhisacademicpursuits.Aswiththe

academicsphereofhislearning,whichhebynowsawasintrinsictohisspiritualdevelopment,Kalamwouldgathernewunderstandingsfromreading,discussionandcontemplation.PerhapstheonlydifferenceforKalaminthesefacetsofhislearningwasthestructurededicatedtohisacademicprogress.Revelationsofaspiritualnaturewouldcomewithahighersenseoftiming,arisinginthemanneroffortuitousaccidents.

OneThursdayevening,KalamwenttothedargahofNatharVali,aSufisaintwho came to Tiruchirappalli in the eleventh century and was among the firstSufis to bring Islam to south India and Sri Lanka. He sat for many hours incontemplation.Thenafakirappeared,asiffromnowhere,andsatdownbyhisside.

‘Whatareyouseeking,youngman?’heasked.‘Iamtryingtoseemyrealself,’saidKalam.‘Sowhatistheproblem?’thefakirasked.‘Iamunabletoseeit,’saidKalam.‘Scrubthenafs,’saidthefakir.‘Whatisthat?’askedKalam.‘Nafsisatermforthebaser,lower,egotisticalandpassionatefacetsofhuman

naturewhich,alongwithtab(literally,physicalnature),comprisethevegetativeandanimalaspectsofhumanlife.Someoftheothersynonymsfornafsaredevil,passion,greed,avarice,egocentricity,etc.,’answeredthefakir.

‘Sonafsisnotsoul?’askedKalam.‘No. The soul is ruh. The central aim of a good human life is the

transformationofnafsfromitsdeplorablestateofegocentricitythroughvariouspsycho-spiritualstages toastateofpurityandsubmission, to thewillofGod,’saidthefakir.

‘Whatarethesevariouspsycho-spiritualstages?’askedKalam.‘TheHolyQuranprovidesaverydeepunderstandingofthepsycho-spiritual

phenomena that go through a human life.A clear distinction ismadebetweennafs,qalb,sirrandruh,’thefakirsaid.

‘Pleaseexplain,Iamreallyignorant,’saidKalam.Thefakirexplained:‘Thetermqalbstandsfortheheartwhichisthecradleof

thoughtsandemotions.Thisheart is theseatofbeatificvisionaswell.Butforthevastmajority, it is thebattlegroundoftwowarringarmies: thoseofnafsor

passion,andruhorspirit.Cleaningoftheqalbisanecessaryelementinspiritualdisciplinefortravellersontherightpath.’

‘Andwhatissirr?’askedKalam.‘Thefacultyofsirrisbelievedtobelocatedinthemiddleofthechest,where

thephysiologicalheartexists.By“emptyingofthesirr”wemeandivertingone’sattentionfromthemundaneaspectsofhumanlifeandfixing iton thespiritualrealm.’

‘Youhaveusedtwodifferentverbs–cleansingofqalb,andemptyingofsirr.Why?’inquiredKalam.

Thefakirreplied,‘Iamhappyyouaregettingintotheconcept.Theemptyingsignifiesnegationandobliterationofego-centredhumanpropensities.Ruhisadormant spiritual faculty that needs to be worked upon by constant vigil andprayer,inordertoachievetheilluminationofthespirit.’

‘Itappearssosystematicandorderly,’saidKalam.‘Youngman,thereisawell-definedsequenceofactions.Thepurificationof

theelementarypassionatenature (tazkiya-e-nafs), followedbycleansingof thespiritualheartsothatitmayacquireamirror-likepurityofreflection(tazkiya-e-qalb),fortifiedbyemptyingofegoisticdrives(taqliyya-e-sirr)andremembranceof God’s attributes (zikr), gloriously culminating in illumination of the spirit(tajjali-e-ruh)–thisistheessentialspiritualjourney,’saidthefakirwithatoneoffinality,andgotuptoleave.

Peace enteredKalam’sheart.Hedidnotgetup to see the fakiroff, but satwithhis thoughts,unmuddiedandcalm, foranotherhouror so.Thatnight,heenjoyed a sound sleep, and when he arose the next morning, he decided toabandon his study of physics. Engineering would now be his calling. In anyevent, hewouldhave topursue engineering to realizehis dreamof flying.Hecouldhavemade this choice twoyears earlier, but fortunately evennow therewasasuitablecourseavailableattheMadrasInstituteofTechnology(MIT).Hepromptly applied for the three-year postgraduate diploma in aeronauticalengineering.

Kalam’s application was successful; but admission to this prestigiousinstitutionwasacostlyaffair.Kalam’ssisterZoharacametohisaid.Shepawnedher gold bangles and chain to provide for his admission fees, and in doing sotaughtKalamallaboutrealsacrifice:Thatitshouldbedonefromlove.Thatit

shouldbedonereadily,notafterexhaustingallotheroptions.Thatitshouldbedoneforpeoplewhoneedyourstrengthbecausetheydon’thaveenoughoftheirown.

W

1.4

Bootstrapping

Scienceisaboutknowing;engineeringisaboutdoing.

–HenryPetroski,Americanengineer

ith the dawn of Independence, the need for establishing a soundtechnological basis for industrial advancement of the country was

recognized.Anewgenerationofhighlyskilled, trainedprofessionalswouldbeneeded to propel the new nation forward.Madras Institute of Technology, thefirstself-financingengineeringinstituteinthecountry,wasestablishedin1949to this end. At a time when other engineering institutions were offeringconventional courses in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering at theundergraduate level, Mr Chinnaswamy Rajam launched the experiment ofintroducing, for the first time in the country, new areas of specialization inengineering. The courses he introduced were aeronautical engineering,automobile engineering, electronics engineering and instrument technology.Duringitsearlyyears, theinstituteofferedadiplomainengineeringtosciencegraduates, a policy that made possible Kalam’s shift from physics toengineering.

The theme of bootstrapping, or lifting oneself up the social and economicladder through individual effort, hardwork and personal responsibility alwaysfascinatedKalam.Hefoundtheideaofliftingoneself,pullingoneselfupbythebootstraps so inspiring. Could the near impossible be achieved through hardwork, tenacity and personal initiative, without the backing of inheritance orsomeone powerful lending a supporting hand? Kalam joined MIT with adeterminationtorealizehischildhooddreamofflying.

Thedecisionemergedfromhisself-realizationatthedargahofNatharValiin

Tiruchirappalli. Kalam had by now understood that no one cared very muchaboutthedirectionhislifewouldtake,theprincipleshestoodfor,andhisskillsandqualifications–apartfromhimself.Therefore,anyfractionofhislifelivedinthehopeofsomeoneelse’sapprovalwasinfactwasted.Peoplewouldnevernotice, and he would be unfulfilled, waiting for something that would nothappen.Theonlyonewhoseopinionultimatelymatteredwasthepersonwhosefacehehadtoseeinthemirrorattheendoftheday.Ifhewasnotsatisfiedwithwhohewasandwhathewasdoing,thenhehadfailed.

His last year at St Joseph’s made Kalam realize that the science of theworking of the physical world was not his calling in life. He was far moreattractedtomakingthingsanddoingthings.Undoubtedly,hewasaknowledgeseeker;butmoreimportanttohimwasapplyingknowledgetocreativesolutionsthatwouldservesomepurpose.Andhewas inexorablydrawn to flight.WhenKalam arrived at MIT, he was enthralled by two decommissioned aircraftdisplayed there. The mere sight of these flying machines was an inspiration,muchas the seagullshoveringover thewater atRameswaramhadbeen inhisprimary school years. ‘Kalam would later recall: I felt a strange attractiontowardsthem,andwouldsitnearthemlongafterotherstudentshadgonebacktothehostel,admiringman’swilltoflyfreeinthesky,likeabird.’1

Kalam found himself at ease with the study of engineering subjects. Hediscovered his natural talent for technical drawing. He found he could easilylook at things on different planes and from different perspectives: the plans,elevations and sections came to himwithoutmuch struggle.Studying subjectslikeaviation,control techniquesanddefencesystemsthatareusedinairplanesand spacecraft held a great fascination for him.His self-esteemgrewwith theacquiringof skills todesign, construct, develop, test andmaintain theparts ofanytypeofaircraft,boththeoreticallyandpractically.

His class in MIT was small – there were only eight students – and thisallowedKalam to interact closely not onlywith his classmates, but alsowithmembers of the faculty. Kalam felt a strong affinity with Prof. Sponder, histeacher for technical aerodynamics. Prof. Sponder was an Austrian who hadbeen captured by the Nazis during World War II and imprisoned in aconcentrationcamp.Incidentally,thereweretwoGermansontheacademicstaff:Prof.Walter Repenthin, who headed the aeronautical engineering department,

andProf.KurtTank,whodesignedtheFockle-WilfFW190single-seatfighterplane, an outstanding combat aircraft of World War II. The tension betweenthesemenandProf.Sponderwaspalpable.

AviationhadbeenfirmlyestablishedduringWorldWarIIasacriticalfacetofmodernwarfare. From the Battle of Britain, waged by theGerman Luftwaffeagainst theRAFduring the summer and autumnof 1940, to the great aircraftcarrierbattlesbetweenAmericanandJapanesePacificfleets,dominanceintheair shaped the course of thewar.And the final blows of thewar, the nuclearobliterationofHiroshimaandNagasakiinAugust1945,weredeliveredfromtheskies.Themajor combatants engaged in an aviationwar of economic attritionandtechnology:massiveindustrialproductionofaircraftandmunitionsrequiredhuge investment, and the imperatives of war drove technology forward withunprecedentedhaste.

The streamlined cantilever monoplane quickly proved its worth in almosteveryrole,althoughafewolderbiplanesremainedinnicherolesformuchofthewar.Enginepowerandaircraftperformance increasedexponentially, firstwithforced induction, thenwith jet and rocket enginesmaking their appearancebythe end of the war. Avionics systems became almost infinitely moresophisticated andwidespread, with power-assisted flight controls, blind flyinginstrumentation, radio communications and radar tracking replacing the nakedeyeandbinocularsusedbyWorldWarIflightcrews.TherapidpaceofaviationdevelopmentinthoseyearswassuchthataWorldWarIpilotwouldbarelyhaverecognizedtheaircraftofthelatterdaysofWorldWarII,notmuchmorethanagenerationlater.

The students at MIT, and indeed the whole world of aviation, were thebeneficiaries of this war-inspired revolution in their field. Along with newknowledgeinmedicine–andofcoursedecolonization–itwasoneof thefewtrulypositiveoutcomesfromthewar.AndKalam’snewmentorshadpersonallytaken part in this revolution. Their approach was thus strict, grounded bypractical experience and open-minded; and their abilities engendered theadmirationoftheirstudents.

KalamparticularlyadmiredtheindividualityandhighprofessionalstandardsofProf.Sponder,whowasalwayscalm,energeticandintotalcontrolofhimself.Prof. Sponder kept abreast of the latest technological advancements and

expectedhis students to do likewise.Kalamwould spend a gooddeal of timetalkingtohim.Thepairwouldtakearegularstrollinthelateeveningsthroughthe sprawlingMIT campus, its lawns and trees a cool escape from the balmyheatofMadras.Hewouldenjoytheirphilosophicaldiscussionsaboutthenatureofcivilizationasitappliedtothevariouspeoplesoftheworld.

Prof.SpondertoldKalamthatheindeedenviedthegreatIndiancivilizationandtheenduringidentityofIndianpeople.Incontrast,thehistoryofAustriahadseen its domain expand and contractwith the rise and then decay of its oncegreatempire.Thenadirof itsfortuneshadseenthecountryannexedaspartof‘greaterGermany’byAdolfHitler’sregime,aneventwhichledtoconsiderablepersonalsufferingfortheprofessor.Prof.SpondersaidthatwhileIndiansneverinvaded any other country, their great civilization ‘digested’ the religion andcustomsoftheinvaders.Theinvaders,whocametoplunderthisbountifullandand expand their existing territories, would for the most part be subsumedthemselves. They would become Indian over a generation or two, and neverreturntothecountriesoftheirorigin.

Another teacherwhose impressiononKalamwould last throughout his lifewas Prof.K.V.A. Pandalai,who taught him aerostructure design and analysis.Prof.Pandalaiwasacheerful,friendlyandenthusiasticteacher.Hewouldbringafreshapproachtothecourseeveryyear.Kalamreachedadeeperunderstandingof intellectual integrity throughProf.Pandalaiandembraced it asanapproachfor therestofhis life.Kalamhad learnedearlyof theneed tobe true toone’sownthinkingandtoholdone’sselftothesamerigorousstandardsofevidenceand proof to which one holds one’s antagonists. Kalam trained himself topractisewhatheadvocatedforothers,andwould,likealltrulygreatmen,freelyadmitdiscrepanciesandinconsistenciesinhisownthoughtandaction.

Prof.PandalaialsoinstilledinKalamtheimportanceofintellectualhumility.HetaughtKalamhowtobeconsciousofthelimitsofone’sknowledge.Hedrewattention to the need for sensitivity to circumstances in which one’s nativeegocentricityis likelytofunctionself-deceptively,andencouragedmindfulnessofbias,prejudiceandlimitationsofone’sviewpoint.Kalamhadneverbeenonetoclaimtoknowmorethanheactuallyknew.Herealizedthathumilitydoesnotdenote spinelessness or submissiveness. It denotes a lack of intellectualpretentiousness,boastfulnessorconceit,combinedwithaclear insight into the

logicalfoundationsofone’sbeliefs.Forhispart,Prof.Pandalaitermedthelackofintellectualintegrity,intellectualhypocrisy.

Prof. Narasingha Rao, a mathematician, not only taught Kalam theoreticalaerodynamicsbutinitiatedhimtothehigherplanesofabstractthinking.Kalamlearnedfromhimthatineveryfieldofstudy,youcanlearnmorefromstudyingGod’scontributiontothatfieldthanthecontributionsofalltheworld’sexperts.Prof.RaowouldsaythatGodis‘doublyinfinite’,orjustplain‘infinite’,becauseGodhasnobeginningorend.Healwaysexistedandalwayswill.Ontheotherhand,wehumansare‘semi-infinite’becausewehaveabeginning–conception–butwehavenoend.Howlongwelive–thatis,howlongourbodieslive–isn’tof great import.Of far greater consequence is that our soulwill exist forever.Kalamwouldlaterremindthoseclosetohimthat,fromaneternalperspective,thetimebetweenconceptionandbodilydeathisfairlyunimportant.

Prof.RaogaveKalamaveryinterestinganalogythathewouldsharewithallhiscolleaguesinlaterlife.MathematiciansoftenusetheGreekletterepsilon(ε)torefertoa‘smallquantity’.Whetherone‘lives’foronlyafewhours,minutesorsecondsafterconceptionorfor100years,thattimeisalwaysanεcomparedto eternity/infinity (∞). In otherwords, once you are conceived– your soul iscreated – you are brought into being. You are going to be forever and ever.Conception,fertilizationorensoulment is therefore themostawesomemomentofourlivesbecauseoncewebegin/exist,wehaveasoulthatwillexistforeverinthepresenceofGod,family,saintsandangels.

Prof.Raoimpartedother,moreearthlywisdomtoKalam.Kalamusedtohavea savings account in the Imperial Bank of India, the oldest and the largestcommercialbankoftheIndiansubcontinent.On1July1955itbecametheStateBankofIndia.WhenKalamdiscussedthischangewithProf.Rao,theprofessorgavehimthegreatinsightthattheconnectionsbetweenfinancialinstitutionsandindividualpeoplearefundamentalforsociety.Banksarecentraltoactivitieslikethe construction of houses, the funding of a hospital, the building of a newuniversity,or the constructionof anew roador railway line.Financeprovidesstructure to these and other enterprises and institutions throughout society. Iffinancesucceedsforallofus,ithelpstobuildagoodsociety.

Kalam spent amonth in the summer of 1956 in Rameswaram, nursing hisailing father. Jainulabdeen was his first teacher – and always remained the

foremost.He never lied toKalam. IfKalam asked him a question, he alwaysanswered it. Kalam knew many things at a young age, because his fatherencouraged him to know things, express doubts and seek answers. One day,Jainulabdeen lamented that Kalamwas not settling down to a family life. Hesaid,‘Look,Azad,untilyouhaveasonofyourown,youwillneverknowthejoy, the lovebeyond feeling that resonates in theheart of a father as he looksupon his son.’ Kalam said nothing; and Jainulabdeen did not extend theconversation.

BeforeKalamreturnedtoMIT,Jainulabdeenmadeallhischildrensittogetherandtoldthemaprofoundobservationthathehadmadeinhiseighty-twoyears.Hesaid,‘Itisnotdirtbutthefearofdirtwhichisthesignofman’sdegradation.The official families,whose children learn expensive habits of living, prosperonly for a generation or two. Themerchant families who are industrious andfrugal may prosper for three or four generations. The families who till thegroundandstudybooksandhavesimpleandcarefulhabitsprosperforfiveorsix generations. The familieswho have the virtues of respect for one’s father,eldersandancestorsandfriendliness,prosperforeightortengenerations.Knowthisandneverbecruelandrudetothepoor.’

BackatMIT,Kalamsharedhis father’s reflectionswithProf.Sponder.TheprofessortoldKalamthathisfather’sthoughtswereindeedprofoundwisdomforagoodlife.Prof.Spondersaid,‘Thekindofknowledgewhichregardsthingsintheirindividualcapacityaloneandtakesthepartforthewhole,mistakingeachentity for a complete substantiality and truth and thus giving rise to likes anddislikesinthemind,istheminimumofknowledge,thegrossestofperceptionsandthecrudesttypeofunderstanding.’

Prof.Sponderregrettedthatthiswasthecaseinhisownlifeandmillionsofothersintheconflict-riddenEuropeofhisforefathers.Theprofessorcontinued:‘Ahigherknowledge is themutual relationship among things. I amconcernedwithyouandyouareconcernedwithme.Thisisasocialistictypeofknowledge,towhichwehaverisen today.The jungle typeof livingfollowsthe lawof thefish,astheycallit,thelargeroneswallowingthesmaller.Thoughtodaywearegraduallyrisingfromthelawofthejunglewhereeachonefliesatthethroatofanother and swallows the lesser one, and have come to a socialistic kind ofunderstandingofmutualappreciationofindividualvalues,wearestillfaraway

fromthathighesttypeofknowledgethatyourfathersharedwithyou.’Theprofessorthensharedhisowninsightonthematteroftheurgeforhigher

knowledge,anurgewhichwas topreoccupyKalamformuchof thefollowingsix decades: ‘Why are we so miserable in our human existence? The simpleansweristhathumanlifeisincomplete.Humanknowledgeisnotthewholeofknowledge, and there are further stages of the evolution of the universe, ofwhichthehumanlevel isonlyonelinkinthelongchainof thisprocess.Whatpushesus forward andurgesusonwards is the existenceof a higher principlebeyond us. We become restless merely because of the fact that there issomethinghigheraboveus.Theveryexistenceofsomethinghigherisenoughtopush us onwards. The unconscious urge of the lower to realize the higher isindeedevolution,andthisiswhatyourfatherconveyedtoyou.’

Kalam’sthirdandlastyearatMITwasayearoftransition,anditwastohavea great impact on his later life. Itwould serve to define his approach towardswork, and was to have an abiding effect on his formulation of successfulmanagement principles. When he had finished his coursework, Kalam wasassignedaprojecttodesignalow-levelattackaircraft,togetherwithfourothercolleagues.Heassumedtheresponsibilityofdesignandpreparingtherequisitedrawings.Theotherteammatesdistributedamongstthemthetasksofdesigningthepropulsion,structure,controlandinstrumentationoftheaircraft.

WhenProf.K.Srinivasan,theguideandthedirectorofMIT,reviewedtheirwork, he said he found their progress dismal, and bluntly expressed hisdisappointment.Kalamaskedforamonth’stimetocompletethetask,sincehehadtogetinputfromfiveofhiscolleaguestocompletethesystemdesign.Prof.Srinivasantoldhim,‘Look,youngman,todayisFridayafternoon.Iwillgiveyouthreedays’ time.ByMondaymorning, if I don’t get the configurationdesign,yourscholarshipwillbestopped.’

KalamwasshockedbyProf.Srinivasan’sultimatum,as thescholarshipwashis lifeline.Without it, he could not continue with his studies. There was nooption but to finish the task, and he was galvanized into action. Kalam laterrecalled:

Myteamfelttheneedforworkingtogetheraroundtheclock.Wedidn’tsleepthatnight,workingonthedrawingboardandskippingourdinner.OnSaturday, I took justanhour’sbreak.OnSundaymorning, I was near completion, when I felt someone’s presence in the laboratory. It was Prof.

Srinivasan, studying our progress. After looking at my work, he patted and hugged meaffectionately.‘IknewIwasputtingyouunderstressandaskingyoutomeetadifficultdeadline.Nostress,noprogress!’2

Kalamlearnedaninescapabletruthfromthisincident.Herealizedthatweareallplayingtheultimategameoflife,whetherwewanttoornot.Thosewhoplaythegamewellwininlife,whilethosewhoplayitpoorlysuffer.Thosewhodonotknowtheyareplayingthegamesufferfromthecruellerfatesofexistence.Ourdestinyistowinattheultimategameoflife,forourdestinationistositwithGod.Thefatesof lifeonlystep inwhenweplay thegamepoorlyor refuse toplayitatall.

Kalamidentifiedtwomightyopponentsinthegameofturningambitionsintoaccomplishments–namely,fearandignorance.Onefeedstheother,astheyareallies – an axis of negativity, you might say. Kalam also understood thatknowledgeistheantidoteforthepoisonsofbothignoranceandfear.Butjustastoo little knowledge keeps us enslaved to fear and ignorance, too muchknowledgegained tooquicklycanbe similarlydetrimental.Whenwe increaseourawarenessof lifeand itsnegative factors tooquickly, thesudden influxofsuch knowledge can cause anxiety and feelings of helplessness, and we cansufferanetlossofknowledge.Inotherwords,wecanlosemoregroundthanwehavewonbygainingknowledgetooquickly.Thetendencyisthentoshutdownourdriveforknowledge,as it ishurtingus.Becomingfearfulorstressedfromknowledgegained,however, isnothing to feelashamedof; in fact, it canbeasignofbecomingmoreaware,moreconscious.

KalamwasgivenasurpriseaccoladeonhislastdayatMIT.Thegraduatingstudentsandfacultymemberswereposingforagroupphotographaspartofafarewellritual.Thestudentswerelinedupinthreerowsbehindtheprofessors,whowereseatedinthefront.Unexpectedly,Prof.SponderstoodandlookedforKalam, who was standing in the last row. ‘Come and sit with me, said theProfessor. You aremy best student and hardworkwill help you earn a greatnameforyour teachers in thefuture…LetGodbeyourhope,yourstay,yourguideandprovidethelanternforyourfeetinyourjourneyintothefuture.3

In1957, at the ageof twenty-six,Kalamgraduated fromMIT.Henow feltprepared to take his place in theworld; and hewas ready for his learning tomanifest–making things, solving real-lifeproblems.Hewouldnow reach for

theskies.

F

1.5

CogintheWheel

AstheWheelofTimeturns,placeswearmanynames.Menwearmanyfaces.AstheWheelweaves,wecanonlywatch,andstudy,andhope.

–RobertJordanTheEyeoftheWorld

romMIT,Kalamwas selected as a graduate trainee atHindustanAircraftLimited (HAL) in Bangalore, where his duties would involve the

overhaulingofbothpistonandturbineengines.HefeltproudtoseetheHF-24Marutfighter-bomber,designedbyhis teacheratMIT,Prof.KurtTank.KalamwastoldthatitwasthefirstfighteraircraftmadeinIndia,andHALhadbuiltthefirstmilitaryaircraftinSouthAsia.HewasatHALforsixmonths.

Actively encouragedby theyoungMaharajaofMysore, JayachamarajendraWadiyar, and the diwan of Mysore, Mirza Ismail, Walchand Hirachand hadestablished Hindustan Aircraft Limited in Bangalore in 1940 to repair andoverhaul foreign aircraft. William Pawley of the Intercontinental AircraftCorporationofNewYorksetuptheorganizationandequipmentforthefactory,and a large number of machine tools and equipment were sourced from theUnitedStates.ToboostBritishmilitaryhardwaresuppliesinAsiatocountertheincreasingthreatposedbyimperialJapanduringWorldWarII,theBritishIndiagovernmentboughtaone-thirdstakeinthecompanyin1941.

In 1943, the factory was handed over to the United States Air Force butretained Hindustan Aircraft management. The factory expanded rapidly andbecamethecentreformajoroverhaulandrepairsofAmericanaircraftandwasknown as the 84th Air Depot. The first aircraft to be overhauled was aConsolidatedPBYCatalina,followedbyeverytypeofaircraftoperatedinIndiaandBurma(nowMyanmar).When itwasreturned to Indiancontrol twoyears

later,thefactoryhadbecomeoneofthelargestoverhaulandrepairorganizationsintheEast.Inthepost-warreorganization,thecompanybuiltrailwaycarriagesasaninterimactivity.AfterIndiagainedIndependencein1947,themanagementofthecompanywaspassedovertotheGovernmentofIndia.

Kalam worked on the overhaul of engines for Blackburn CirrusMajors, aBritishin-linefour-cylinderaircraftengine.Theterm‘engineoverhaul’meanstostripdownanengineandrebuild itasnew.Thisentails thedisassemblyof theengine, the inspectionof itscomponents, the replacementofdefectiveorwornparts,therepairorreplacementofthesepartsandthereassemblyoftheengine.Further, theengine is testedandsubjected to trial runprior to its return to fulloperatinglevel.

Kalam learned that aircraft enginesareonlygoodwhile flying, thepurposeforwhichtheyarebuilt.Aircraftmustbeflownataminimuminterval,anditsenginebrought to itsoperating temperatureona regularbasis. If anaircraft isusedlessfrequentlythanthissuggestedinterval,itsenginewillbecomepronetomoisturebuild-up,andcorrosiveswillaccumulateintheengineoil.Thesewouldshorten the service life of the motor. Also, some engines will be exposed toextremeconditions,andthisshouldbetakenintoaccount.Anengineoperatingprimarily in dusty conditions, near salt water, in varied climates or anycombinationoftheseissubjecttoextrawear.

The imperative for aviation is safety, and in performing his work ofoverhauling aircraft engines, Kalam had to apply his utmost diligence.Exactitude is crucial; the result of tardiness in this line of work can becatastrophic.Nevertheless,heenjoyedhisnewjob.Hisdisciplinedapproachandanalytical bent stood him in good stead for its challenges, and he found itexhilaratingtobeinvolvedinsendingamachineintotheskies.HewouldnoticeinthecourseofhistimeatHALthatdisciplinedandrigidthoughthedemandsofthetaskswere,evenitsmostpreciseworkwouldcallontheintuition–anaspectofthehighernature.Helaterrecounted:

Thedemonstrationofthedelicateartofbeta(bladeanglecontrol)byHALtechniciansstilllingersinmymemory.Theyhadneitherstudiedinmajoruniversities,norweretheymerelyimplementingwhattheirengineer-in-chargewassuggesting.Theyhadbeenworkinghandsonforyears,andthishadgiventhemsomethinglikeanintuitivefeelforthework.1

TwonewemploymentopportunitiespresentedthemselvestoKalam,whowasnowarmedwithanengineeringdegreeandtestedbypracticalexperience.TheIndianAirForcewasofferingpositions throughshortservicecommission,andtheDirectorateofTechnicalDevelopmentandProduction,DTD&P(Air),underthe Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, was recruitingengineers.KalamappliedforbothandwascalledfortheinterviewbytheIndianAirForceatDehradunandDTD&P(Air)atNewDelhiinJanuary1958.Kalamhadthusfarnevertravelledbeyondthesouthernregionsofthesubcontinent,andhewasnowtoventureoutintothevastnessofhiscountryforthefirsttime.Heboarded the Grand Trunk Express at Madras Central station and managed tosecureawindowseat.

EverastudentofIndia’sculturaltradition,KalamboughtDiscoveryofIndiaby Jawaharlal Nehru to utilize the forty hours’ journey time. Nehru wrote itduring his imprisonment during 1942–46 at Ahmednagar Fort in the Deccan.BetweenreadingNehru’sfinehistoricaldiscourseandviewingforthefirsttimethelengthofthisverdant,abundantland,Kalamgarneredanewunderstandingof his nation and its history. He understood the allure of the rich and fertileplainsof theGangaand itsnumerous tributaries that invited invasionfromthepeopleofhostiledesertandmountainlands.

Moreover, Kalam could see for himself the geographical features that hadensured that the land of his Tamil forefathers was mostly undisturbed byinvadersfromthenorth.ThepartofIndiasouthoftheTropicofCancerhadbeenshielded throughout the millennia by the Vindhya and the Satpura mountainranges. The Dravidian people thus had suffered invasions only by the mostdeterminedofadversaries,untilthetimeofBritishcolonialrule.

AfterappearingfortheinterviewatDTD&P(Air),Kalamhadsomefreetimein Delhi, as the interview at Dehradun was still a week away. He visited thedargahofHazratSheikhKhwajaSyedMuhammadNizamuddinAuliya.HazratNizamuddinwas a famousSufi saint of theChishti order.Kalam foundmuchpeace through his contemplation in mosques and dargahs. He found himselfdrawn towards the Islamic Sufi tradition,with its emphasis on self-realizationthroughdevotion andprayer.For him, themystical facets of his religionwerebecomingequallyimportantasitseverydaypractices.

Kalam recalled his experience years earlier at the dargah ofNatharVali in

Tiruchirappalli.ThateveningatthedargahofNatharValiinitiatedKalamonhisdestined path, and he could feel the divine energy once again while he satthrough the qawwali. In Sufi practice, music is a way of reaching the soul,entrancingthelistenerbyprayerswroughtwiththepowerofsoaringvocalsandrhythmicaccompaniments.Itspurposeistoawakenasenseofdevotionthatourmundaneliveshaveburieddeepwithin.WhileKalamfeltthepowerofqawwali,hewasunsureabouttheexactmeaningofthelyrics;buttheinvocationofloveforAllah,ProphetMuhammad,HazratAli,ortheKhwajawasasplaintohimasitwasheart-rending.

Kalamtooka traintoreachDehradunforhismuchanticipatedappointmentwiththeAirForceSelectionBoard.ItpassedthroughthehistoriccityofMeerut,whereIndia’sFirstWarofIndependencebeganin1857,andthenPiranKaliyarnearRoorkee,sanctifiedbythedargahofthethirteenth-centurySufisaintoftheChishti order, Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kalyari. Kalam felt imbued with acalm spiritual energy by the time he reported at 1 AFSB, or the Air ForceSelectionBoard,locatedinClementTownofDehradun.

Kalameasilyclearedthestageonetestoftheselectionprocess,consistingofanIQtestandseveralotherexaminationsconductedonthefirstday.Twenty-fivecandidateswereselectedforthestagetwotest,whichinvolvedapsychologicalevaluationandnumerousgrouptrialsspreadoverfivedays.Kalamclearedallofthem.Finally,aninterviewwasconductedonthelastday.Kalamfinishedninthin the batch of twenty-five candidates examined through stage two, to selecteight officers. Kalam could barely contain his dejection: ‘I was deeplydisappointed. It tookmesome time tocomprehend that theopportunity to jointheAirForcehadjustslippedthroughmyfingers.’2

AdespondentKalamdecidedtospendsometimeinRishikesh.HebathedintheGanga andwalked into theSivanandaAshram situated a littleway up thehill.There,hemetSwamiSivananda.HisMuslimnamearousednoreactioninSwamiji,who inquiredabout thesourceofhis sorrow,evenbeforeKalamhadutteredaword.KalamtoldhimabouthisunsuccessfulattempttojointheIndianAirForceandhis long-cherisheddesire tofly.Swamiji toldhimto take life inhisstrideasitunfolds:‘Acceptyourdestinyandgoaheadwithyourlife.Youarenotdestinedtobecomeanairforcepilot.Whatyouaredestinedtobecomeisnotcleartoyounowbutitwillbeattherighttime.Forgetthisfailure,forithadits

ownpurposetoleadyoutoyourdestinedpath.Becomeonewithyourself;thatisallyouhavetodo,therestisdonetoyou.’

KalamreturnedtoDelhiandvisitedtheDTD&P(Air)officetoinquireabouttheresultofhisinterview.Theyhandedhimhisappointmentletter,andhejoinedtheverynextdayasaseniorscientificassistant(SSA),withabasicsalaryofRs250permonth.HewaspostedattheTechnicalCentre(CivilAviation),wherehewould certify and inspect aircraft for airworthiness. If Kalam was not flyingaeroplanes,hewouldatleastbehelpingtomakethemfittofly.

Kalamattendedtohisworkwiththedisciplineofasoldierandequanimityofa saint. But hewould feel pangs of creative energy andwondered at times ifquality assurance was the correct line of work for him. After a few months,KalamwassenttotheAircraftandArmamentTestingUnit(A&ATU)atKanpurto participate in the tropical evaluation of theBritish FollandGnat. TheGnatwasa single-seat lightweightgroundattackand interceptor fighteraircraft thatwas tobe inducted into the IndianAirForce.The first flight of an IndianAirForce Gnat was in the United Kingdom on 11 January 1958. The craft wasdeliveredtoIndia in theholdofanAmericanmilitarytransportaircraftC-119,andacceptedbytheIndianAirForceon30January1958.

Eveninthosedays,Kanpurwasacrowdedcity.ItwasKalam’sfirstexposureto thenorth Indianwinter, and forayoungmanaccustomed to theyear-roundwarmthofthedeeptropics,itschillwasarudeshock.Hewasalsotroubledbythe ubiquitous potato dishes, served from breakfast to dinner. He feltoverwhelmedbythelonelinessthatpervadedthecity.Thepeopleonthestreetshadallcomefromtheirvillagesinsearchofjobsinfactoriesinthecity,leavingbehindthescentoftheirsoilandtheprotectionoftheirfamilies.

Kalam befriended an elderly technician, Rajnath Pandey from Allahabad.TheirrelationshipstartedwithKalamenlistingPandey’shelpinbuyingaquilttosurvivethefreezingDecembernightsinKanpur.Thenoneday,PandeyinvitedKalam to visit the dargah of Hazrat Sayed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar, atnearby Makanpur. Pandey told Kalam that his family had been visiting thedargahformorethanahundredyears.KalamwassurprisedatthedevotionofaBrahmin to a Muslim saint and gladly accepted the invitation. Pandey toldKalamthatHazratMadarwasthedescendantofProphetMuhammad(peacebeupon him). Kalam was amazed to see thousands of people, particularly non-

Muslims,atthedargah.PandeytoldKalamthatwhatever iswishedat thedargahwouldmanifestat

the right time. Clearly, people had faith in its power, given the sight ofmultitudesofthemofferingornatecoverings(chadar)todrapethegrave.Otherswouldtieredstringsonthetrellisaroundthetombaswishes(mannat),withthepromise of giving in charity – the most popular kind of beneficence beingprovisionsfor thecommunitykitchen(langar),wherethehungrywerefedfreeofchargeandwithoutanydiscrimination.

Pandey shared with Kalam the horrendous tales of the First War ofIndependence. The siege of Cawnpore was a key episode in the war. ThebesiegedEast IndiaCompany forcesandcivilians inCawnpore surrendered torebelforceswithassurancesofsafepassagetoAllahabad.Undercircumstancesthat till now remainunclear and controversial, however, their evacuation fromCawnpore turned intoabrutalmassacre inwhichmostof theCompany’smenwere killed. And there was further unnecessary carnage. As an East IndiaCompany rescue force from Allahabad approached Cawnpore, 120 Britishwomenandchildrenwhohadsurvivedtheinitialonslaughtbytherevolutionaryforces were killed in what came to be known as the Bibighar massacre.Following the recapture of Cawnpore and the discovery of the massacre, theoutraged Company forces engaged in widespread retaliatory atrocities againstcapturedrebelsoldiersandlocalcivilians.

Kalam was more than sympathetic with the aims of the Independencemovement. But Pandey’s recounting this ghastly incident from the country’sfreedomstrugglesreaffirmedhisviewsonwar–itonlyengenderedmisery,andthereweresurelymoreenlightenedwaystosolvegrievancesbetweenpeoples.Adomesticwarwasalsobrewingin the timethatKalamwas inKanpur.Havinglongdevelopedthehabitofreadingnewspapers,particularlytheeditorialpages,Kalam was thus aware of the simmering trouble between India and China.PersecutedbytheChinesemilitary,theDalaiLamareachedtheIndianborderon30 March 1959. Indian guards escorted him to the town of Bomdila in thepresent-dayArunachalPradesh.

The Indian government had already agreed to provide asylum to theDalaiLamaandhis followers.Soonafterhisarrival inMussoorieon20April1959,theDalaiLamametwithPrimeMinisterNehru, and the two talked about the

Tibetangovernmentinexile,whichwastobeheadquarteredatDharamshalainHimachalPradesh.TheDalaiLama’s travails ledKalamtoponder thestateoftheworld.Whymustpeopleofpeaceandworshipfacebrutemilitaryforce?Hadevolution made humans more peaceful, or was mankind innately prone toviolence?

KalamwenttoSankisainnearbyFarrukhabaddistrictwhentheDalaiLamavisited there, someninemonths after his exile to India.Historically knownasSankasya,SankisaisoneofthefourunchangingsacredBuddhistsites,theothersbeingBodhgaya,where allBuddhas attain enlightenment;Sarnath,where theybegintheirteachings;andShravasti,wheretheyextendtheteachinganddefeatdoctrinalopponents.AtSankisa,allBuddhasdescendtoearthafterspendingtherainyseasonretreatinheaven.DuringhisvisittoSankisa,theDalaiLamaspokeaboutthekalachakra.

Kalam later read about thekalachakra tradition,whichdealswith cyclesoftime.HisavidreadingofWesternphilosophyandEasternwisdomwasleadinghim inevitably to an understanding that science is intrinsic to spirituality, andvice versa. Moreover, the laws that govern the universe are not merely inconsonancewithspiritualprinciples;theypertainasmuchtoatomsastheydotoourexperienceoflife.

Aroundthistime,manwasexperimentingwithscienceandtheatomwiththerecklessignoranceofateenager.On13February1960,Franceconducteditsfirstnucleartest,codenamedGerboiseBleue(BlueDesertRat)intheSaharaDesertofAlgeria.Withanexplosiveyieldofseventykilotons,itwasaroundfourtimesaspowerfulastheHiroshimabomb;anditwasexplodedaboveground,whereitwould lay waste the surrounds. Army personnel were deployed at the site,human guinea pigs for the scientists to gather a better understanding of theeffectsofradiationonthehumanbody.Liveswereruinedhere,nottomentionthemassiveenvironmentaldegradationandtheeradicationofnumerousspeciesatthesite.Thiswasasinisterperversionofscience,andamisuseofthepowersin theuniverse.Howcouldmanwreaksuchhavoconhisownspeciesandhisownplanet?

Kalamspentmanylonelynightsponderingsuchexistentialquestions.Hewasnot grown enough to know the answers; but the questions were agitating hismindnonetheless.Hecouldseethatviolence,reconciliationandcooperationare

all part of human nature. He felt that evolution didn’t just shape man to beviolentorpeaceful:itshapedmantorespondflexiblyandadaptivelytodifferentcircumstances–andtoriskviolenceonlywhenitmadeadaptivesensetodoso.Kalam was pained that instead of competing for food, which had becomerelativelyeasytoattaininmostpartsoftheworld,mankindwasnowcompetingformaterialresourceslikeoilandminerals.

T

1.6

Noah’sArk

Noinstitutioncanpossiblysurviveifitneedsgeniusesorsupermentomanageit.Itmustbeorganizedinsuchawayastobeabletogetalongunderaleadershipcomposedofaveragehumanbeings.

–PeterDruckerManagementconsultant,educatorandauthor

he story ofNoah’s ark fascinatedKalam right fromhis days at Schwartz,where itwas taught to him.A question that niggled as he grewwas how

Noah, livingashedidmore thana thousandyearsbefore the IronAge, couldpossiblyhaveconstructedavesselofthesizeofthearkasdescribedintheBible.Hewouldhavehadtoaccomplishthistaskwithoutironhammers,axesorsawswithwhichtofelltreesorcuttoequalsizethosewhichnaturehaduprooted.Tohold them togetherwithout nails is another seemingly unimaginable task.ThehistoryofshipbuildingtellsofnovesselevenremotelythissizeintheepochinwhichNoahlived.NordoesthebiblicaltextintimatethatNoahfoundavesselwhich had been constructed by heavenly sources; on the contrary, it saysspecificallythathewastobuildit.

Equally hard for Kalam to imagine was how Noah could have harvested,transportedandstoredenoughfoodtokeephimself,hisfamilyandaverylargeassortmentofanimals–someofconsiderablesize–aliveforaslongaperiodasthearkwasoccupied.Thequestionofthecarnivorousspeciesappearedtohimparticularly problematic. Furthermore, archaeology had so far discovered noevidenceof a floodof thismagnitudehavingoccurredat the timewhenNoahlived.WhatcouldbeareasonablewaytounderstandthenarrativeofNoahbutasametaphor?Moreimportantly,whatcouldbethelessonofthismetaphor?

Kalam reasoned Noah as representing the link between two contrasting

worlds.Hewasbornduring thedaysofhamas (dishonesty), lived through therecreation,andenteredaworldinwhichmanrecognizedtheneedforlaw.ItwasherethatKalamfoundtheessenceofthismetaphoricaltale.TheCreatoroftheworld was the one who first brought about a man whose distinction was hissuperiorityovertheanimals,butwhowasstillnotfullyawarethatwithoutlawhe could not survive. Kalam interpreted Noah’s ark as the idea of living byinstitutions, families, communities, schools, hospitals, courts, nations and soforth.

Kalam’s whole world and achievements had been founded on living withinstitutions–andhisfamily.Thescaleofinvestmentandmanpowerrequiredfortheaeronauticalindustrymandatedinstitutionalsupport,whichcouldonlycomeeither from governmental or corporate sponsors. Kalam’s skills, honed by theverybesteducationalinstitutionsoftheera,hadfirstbeenfosteredbyhisfamily.Now, his abilities were in demand, and were utilized for evermore importantprojects for the nation. Kalam was prospering in a world in which manrecognizedtheneedforlaw.Butinhismind,hewasreachingforaplacebeyondthisinevolution–hisurgeforahigherunderstandingthatProf.Sponderspokeofhadbeenawakened;anditcouldnotbeignored.

Inanyevent,Kalam’scareerwouldcontinuetotakehimtonewplaces,andbroaden his worldly horizons. A large number of aeronautical projects wereundertaken in the 1950s and 1960s, the most important of which were thehovercraft, theVerticalTake-offandLanding(VTOL)PlatformandtheDARTtarget, apilotless flyingsystemusingautonomous rendezvous technology.TheAeronauticalDevelopmentEstablishment(ADE)wascreatedin1959toprovideresearch anddevelopment support toHAL.Aeronautical engineersworking invariousorganizationsdealingwithmilitaryaviationwerepooledtoformthecoreteamof this neworganization.Based inBangalore,ADEwas taskedwith theacquisitionofaeronauticalequipmentfor theIndianAirForce,anditwasherethatKalamwouldwork,atleastforthetimebeing.

AsKalamwasenteringtheADE,AirIndiaInternationalwasenteringthejetage.On21February1960,Air India International acquiredaBoeing707–420aircraftandbecamethefirstAsianairlinetoinductajetaircraftinitsfleet.Jetservices to New York International Airport, Anderson Field (later J.F.K.InternationalAirport)viaLondonwere inaugurated thatsameyearon14May.

On8 June 1962, the airline’s namewas officially truncated toAir India, as itremainstothisday.On11June1962,AirIndiabecametheworld’sfirstall-jetairline. India was now finding its feet as a technological nation, and the fiveIndian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were grooming young engineers andscientists such as Kalam to help propel the country forward into the finaldecadesofthecentury.

KalamwascharmedbyBangalore,thegardencityofIndia.Itwasacontrastto the crowded, polluted roughness ofKanpur and the high-born, overbearingambience of Delhi. Kalam had by now internalized the pluralism of Indiansociety. He had long observed India’s uncanny inclination for bringing outextremesinherpeople.HeguessedthatthiswasbecauseIndianshadbeenbothafflicted and enriched by centuries of invasion and migration. Loyalty todifferent rulers and regional and caste sentiments had dulled the will of theIndianpeopleforasinglenationalidentity.Asasurvivalstrategy,Indianpeopleevolved an extraordinary ability to be alternately compassionate and cruel,sensitiveandcallous,deepandfickle.

Already an inveterate student of human nature and behaviour, Kalam wasbemusedbytheaffectationsofthepeoplehesawinthecountry’scities.Hefeltthat city life had severed an essential attachment to the land, the soil. To theuntrainedeye,Indiancitiesmayappearcolourfulandpicturesque;tothecriticaleye,Indiancitydwellersseemedbutshoddyimitationsoftheirvariousmasters.InKanpur,Kalamsawpaan-chewingimitationsofAwadhkings,inDelhithereweresomanyfacsimilesofstiff-neckedBritishrulers,andinBangalorehecouldsee dog-walking sahibs. In none of India’s cities, though, didKalam find thedepth and authenticity of Rameswaram. He concluded that the dividedsensibilities and existential pressures of city life seemed to have mutated therelationship between the heart and the head of otherwise earthy Indians. Thetransitionfromanalmostcompositesystemofvaluesofpre-colonialIndiatoamodernunifiedsystemremainedapatheticallyslowworkinprogress.

Bythistime,Kalamhaddevelopedanevenmorevoraciousreadinghabit.Hetaperedhisvisitstodargahsandstartedspendingmoretimeinlibraries.Atwork,thevagariesofbureaucraticorganizationmeant thatKalamwouldhave to relyonhisown initiative.Neverone to sit idle,hedecided tobecomeproactive inmakingapersonalcontributiontotheaeronauticsofthemilitary.Kalamrecalled

yearslater:‘TheworkloadatAeronauticalDevelopmentinitsinitialyearswasnotmuch. In fact, I had to generate work formyself at first, until the tempograduallybuiltup.’1

Convinced of the versatile role a hovercraft could play in India’s defenceforces, Kalam advocated the idea to higher officials in ADE. Based on hispreliminary submissions, a project teamwas formed to design anddevelop anindigenous hovercraft prototype. Dr O.P. Mediratta, director of ADE, askedKalamto leadafour-member team.Theyweregiven threeyears torealize theworkingmodel.

On3November1961,PrimeMinisterJawaharlalNehrureceivedthe20,000-tonneMajestic-class aircraft carrier HMSHercules from Britain at Bombay’sBallard Pier. The ship, named INS Vikrant, under Captain Pritam SinghMahindroo, contained one squadron each of Sea Hawk fighters and FrenchBreguetAlizeAnti-SubmarineWarfare(ASW)planes.KalamwascalledbacktoDelhitoassistintheworkonaVerticalTake-offandLandingPlatform.

On 21 September 1962, a border dispute betweenChina and India eruptedintofull-scalewar.ItstartedinearnestwithamajorChineseoffensiveacrosstheMcMahonLine.TheMcMahonLinewasalineonthemapthathadbeenagreedbytheBritishandTibetangovernmentsin1914astheterritorialborder.Withtheannexation of Tibet by China, the McMahon Line was the effective borderbetween India andChina. TheSino-Indianwarwas a national humiliation forIndia, with China quickly advancing from the McMahon Line into Indianterritory.TheSovietUnion,theUnitedStatesandGreatBritainpledgedmilitaryaidtoIndia.Chinathenwithdrewitsforces,andthewarendedon19November1962.

PrimeMinisterNehrulatertoldparliament:

I remembermanya timewhenourseniorgeneralscametous,andwrote to thedefenceministrysaying that they wanted certain things… If we had had foresight, known exactly what wouldhappen,wewouldhavedonesomethingelse…whatIndiahaslearntfromtheChineseinvasionisthatintheworldoftodaythereisnoplaceforweaknations…Wehavebeenlivinginanunrealworldofourowncreation.2

ManyIndianslikeKalamviewedthewar,though,asaconflictwagedbypartiesofwildlydisparateeffectiveness;andlittleofthisrelatedtothecombatabilities

of the military personnel at the front line. India’s forces were led byargumentative politicians and clashing generals under a philosopher primeminister – who spouted fancy doctrines like Panchsheel (‘five virtues’, anabortive 1954 treaty with China) – and a defence minister who delighted ininflicting his acid tongue and rapier intelligence on those around him. Theiradversarieswerea rugged revolutionaryandavictoriousmilitarygenius:MaoZedongandtheprimeminister,ZhouEnlai,thelatterperhapsthefineststrategistof his generation. And the Chinese leadership had no parliamentary ormediapressure todivert theirattentionfromtheirgoals. Itwasa textbookwarof thepreparedoverwhelmingtheunprepared.

TheSino-Indianwar coincidedwith theCubanMissileCrisis.Adirect anddangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet UnionoccurredinOctober1962,inwhichtheworld’stwonuclearsuperpowerscamedangerously close to conflict. In July1962,SovietpremierNikitaKhrushchevreached a secret agreement with Cuban premier Fidel Castro to place Sovietnuclearmissiles inCubatodeteranyfuture invasionattemptbytheUS.Uponreceiving intelligence of themissiles’ deployment, theUnited States retaliatedwithanavyembargo,effectivelyblockingCubabysea.Theensuingstand-offledtheworldperilouslyclosetoanuclearholocaust.

Around midnight Moscow time on 26 October 1962, Prime MinisterKhrushchev sentPresidentKennedy a long, emotionalmessage that raised thespectreofnuclearannihilation. ‘If there isno intention,’he said, ‘todoom theworld to the catastrophe of thermonuclear war, then let us not only relax theforcespullingontheendsoftherope,letustakemeasurestountiethatknot.Weare ready for this.’3 With subsequent negotiation and concessions from bothsides,thecrisiswasover.

Inanefforttoavertarecurrenceofthisdangerousnuclearbrinksmanship,adirecttelephonelinkbetweentheWhiteHouseandtheKremlinwasestablished;itbecameknownasthe‘Hotline’or‘Molink’.Also,havingapproachedthebrinkofnuclearconflict,bothsuperpowersbegantoreconsiderthenucleararmsraceandtookthefirststepsinagreeingtoanucleartestbantreaty.

Kalam’s take from this was the supremacy of morality. During this crisis,military action was viable as a first response, but thankfully, the morality ofusingweaponstoreacharesolutionwasconsidered.Theweighingofthelikely

greaterconflictandsubsequentmassivelossofhumanlifeagainsttheefficacyofmilitary action led to a decision that proved correct. Kalam concluded thatleaders must consider the morality of the situation carefully before choosingmilitary action as a first response. This ensures that empathy remains. Theempathy preserved through the Cuban Missile Crisis by the parties’ restraintallowed the moral questions to be examined. Leaders such as Kennedy andKhrushchevknewthatviolentactionswouldreceiveviolentreactions.

Thehovercraft development project proved a toughnut to crack forKalamandhissmallteam.Noneoftheteammembershadanyexperienceindesigningand building a machine from scratch, let alone a complex aeronautical craftsturdy and reliable enough for military applications. Moreover, the practicalproblemstheyfacedweremanifold, themostobviousbeingthat therewerenodesignsorstandardcomponentsavailable.Kalamtriedtoreadasmuchliteratureas he could find on hovercraft, but therewas notmuch available.He tried toconsult people knowledgeable in that area, but could find none. He nowunderstood, through this disillusioning experience, the difference between adevelopedcountryandadevelopingone.Onlyconsistentworkoveryearsanddecades–evenacrossgenerations–makesacountrygreat.Meanwhile,Kalamunderstood that he had no option but to proceed with whatever he knew andwhateverwasathand.Hewasalsoundernoillusionthathewouldhavetorelyonhisownwillanddetermination:

Thereisalwaysthedangerthatapersonwithmykindofbackground–ruralorsmall-town,middle-class,whoseparentshadlimitededucation–willretreatintoacornerandremaintherestrugglingforbareexistence…IknewIhad tocreatemyownopportunities.Afterall, theWrightbrothersmadethefirstaeroplaneafterfixingbicyclesforsevenyears!4

Afterspendingafewmonthsatthedrawingboard,Kalamproceededstraighttohardwaredevelopment.Partbypart,subsystembysubsystem,stagebystage,hisvision began to materialize. Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon took aspecial interest in the small project. Hewas very passionate about building acapacity for developing indigenous weapon systems. Whenever he was inBangalore,hecalledDrMedirattaandKalamtoapprisehimselfoftheirprogressandaskiftheyneededanyhelp.

Theprojectwascompleted to schedule.Thehovercraftmovedona40mm

cushionofair,bearingaloadof550kilograms,includingthetareweightofthevehicle. ItwasnamedNandi, after thevahana (wagon)ofLordShiva.But bythattime,KrishnaMenonwasoutofofficeinthewakeoftheSino-Indianwardebacle, and in the new order notmany people shared his enthusiasm for themilitaryapplicationsofanindigenoushovercraft.Theprojectwasshelved,andindigenous hovercraft were never manufactured – though thousands wererequiredandimportedregularly.Kalamwasheartbroken.

So far, I had believed that the skywas the limit, but now it appeared that the limitsweremuchcloser.Thereareboundariesthatdictatelife:youcanonlyliftsomuchweight;youcanlearnonlysofast;youcanworkonlysohard;youcanonlygosofar!5

One evening, Kalam saw the bookThe PushcartWar in a bookshopwindowwhilehewaswanderingonBrigadeRoad.Itwasanillustratedchildren’snovelwrittenbyJeanMerrill.Hewasstruckbythefirstsentence,‘ThePushcartWarstarted on the afternoon of 15March 1976when a truck ran down a pushcartbelonging toa flowerpeddler.’Howcoulda flowerpeddlerwageawar?Whywasthestorysetinthefuture?Hedecidedtopurchasethebook.

ThebooknarratedthestoryofagroupofNewYorkCitypushcartpeddlers,led byMorris the Florist, who battled the tyrannical trucking companies. Thepushcartpeddlerswerearmedonlywithpea-shooters–goodforflatteningtires–andtheirwits.Thethemeofthebookwasthedisadvantaged,theweakandtheoutcasts rising up against their oppressors and, of course, winning the day.Kalamstartedidentifyinghimselfasanunderdog.Hedecidedtochangehisstyleandbecomemorecompetitive.Tocomefrombehindandwinisindeedagreatfeeling,heconcluded.

Many months had passed by when Dr Mediratta called Kalam, asking ifNandi was functional. A few days later, he brought Prof. M.G.K. Menon,directorof theTata InstituteofFundamentalResearch (TIFR), tomeetKalam.Prof.MenonaskedKalamseveralquestionsaboutthemachineandeventookaten-minuteride.Finally,Kalamcouldseesomeone,atleast,appreciatinghistoilofmanyyears.Prof.MenongaveKalamagentlehugandsaidthathewouldseehimsoon.

Aweeklater,KalamreceivedaletteraskinghimtocometoBombayforaninterviewatTIFR,forthepositionofrocketengineeratthenewlyformedIndian

CommitteeforSpaceResearch(INCOSPAR).Kalamtookthenexttrainwithastrange,calmfeelingofcertainty.Kalamremindedhimselfthatthebestwaytowinwastonotneedtowin.Thebestperformancesareaccomplishedwhenyouarerelaxedandfreeofdoubt.Whatifheisapushcartpeddler?WhatifhemeetsthemightiesttruckersinBombay?Afterall,hedidnotapplyforanypost–andyethewascalled.

S

1.7

NoFreeLunch

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to chooseourresponse.Inourresponseliesourgrowthandourfreedom.

–ViktorE.FranklNeurologistandHolocaustsurvivor

paceresearchactivitieswereinitiatedinIndiaduringtheearly1960s,whenapplications using satellites were in the experimental stages, even in the

UnitedStates.With the live transmissionof theTokyoOlympicGamesacrossthe Pacific by theAmerican Satellite ‘Syncom-3’ demonstrating the power ofcommunicationsatellites,PrimeMinisterNehruquicklyrecognizedthebenefitsof space technology for India. The space programme, although originally theprivate vision of a few scientists, was quickly elevated to one of the highest-priorityprogrammesoftheIndianstate.

Aneworganization,INCOSPAR,wassetupin1962undertheDepartmentofAtomic Energy with Dr Vikram Sarabhai, director of the Physical ResearchLaboratory(PRL)inAhmedabad,atthehelm.Theorganizationwastaskedwithformulating the Indian space programme. Dr Vikram Sarabhai was a playful,ShriKrishna-like successor to the solemn and remoteDrHomiBhabha. LikeShriKrishna,DrSarabhaiwas versatile, playing several roles in his efforts tonurture the inchoate space programme in its early years. He was a rovingdiplomat,teacher,strategist,friend,counsellor,leaderandsystembuilder.WithinIndia, the unusual combination of his scientific eminence, aristocraticbackgroundanddisarmingsimplicitycreatedalovingloyalty–oftenamountingtodevotion–amongthosewhoknewhim.

ThesheerforceofSarabhai’spersonalitysubduedclutteringdissent,atypicalmaladyinIndianorganizations.Hisreputationenabledhimtoslicethroughthe

bureaucraticjungle;hewasassuredofloyalsupportatalllevels–fromthepeontotheprimeminister.Ashispredecessordidbeforehim,DrSarabhaisetouttosecure cooperation from the spacefaring powers.He first turned to theUnitedStates.

Dr Sarabhai initially made overtures to NASA (National Aeronautics andSpace Administration) in 1961, during his stint as a visiting Professor at theMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology(MIT),Massachusetts.HetoldNASAofIndia’s plans to start a space science research programme at select facilities,namely, the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad; the Tata Institute ofFundamental Research, Bombay; and the Tata Institute of Nuclear Physics(TINP),Calcutta.HealsodescribedhisplanstorecruittrainedIndianphysicistsforEuropeancountriesandtheUnitedStates.

During his meetings with NASA officials, Dr Sarabhai explored possiblecooperative endeavours that could be mutually beneficial to both NASA andIndia, including magnetic fields, solar radio astronomy, geomagnetism,atmospheric studies from 30 to 150 kilometres, trapped particles in radiationbelts and electrojet studies. With the intention of furthering these fields ofresearch,DrSarabhaidiscussedthepossibilityofacooperativesoundingrocketprogrammebetweenIndiaandNASAandalsoa telemetryreceivingfacilityatPRLinAhmedabad.

Sounding rockets are one- or two-stage solid propellant rockets used forprobingtheupperatmosphericregionsandforspaceresearch.Theyalsoserveaseasily affordable platforms to test or prove prototypes of new components orsubsystems, intended for use in launch vehicles and satellites. NASA haddeveloped sounding rockets that played an important role in the InternationalGeophysicalYear(IGY),aneighteen-monthperiod(1July1957to31December1958) coinciding with high solar activity. The IGY entailed an intensiveinvestigation of the natural environment – the earth, the oceans and theatmosphere–bysome30,000participants representingsixty-sixnations.Morethan 300 instrumented sounding rockets launched from sites around theworldmade significant discoveries regarding the atmosphere, the ionosphere, cosmicradiation,aurorasandgeomagnetism.

WhileINCOSPARwasbeingconstituted, theUnitedNationsCommitteeonthePeacefulUsesofOuterSpace(COPUOS)passedaresolutionrecommending

and sponsoring the creation and use of sounding rocket launching facilities,especially in theequatorial regions in thesouthernhemisphere.Taking thecuefrom theUnitedNations, Indian scientists proposeda site in southern India toNASA.Tohelpchoosethemostappropriatelocation,NASAsharedvolumesoftheirWallopsIslandhandbooks.

ThecoastalvillageofThumba,(8°33'N,76°56'E),inthestateofKerala,wasjudged a suitable location. Its proximity to themagnetic equator (0°24'S)wasideal for launching sounding rockets to undertake geographical investigations,particularlythosedealingwiththeinteractionofneutralandchargedparticlesintheearth’smagneticfield.

INCOSPARcommenceditsworkaspartoftheTataInstituteofFundamentalResearch,ledbyProf.M.G.K.Menon.ItsfirsttaskwastorecruitthecreamofIndia’syoungscientistswithexpertise in this sphereandgroom themwith thenecessaryskillsandcompetencies to fulfil theirnewroles. Itwas this thathadbrought Prof. Menon to the Aeronautical Development Establishment,Bangalore,wherehehadidentifiedKalamasoneofhisnewyoungchargesforthe organization. Kalam was awed by Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the head ofINCOSPAR,nottheleastforhisgraciousnessintheirfirstmeeting;butalsoforhisalmostclairvoyantmannerofappraisingKalaminhisinterviewinMumbai:

Therewas noneof the arrogance or the patronising attitudes,which interviewers usually displaywhen talking to a young and vulnerable candidate. Dr Sarabhai’s questions did not probe myexistingknowledgeorskills;rathertheywereanexplorationofthepossibilitiesIwasfilledwith.Hewaslookingatmeasifinreferencetoalargerwhole.1

The primary objective for the new team of scientists was fairlystraightforward. They were to establish a modest rocket-launching facility atThumbaandprovidefacilitiestotheinternationalscientificcommunitytogatherdata.AlthoughDrSarabhaimusthavehad this inmind, therewas initiallynomentionofdevelopingsatellitesorlaunchingvehicles.

AlthoughTrivandrumwasthestatecapitalofKerala,itwasasomnolentandunhurriedtownwithnineteenth-centurytiledhouseslostamidstcoconutpalms.The roads were narrow and curvy, with sharp turns and fast-changing slopes.Kalamknewnocooking,and therewerehardlyanyeatingplaces thereat thattime.Heboardedwithhisothercolleaguesinalodginghousethatprovidedthe

mostbasicamenities.Manyofthescientistswouldvisittherailwaycanteenformeals.Astherewasnocanteenevenattheworkplace,eachofthemwouldbuyhis snacksand lunchafter eatingbreakfast andgo to thebus stand, to catchamofussilbustoKazhakkutam.Afteralightingfromthebustheywouldwalkforaboutakilometre.Thetripwouldtakearoundanhour.

Thumbawasasmallvillageknownonlyforfishing.ThesiteatThumbalaybetweentherailwaylineandtheseacoast,andcoveredanareaofapproximately600 acres.Within this area stood an ancient church of StMaryMagdalene atPallithura and the bishop’s residence. Prof. Vikram Sarabhai met manypoliticians and bureaucrats to procure the site, but to no avail. Resolute tosucceed, andwith almost evangelical zeal for the purity of hismission, Prof.Sarabhaidecidedtomeetthebishopandpleadhiscasepersonally.Atthattime,ReverendFatherPeterBernardPereirawas thebishop.Prof.Sarabhaimethimon a Saturday. The bishop heard him patiently and asked him to come to theSundaymorningmasswherehewouldpresentthematterbeforethecommunity.Kalamwouldlaterrecallthevisionandhigh-mindednesswithwhichthebishoprequestedhiscongregation’ssupportfortheThumbafacility:

Thebishopsaid, ‘Mychildren, Ihavea famousscientistwithmewhowantsourchurchand theplaceIlivefortheworkofspacescienceresearch.Itistruethatscienceenricheshumanlife.Whathe isdoingandwhat Iamdoingare thesame.Withinsixmonths,ourabodeandchurchwillbenewlybuiltandgiventous.Children,canwegivethemGod’sabode,myabodeandyourabodeforascientificmission?’Therewasapin-dropsilenceforamoment,rupturedbyaloud‘Amen’fromthecongregation.2

The newly built rocket launching padwas set amidst coconut groves, and thechurchbuildingservedasthemainofficeforthescientists.Thebishop’shousewas converted into a workshop. A cattle shed became the laboratory for thesounding rockets. There were no strict working hours, and it was commonpracticefor thescientists to timetheirdeparture to the lastbusof theevening.Soon, a jeepwas acquired for transporting the scientists home after late-nightshifts.While thefacilitycreationworkwas inprogress, itwasdecided tosendsevenrocketengineersfortrainingwithNASA.Kalamwasoneoftheseseven.

KalamlandedattheLangleyResearchCenter(LaRC)inHampton,Virginia,UnitedStates,inMarch1963.TheCenterconductedbasicresearchinavariety

offieldsforaeronauticalandspaceflightandhadmanagementresponsibilityforthe Lunar Orbiter and Viking projects and the Scout launch vehicles. Kalamfound the presence here of his colleague Ramabhadran Aravamudan a greatblessing. Aravamudan had arrived six months earlier to learn radar tracking,radio telemetry and other ground instrumentation systems. They lived in thehostelattachedto thecentreandwouldeatat theself-servicecafeteria.OneoftheirchallengeswastryingtopickvegetarianfarefromthetypicallyAmericancarnivorous offerings at the cafeteria.Mashed potatoes, boiled beans or peas,breadandlotsofmilkbecametheirstapledietduringtheirtimeatLaRC.

After completing their training at LaRC, Kalam and Aravamudan went toGoddardSpaceFlightCenter(GSFC)atGreenbelt,Maryland.ThisfacilitywasnamedafterDrRobertH.Goddard,arockettheoristaswellaspracticalinventorwho first launched a liquid-propellant rocket in March 1926. Goddard SpaceFlight Center was responsible for unmanned spacecraft and sounding rocketexperiments. It operated the worldwide Space Tracking and Data AcquisitionNetwork (STADAN), which later became Spaceflight Tracking and DataNetwork (STDN). It also managed development of the Thor-Delta launchvehicle, which was to be used for the first ballistic missile deployed by theUnitedStatesAirForce.

In the third and final phase of their training,KalamandAravamudanwerepostedattheWallopsFlightCenter(WFC)atWallopsIslandinVirginia,whichwas the only rocket flight-test range owned and operated by NASA.WallopslaunchedScoutboostersandsoundingrocketexperiments,withinstrumentationdeveloped by scientists and engineers throughout the United States and theworld.

Onweekends,KalamandAravamudanwouldgotoWashingtonDCinanoldDakotaplane,whichNASAusedtoflyfreeofcostforitsemployees.HotelsinWashingtonwouldofferdiscountedroomratesforNASApersonnelbuttheratewasstillaround$6pernight,whichwasanexorbitantamountforthem.Thepairwould stay up, roaming around the nation’s capital in the quiet hours of thenight,beforecatchingtheearly-morningshuttleflightbacktoWallops.

Immediately uponKalam’s return toThumba, theNikeApache rocketwassuccessfully launchedwith theVapour Cloud payload on 21November 1963.Thismarkedthebeginningof theIndianspaceprogramme.Itwasfollowedby

thelaunchofRussianM-100andFrenchCentauresoundingrockets.WhiletheM-100couldcarryapayloadof70kgtoanaltitudeof85km,theCentaurewascapableofreachingaltitudesof150kmwithapayloadofapproximately30km.

Thelaunchpadswerestillbeingbuilt.Theonlycoveredbuildingswerethechurch, the bishop’s house and a small school building – and all of themhadbeenvacatedbecausetheycamewithinthesafetyzone.Theseservedasoffices,storage houses and laboratories. Since the only vehicle was always busy, thescientistshadtoeitherwalkoruseabicycletomovewithintherange.Kalam,whowasnotacyclist,wouldhitcharidewithAravamudan.Evenrocketpartsandpayloadswere transportedonbicycles.Decades later,Aravamudan fondlyrecalledtheirtimeatThumba,whichwascharacterizedbyplentyofhardworkinterspersedwithlight-heartedentertainment:

Duringlaunchcampaignswehadnoweekendsorholidays.Butatothertimes,wewouldeithergoto the beaches at Kovalam or Shankumukham or catch an old Hollywood movie at SrikumarTheatre.Kalam,being fromRameswaram, loved toswim;hewouldspendhourson thebeachatKovalam. Though Kalam was a vegetarian, he loved the egg masala with parantha at Xavier’sCollegeontheMainRoadneartheSecretariat.3

In 1965, TERLS (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station) rented abeautiful old building called ‘Ingledine’ opposite the Trivandrum Raj Bhavanandconverteditintoaclubwithtwobadmintoncourts,atabletennistableandaroom for card games. Kalam was an enthusiastic badminton player. He tookgreatinterestinsettinguptheclub,buyingfurniture,gettingacanteengoingandso forth. Every evening therewould be friendly badmintonmatches, with thelosers having to shout thewinners a bonji each,which is howa glass of limejuicewas referred to in Trivandrum.Kalamwould doggedly fight amatch toearnafreebonji.

While his leisure time was filled with the standard diversions of youngbachelors, Kalam’s work was anything but mundane: ‘At TERLS, I wasinvolvedwith building payload housing and jettisonable nose cones.Workingwiththenoseconesledme,asanaturalconsequence,intothefieldofcompositematerials.’4

The exigency in aerospace for light, strong and temperature-resistantmaterialshasalwaysmadedevelopinghighperformancecompositesaprimary

researchactivityofaerospaceorganizationsworldwide.Inarelatedinitiativeintheongoingquesttolightenitsrockets,NASAhadachievedweightsavingsof25 to 30 per cent with filament-wound motors over comparable all-metallicvessels.Kalamwas taskedwithformulatingadvancedcompositematerialsandsettingupIndia’sfirstfilament-windingmachine,tobuildnon-magneticpayloadhousingsforthetwo-stagesoundingrocketsandrocketmotorcasings.

Kalamapproachedhisnewassignmentswithhallmarkenthusiasm.Hewasbynowutilizing his interpersonal skills atwork almost asmuch as his analyticaland scientific talents. Kalam relied not merely on tapping the inspiration andexpertisewithinhis team.Hewouldengagewith select industry scientists andengineers, who would readily proffer their knowledge and support to helpachieve these pioneering indigenous efforts in aerospace. Kalam’s trademarkcharismaticpersonalitywasjustbeginningtoplayitspartinmattersofnationalsignificance.

Rockets had firstmade their impression on theworld in south India, underHyderAliandTipuSultanlateintheeighteenthcentury.TheseMysoreanrulershad successfully deployed thousands ofMysorean rockets againstBritishEastIndia Company forces, who had been awed by their glare and terrifyingdestruction.Now,Kalamandhisteambroughtrocketsbacktothesubcontinentwith the first Indian-designed and Indian-built space rocket, the RH-75. Thissoundingrocket,designatedforits75mmdiameter,wasanoutstandingsuccess– due in no small part toKalam’s pivotalwork. TheRH-75made itsmaidenflight on 20November 1967. Thiswas the fifty-second launch of a soundingrocket from TERLS. The RH-75 was flown twice again in 1967 and anothertwelvetimesin1968,makingatotaloffifteenRH-75flights.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi formally dedicated TERLS to the UnitedNationson2February1968.Aftertheceremony,DrSarabhaiinvitedtheprimeministertotheRocketEngineeringDivision.PointinghisfingerstowardsKalamandhisyoungercolleagueC.R.Sathya,DrSarabhaisaidtotheprimeminister,‘Theyarewaiting foryou to switchon themachine.’Asmiling IndiraGandhiquipped,‘Isitso?Whatdoesthismachinedo?’KalamsuggestedSathyashouldanswer. Nervous to the core in the presence of this august personage, Sathyabriefly explained the machine’s working and its importance. ‘Glad to knowabout it, where is the switch?’ asked the jubilant prime minister. The event

brought smiles to the faces of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Kalam and, of course,Sathya.

Dr Sarabhai argued that technology in space was practically worthlesswithout a vast array of other technological systems on the ground. It wastherefore imperative that an Indian National Satellite System was developed.This would ensure that the practical benefits of advanced technologies,particularly telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology and search andrescue operations could be deployed for the service of the Indian people. DrSarabhaitoldKalamitisimportantforeveryoneworkingintheorganizationtobemindful that the plans for space technology were driven by real needs onland.

Duringtheearly1960s,NASAwasplanningaseriesofadvancedtechnologysatellites known by the acronymATS. Therewas a need to field-test anATSconfigurationwhichinvolvedthedirectbroadcastoftelevisiontoreceiversfroma satellite. At the time, this technology was untested. The commercial andpoliticaladvantagesofasatellitesystemthatcouldbeamprogrammesdirectlytotelevisionsetsattractedNASApolicymakers,though.

The threecountries thatwere largeenoughandcloseenough to theequatorfor testing a direct-broadcast satellite were Brazil, China and India. Brazilproved uninterested; the population was concentrated in a few cities, andconventional television broadcast technology was clearly more feasible. ThePeople’sRepublicofChinawasoutofthepictureforpoliticalreasons.Indiawasthe logical choice. It was densely populated, yet only Delhi had a televisiontransmitter – a small one, left behind by aDutch electronics company after atradeshow.

DrSarabhaiprudentlyseized thisopportunity.HerequestedNASAtoallowtheuseofanATSsatelliteforayeartoconductasatelliteinstructionaltelevisionexperiment in India’s villages.He saw this as a great opportunity to convinceIndiaof theneedtoinvestheavilyinspacetechnologyandauniquechancetolearnthegroundsegmentofasatellitesystemfromtheAmericans.Moreover,hesaw it as a chance to baptize a whole generation of Indian scientists andengineers in this avant-garde technology, so that they could make their ownsatellite in the future. The Indian Department of Atomic Energy and NASAsignedanagreementfortheSatelliteInstructionalTelevisionExperiment(SITE)

in1966.DrVikramSarabhaiwasavisionary.Hisbrilliance inhisfieldwascoupled

witha revolutionarydesire touse technologyfor thebettermentofhiscountryanditspeople,andwasperhapsonlysurpassedbyhisenlightenedmanagementanddiplomacy.KalamveneratedSarabhai,andhisunconsciouswasfilledwithadesiretoemulatehisachievements.HelatermarvelledatDrSarabhai’sinherentgift for reaching out and securing international cooperation:‘Vikram Sarabhaienjoyedglobal stature.Whilehe securedcooperationofNASAin theSatelliteInstructionalTelevisionExperiment(SITE)programme,thefirstIndiansatellite,Aryabhata,wasputintoorbitin1975fromaRussiancosmodrome.’5

TheIndiangovernmentsoonenoughrecognized the imminent roleofspacecommunications in nation building, and an Experimental SatelliteCommunicationEarthStation(ESCES)wasestablishedin1967atAhmedabad.On15August1969,INCOSPAR,undertheDepartmentofAtomicEnergy,wasmade independent as the Indian Space Research Organization, and theDepartment of Space was created by the prime minster of India,institutionalizingspaceactivitiesinIndia.

Kalam had been instrumental in the birth of India’s aerospace programme,andasDrSarabhaihadanticipated,itledtoathrivingtechnologicalsectorinthecountry.India,whichhadlanguishedinthenineteenthcenturyinmanyrespects,was now propelled towards the twenty-first century by this visionary scientistandhis team.KalamwasdeterminedtobuildontheworkofDrSarabhai,andlikethisbrilliant,nobleman,Kalamhadhisownvisionforthecountry.Andheknewfromthechallengeshehadfacedindevelopingindigenoustechnology,hisvisionwould entail plenty of hardwork. It is impossible to get something fornothing.Butmostsignificantly,theRH-75projecthaddemonstratedtohimthefreedomthatcomeswithstrengthandself-reliance.

I

1.8

UnreasonableMen

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. It requires sacrifice, suffering, andstruggle;thetirelessexertionsandpassionateconcernofdedicatedindividuals.

–MartinLutherKingJrAfrican-AmericanCivilRightsmovementleader

n January 1968, Kalam received a message that Dr Sarabhai wanted tourgentlyseehiminDelhi.TravellingtoDelhifromTrivandrumwasnosimple

matterinthelate1960s.Afterchangingmanyflights,KalamreachedDelhiandcontacted Dr Sarabhai’s office for an appointment. He was asked to meet DrSarabhaiat3.30a.m.attheHotelAshok.Why3.30a.m.?Thesecretaryofferedno explanation.Unsure about how to reach there at that ungodly hour,Kalamdecided towait in the lobby of the hotel overnight.A dinner at the hotelwasbeyondhismeans, soheate ina roadsideeateryandcame to the lobbyby11p.m. He identified himself at reception as a guest of Dr Sarabhai and wasescortedtoanelegantlounge.Hehadneverseensuchopulentsurroundings.

Aftersomemomentsofastonishment,Kalamnoticedabookkeptonanearbysofa; its ownermusthave absent-mindedly left it there, he thought.To fill thelong hours of waiting constructively, Kalam picked up the book and startedbrowsingthroughit.Itwasapopularself-helpbook,thekindthattellsthereaderheisborntowin,borntoberich,borntosucceed.Kalamobserved,duringhistrainingintheUnitedStates,thatself-helpbookswereverypopularinAmerica.It was not that such books couldn’t be found in India; they were just lessprevalent.But their popularity inAmericawas toopowerful a phenomenon tooverlook. These books, dispensing advice to millions on matters physical,psychological and spiritual, must be making a difference in the lives of theirreaders.

He was skimming over paragraphs and turning pages rather nonchalantlywhenapassagecapturedhisattention.ItwasaquotationfromGeorgeBernardShaw.Thegistofthequotewasthatallreasonablemenadaptthemselvestotheworld.Onlyafewunreasonableonestrytochangetheworld.Allprogressintheworldcomesfromtheseunreasonablemen.Waitinginthelobbyinthemiddleofthe night for an appointment a few hours laterwas certainly not a reasonableproposition for Kalam. Nor was a 3.30 a.m. appointment reasonable for DrSarabhai,whohad,nevertheless,setitstime.

Thewholescenariowasatbestunorthodox.ButDrVikramSarabhaiwas,bymostmeasures,anunorthodoxman.Anegalitarianscientistofpatricianlineage,hewassuccessfully runninganunderstaffed,overworkedenterprisepioneeringspaceresearchinIndia,acountrythatseemedindifferenttotechnology.Forhispart,Kalamappearedsomewhateccentricinmanner.Helookedcareless,casualandsloppy–buthehadahawk’seyeonhisinterests,consistencyinhispurposeand an appetite for hard work only rivalled by his tenacity. Moreover, hisscientificacumenwasbalancedwithafirmbeliefinGod,fromwhichhederivedinspiration:

IhavebeenalwaysareligiouspersoninthesensethatImaintainaworkingpartnershipwithGod.IwasawarethatthebestworkrequiredmoreabilitythanIwouldeverpossessandthereforeIneededhelpthatonlyGodcouldgiveme.SoImustmakeatrueestimateofmyownability,thenraiseitby50percentbyputtingmyselfinGod’shandandthengetdowntoworkwithnodoubtsandfearsinmymind.1

While Kalam sat and read, whiling away the time in the early hours of themorning, another man entered the lobby and seated himself opposite Kalam.Neither man bothered to interact, leave alone make pleasantries. From hismannerisms,gaitandtautappearance,hewasperhapsaserviceofficer.Hewaswellbuilt;hishairwasneatlytrimmedandcombed;hewaswearingasuitwithastriped tie; his shoeswere shining– andnotwithstanding theoddhourshe saterect,lookingalertandanimated.Heseemed,incontrasttoKalam,tobequiteatease in the hotel’s luxurious surroundings. And quite disconcertingly, heappearedtoalmostlookstraightthroughKalam,asifhewerenotthereatall.

Despite his aloofness, there was some magnetism in this man, and itdistracted Kalam from his reading. He was saved from his distraction soon

enough, however, byDr Sarabhai’s secretary,who stepped into the lobby andannounced thatDrSarabhaiwas ready tomeet ‘them’.Whowas thisman? InwhicheverwayhewasconnectedtoDrSarabhai,whyshouldDrSarabhaimeetthem together, wondered Kalam. Dr Sarabhai received them with hischaracteristic charm and introduced them to each other. ‘Good morning,gentlemen. Kalam is my colleague in Space; Kalam, he is Group CaptainNarayananfromAirHeadquarters.’

Dr Sarabhai ordered coffee and outlined his plan of developing a rocket-assisted take-off (RATO) system for military aircraft. This would help ourwarplanes to take off from short runways in the Himalayas, he informed hiscontrastingguests.Hotcoffeearrived,andDrSarabhaimostgraciouslyengagedhis young guests in light conversation. As soon as the coffee and discussionconcluded,DrSarabhairosetohisfeetandaskedthemtoaccompanyhimtotheTilpatRange,nearFaridabad,southofDelhi.

Itwasaboutanhour’sdrivetotherange,whichwasfunctioningatthetimeasanAirForceDepot.DrSarabhai showed themaRussianRATOplane parkedthere.Itwasnotcovered,andKalamfeltthatithadonlyjustarrived,perhapsasrecently as a day earlier. ‘Rockets have been used simply to assist the mainpropulsion in the form of rocket-assisted take-off. Because of the heavypropellant use and the various practical difficulties of operating rockets, themajority of rocket planes have been built for experimental use, as interceptorfightersandspaceaircraft.’

Dr Sarabhai spoke to the two youngermenwith the ease and fluency of amaster teacher. ‘If I get you guys the rockets for study,would you be able tomakeindigenousequivalentsandmountthemonourHF-24aircraftineighteenmonths’time?’‘Yes,wecan,’bothmenaffirmedsimultaneously.DrSarabhai’sface beamed, reflecting their enthusiasm. He dropped them back outside theAshokHotelandproceededforhisbreakfastmeetingwiththeprimeminister.Inan instant, Kalam understood the reasonableness behind the unreasonablemeetingtimeof3.30a.m.

Thenextday’snewspaperscarriedastoryonIndiatakinguptheindigenousdevelopmentofrocket-assistedtake-offaircraft.Kalamrealizedthatforthefirsttime inhis life, hewasworkingnot for a project, his organizationor even anenlightened boss like Dr Sarabhai. He was working for his country. He was

working for India. It was a thrilling feeling, one that Kalam had never hadbefore.Heunderstoodnowthatpatriotismismuchmorethanaconvictionthatyourcountryissuperiortoallothersbecauseyouwereborninit.Hetrembledwhenheheardoftheconfidencethathadbeenexpressedinhim.

ThenextdayhewenttothelibraryoftheNationalDefenceCollegeonTeesJanuaryMargandsatforafewhourstolearnaboutRATOaeroplanes.Rocket-poweredflightwaspioneeredinGermany.ThefirstaircrafttoflyunderrocketpowerwastheLippischEnte(‘Duck’inGerman),in1928.Thefirstrocketplaneevertobemass-producedwastheMesserschmittMe163interceptorin1944,oneof severalGermanWorldWar II attempts at rocket-powered aircraft.Russiansflew the Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1 in 1942. The Japanese also producedapproximately 850 Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka rocket-powered suicide-attackaircraftinWorldWarII.

In1947,therocket-poweredBellX-1wasthefirstaircrafttobreakthespeedofsoundinlevelflightandthefirstofaseriesofNationalAdvisoryCommitteeforAeronautics (NACA)/NASA rocket-powered aircraft. TheNorthAmericanX-15 and X-15A-2 designs were used for around a decade and eventuallyreachedMach6.7andover100kilometresinaltitude.Inthe1950s,theBritishdevelopedmixed-powerdesignstoaugmenttheperformanceofthethencurrentturbojetdesigns.The rocketwasemployed in shortbursts todeliver the speedandheight required forhigh-speed interceptionofhigh-levelbombers, and themore efficient turbojet engine was otherwise used. Increased turbojet engineoutput, the advent of missiles and advances in radar had rendered thisconfigurationobsoletebythetimeofKalam’smeetingattheAshokHotel.Butin order to defend the high altitude of its territory, from short runways in theHimalayas,IndianeededitsownRATOplanes.

The Russian RATO system shown to Kalam and Narayanan at the TilpatRange was capable of generating a 3000 kgf thrust with a total impulse of24,500 kilogram seconds. It weighed 220 kilograms, and had a double-basedpropellantencasedinsteel.Thedevelopmentworkwastobecarriedoutat theSpaceScienceandTechnologyCentre(SSTC)whereKalamwasworkingwiththeDefenceResearchandDevelopmentOrganization(DRDO),HAL,DTD&P(Air),andAirHeadquarterswhereNarayananwasposted.Theprojectreliedoncooperationbetweenorganizations andpeople, and it suitedKalamadmirably.

Kalamalwaysbelievedinthesanctityofinstitutions.India’sancientcivilization,hefelt,hadsurvivedinvasion,colonialruleandallmannerofsetbacksbecauseits people lived as members of institutions – of families and communities –ratherthanasindividuals.Indianpeoplederivedmeaningintheirlivesnotfromtheirindividualstrength,butfromlivinginharmonioussocialrelationships.

Bythistime,Kalamknewthattechnologyisonlypurposefulwithreferencetopeople,whomustuseitfortheirbenefit.Heknewfullwellthatanypromisingearly-stage technologies developed in the laboratories require ‘maturation’, inthe form of additional development, testing, prototyping, and eventually theirintendedapplication.HethereforeoptedforacompositestructurefortheRATOmotor, using filament fibreglass and epoxy. The filament winding machinefacilitywasfullyoperational,andheneededagood‘product’tomakeitmature.He decided to use another two nascent technologies in the project, namelycomposite propellant with event-based ignition and a real-time jettisoningsystem.

The first static test of the RATO motor was conducted in February 1969.Another sixty-four tests followed in the next four months. All this wasaccomplishedwith only twenty engineers working on the project – and someastutemanagement.Themarriageoftechnologyandhumanskillsholdsinfinitepromise, but it is hard to properly realize. Through theRATOproject,Kalamlearned the secret ofmanaging technology-intensive projects. Failure of thesemostoftenliesintheexecution,specificallythemishandlingofthetechnology.Lack of knowledge and inadequacy of skills lead to this mishandling.Knowledgeandskillsmustthereforebefosteredforsuccess:knowledgecomesfromlearning;skillscomebydoing.Andtherearenoshortcutshere.

RATObroughtforthamoreprofoundunderstandingofleadershipinKalam.Dr Sarabhai fascinated him, andKalam’s admiration for his boss bordered onidolization;buthefeltnowish toemulatehis inimitablestyle.Workingon theRATOhelpedKalamrealizethatleadershipwassomethingthatcouldbelearnedand developed over time. Leadership was a function of specific internalprocesses and interpersonal skills that are accessible to everyone, not only aselect few. The perceptions, behaviours and skills that individuals integrate tomotivate others to action play a critical role in the success or failure of newventures, projects and goals. In order to master these skills, individuals must

view them as competencies – behaviours that require careful reflection,evaluationandpractice.

Kalam sharedwithme four internally oriented and four externally orientedcompetencies. ‘It isuseless togo for externallyorientedcompetencieswithoutworkingoninternallyorientedones,’hewouldsay.Theinternalworkincludesgaining self-awareness, asking powerful questions, communicating with apurpose and developing an entrepreneurial mindset. The externally orientedcompetenciesthatfollowtheinternalmasteryarehowtomanageandmobilizechange, how to collaborate with others, leverage differences to maximizeperformanceandbecomemoreresilientandadaptable.

Two significant developments occurred during the RATO project. The firstwas the release of a ten-year profile for space research in the country by DrSarabhai.Thisdocumentmadeitclearthatthelong-termprioritiesoftheISROwouldbe linked tonationaldevelopment.Telecommunications, remotesensingfor resource surveys and meteorology were the areas identified where ISROwould best serve the nation’s progress. Furthermore, the active internationalcooperationdominant in theearlyyearsof theIndianspaceprogrammewastobedispensedwith.Theorganizationwouldnowbecomelargelyself-reliant; itswork would revolve around the development and deployment of moreindigenoustechnology.

Kalamwasapioneerofthisswadeshispaceprogramme,andthenewregimewasespecially favourable forhis resourceful, self-motivatedapproach.Hehadproved his mettle with the RH-75 rocket project, which had indeed inspiredconfidence in the halls of power to take the ISRO in this bold new direction.Fromnow, the ISRO’s objectiveswould have to be realized by the designing,fabricating and launching of Indian satellites, including geosynchronous ones,withIndianlaunchvehicles.

TheseconddevelopmentwastheformationofaMissilePanelintheMinistryofDefence.Kalamwasinvitedasamemberof thepanelwithNarayanan.Thebitterlessonsofthe1962warhadbeendulynoted.Thenationalleadershipfeltthere was now little choice but to pursue a similar swadeshi approach todeveloping military hardware and weapon systems. To cater for immediatedemandsofnationaldefenceuntilindigenoussystemscouldbedeployed,alargenumber ofSurface-to-AirMissiles (SAMs)were obtained fromSovietRussia.

Narayanan was appointed director of Defence Research and DevelopmentLaboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, to fast-track the development of indigenousmissilesystems.

Whileworking togetheronRATOmotors andon theMissilePanel,KalamandNarayananalternatelyplayedtherolesofstudentandteacher,asdemandedbythesituation.Narayananwasveryeager to learnaboutrocketry,andKalamwasvery curious to knowabout airborneweapon systems.Opposites inmanyways,theyhadmuchtolearnfromeachother,evenintermsoftheirapproachesto tasks, though theywere equally focused on their work. Kalamwould laterwriteadmiringlyofNarayanan’scommitmenttothedutiesbeforehim:

ThedepthofNarayanan’sconvictionandhisforceofapplicationwereinspiring.Rightfromthedayofourpre-dawnvisit totheTilpatRangewithDrSarabhai,NarayananwasalwaysbusywiththeRATOmotor.He had arranged everything thatwas required before being asked. ‘You name thething and I will get it for you, but do not ask for time,’ he said. At times, I laughed at hisimpatience.2

WhenKalamcompiledtheBillofMaterialfortheRATOmotor,herealizedthatvirtually nothing indigenous was available. He felt despondent.Was there noremedyoralternative?WouldtheIndiannationbedoomedforevertothefarceof‘screwdriverscience’–importingandassemblingothercountries’creations?Couldadevelopingcountryaffordtoproducethiskindoftechnology?

Kalam identified procurement procedures as the root of indigenousdevelopmentwoes.Heenumeratedsevenpoints,orsevenlibertiesheproposedbegrantedhim.Thesewere:single-pointfinancialapprovalandnoup-and-downmovement of paper in the bureaucratic hierarchy; air travel for all people onwork irrespective of their rank-based entitlement; accountability to only oneperson;liftingofgoodsbyaircargo;involvementoftheprivatesectorwhereverpossible; placement of orders based on technical competence and not on thelowestprice;andexpeditiousaccountingprocedures.Noneof the sevenpointswere scientific, but the lack of such proactive approaches was hamperingscience’sprogressinthecountry.

Such demands were unheard of in government establishments. But if theRATO projectwas an entirely new game,whatwaswrongwith a new set ofrules?Howcouldprocedureslaiddownbycolonialofficers–andpremisedona

fundamentalmistrust of Indian people – continue to be employed in the vainhope that projects of national importance would be accomplished? When DrSarabhai stipulated an eighteen-month deadline for delivering an indigenousRATOsystem,couldhegivethefreedomtoworkefficiently?AndDrSarabhaidid.UponhearingKalam’spleaforadministrativeliberalization–andseeingtheinherent sense of his proposals – Dr Sarabhai approved the seven-point planwithoutasecondthought.

That day, Kalam learned from Dr Sarabhai that trust is the basis of allbusiness.Iftrustislacking,thepartiesinvolvedmusttakethenecessarystepstoallow it to improve. The foundation of trust should permeate every aspect ofyourorganization.WorkonRATOprogressedwithoutglitchesthereafter,anditindeedbecameaglowingsuccessstoryofindigenization.

RATO taught Kalam the power of integrity and the importance of truthfulcommunication. Its success was largely due to its treating people in theorganizationasdeservingtoknowthefacts.DrSarabhaiknewthatyoucannotgiveyourstaffhalfthestory.Youcannothidethestory.Youmusttreatthemastrueequals.Andasyoucommunicatehonestlyandyoucommunicatetruthfullyandyoucommunicatewithrespect,yourpeoplewillworkforyoutothebestoftheirability;theywillworkforyouwheneveryouneedthem,andtheywillworkharderthanyouhaverequested.Withthislesson,itwastimeforKalamtonowmoveontoanotherplane.

PARTTWO

CREATION

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.Don’t resist them– that only createssorrow.Letrealitybereality.Letthingsflownaturallyforwardinwhateverwaytheylike.

–Lao-tzuPhilosopherandpoetofancientChina

K

2.1

Indra’sNet

We live in a cosmos of infinite realms upon realms, mutually containing one another.Differentpeoplehavedifferentjourneysfordifferentreasons.Youcan’tjudge,butyoucancelebratethatthereareconnectionseverywhere.

–TheAvatamsakaSutraChineseBuddhism

alamwashandpickedbyDrSarabhaiastheprojectdirectorfortheSatelliteLaunch Vehicle (SLV). This would be the first indigenous rocket

developmentendeavourtoputasatelliteinalow-earthorbit,whichmeansatanaltitude of between 100 miles (160 kilometres) and 1,200 miles (2,000kilometres), with an orbital period of between approximately eighty-eightminutes and127minutes.Objects below100milesof altitudewill experienceveryrapidorbitaldecayandaltitudelossunderthegravitationalpullofearth.Atargetofputtinga40kgsatelliteloadintoa400kmorbitwasset.

SLVwas conceived as a four-stage rocket with all solid-propellant motorsalongthelinesoftheAmericanScoutlaunchvehiclefirstusedinthe1960s.TheScout (an acronym for Solid Controlled Orbital Utility Test system) wasdesignedin1957attheNACALangleyCenter.Itwasthefirst–andforalongtime, the only – orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuelstages. The standard Scout launch vehiclewas approximately 75 ft (23m) inlength,withalaunchweightof47,398pounds(21,500kg).

The Scout design persisted, as it was the most proven and reliable of thesatellite launchers of the times. Indian scientists had no prior experience ofdesigning a launch vehicle, and a four-stage, all solid-propulsion design waseasierthanthecomplexliquidequivalentandseemedtobethemostlikelyrouteforsuccess.By1971,thedesignphaseofthelauncherwascompleted,andofthe

sixdesignsDrSarabhaichosethethird–hencethenameSLV-3.Itwasavehiclemeasuring22m in lengthandweighing17,000kg,and itcouldplacea30kgsatelliteintonear-earthorbit.ThoughSLV-3resembledScoutinitsmorphology,the sub-assembly and fuel assemblewere designed afresh by Indian scientistsandengineers.

BesidesKalam, the coreSLV-3project teamconsisted ofDrS.Srinivasan,Ved Prakash Sandlas, D. NarayanaMoorthi, G.Madhavan Nair,M.S.R. Dev,M.K.AbdulMajeed,D.Sasikumar,P.S.VeeraraghavanandA.SivathanuPillai.Dr V.R. Gowariker, M.R. Kurup and A.E. Muthunayagam were tasked withdeveloping the first, second and third stages. Kalamwas given the additionalresponsibilityofdevelopingthefourthstage,whichwouldbeacompositemotor.

The world of technology is deeply interconnected and marked by fiercecompetition. In 1960, President Charles de Gaulle proclaimed the Frenchaspirationtoreachspace.TheCentreNationald’EtudesSpatiales(CNES),wasformedon 1March 1962,with the task of planning and executing theFrenchspace programme. Diamant (French for Diamond) was the first French spacelauncher.DiamantwasthefirstsatellitelauncherandtheonlyoneatthatpointoftimenotbuiltbyeithertheUSAorUSSR.

Inearly1969,KalamreceivedacallfromDrSarabhaistatingthathewouldbe visiting Trivandrum alongwith Prof Curien, president of the French spaceorganization,CNES.Kalamwas asked to give a presentation about the fourthstagetotheCNESteam.Afterthepresentationwasmade,KalamwastoldthatSLV-3fourthstagewasalsobeingconsideredastheupperstagefortheFrenchfour-stage launch vehicle Diamant BC. A decision was taken in the samemeeting that the SLV-3 fourth stage should be reconfigured tomatch and suitbothFrenchandIndiansatellitelaunchvehicles.Kalamrecalledhisenthusiasm:

Wewerejustinthedesignstage,andherewasavisionarywhosedreamwasthatIndianscientistscouldbuildanupper-stagerocketsystemcompatiblewithbothIndianandFrenchsatellite launchvehicle systems…this resulted inan interestingpartnershipwhen theEuropeanSpaceAgency’sAriane launched the IndianAPPLEsatellite, thatwoulduse theSLV-3 fourth stageasanapogeeboostmotorlaterinthefuture.1

This experience gave Kalam two important messages. First, whatever yourpositionintheorganizationalhierarchy,aleaderwithanopenmindlocatesthe

rightpersonandencourageshimtosucceed.Thesecondwasthatagreatleaderimbueshisteammemberswithconfidenceandmakesthemfeelthat‘wecandoit’.

As a matter of fact, the Diamant and SLV airframes were incompatible.KalamhadtomodifytheSLV-3fourth-stagedesigntosuittheDiamantairframe.The400mmdiameterwaschangedto650mmandthepropellantmasswentupfrom250kgto600kg.Ittooktheteamtwoyearstodevelopthenewdesignthatwould be the Diamant rocket’s third and upper stage. Then France abruptlyabandoned its national launcher programme in favour of the EuropeanArianelauncherin1975.Kalamwasveryupset,butDrSarabhaienlightenedhimaboutthecomplexitiesof internationalcollaborations inaerospace.There isgiveandtakeinsomanyformsandspreadoverlongperiodsoftime,sometimesacrossgenerations of people. International technology exchange is like Indrajaal. Nogoodworkdoneevergoeswaste;itgetsreflectedsomewhereelseandutilized.

The satellite launching station atSriharikota Islandon the east coast of theIndian peninsula in Andhra Pradesh, chosen in 1969 for launching biggerrockets,becameoperationalin1971.ItwasnamedSriharikotaRange(SHAR).On9October1971, theRohiniRH-1satellite,a two-stagerocketusingasolidpropellant,waslaunchedfromSHAR.Itcarrieda7kgpayloadtoanaltitudeof19km.

In1970,KalamattendedtheBombayNationalElectronicsConference,whereVikramSarabhaiannouncedplansforanIndianNationalSatellite(INSAT).TheINSATwasprimarilyadirect-broadcastsatellite,tobeplacedintoorbitwiththeintention of educating Indian villagers through television. Attending theconference was an eminent array of academics, industrialists, politicians,bureaucrats,researchers,scientistsandengineers,aswellasasubstantialcrewofIndian journalists. It was a perfect place to build consensus for a nationalsatellite. Sarabhai’s presentation of the INSAT plans thrilled the crowd.‘Dissenters’withpreparedquestionswereplanted in theaudienceby thewell-connected‘Sarabhaiboys’,tohelpallayanygenuinedoubtsabouttheproject.

Kalamhadstartedseeingthegreatercontextwhereinhisworkwasplaced.Herealized that SLVs and missiles were indeed two fruits of the same tree ofrocketry.AlmostparalleltohisworkonSLV,theDRDOwasgearingitselffordeveloping an indigenous surface-to-airmissile.Narayanan,whoworkedwith

KalamonRATO–andwasnowpromotedtotherankofaircommodore–wasgiven the reinsofDRDL,Hyderabad.Withhis hallmark impatience, he chosethequickerrouteofone-to-onesubstitutionbyreverseengineering, rather thanfollowingISRO’spolicyofnewdesignandindigenoustechnologydevelopment.

Indigenous replication of theRussianmissile SA-2was taken up atDRDLwith the code name Devil. SA-2 was a simple two-stage missile design withthree sets of four cruciform fins.Guidance control and initial roll stabilizationwas provided by electronics in two of the rear fins. Once launched, its mainbooster burned for four to five seconds before the primary sustainer motorignitedandburnedforanothertwenty-twoseconds.Thewarheadofthemissilewasfilledwith130kgofhighexplosives.Itsnosesectionwasequippedtoholdavarietyoffuses–proximity,impactandcommand.

TheSA-2wasindeedapotentair-defenceweaponinitstime.ItwasperhapsbestknownfordowningaUnitedStatesU-2spyplaneoverCubaon27October1962, but itwas successfully deployed elsewhere.TheNorthVietnamese shotdown a United States F-4C fighter aircraft in 1965, and in the same year aUnitedStatesRB-47wasshotdownovertheBlackSea–bothusingSA-2s.Asthe pace of the Devil project picked up, the frequency of the Missile Panelmeetingsincreased.

ItwasKalam’spracticetobriefDrSarabhaioverthetelephoneimmediatelyafter every Missile Panel meeting. After attending one such meeting on 30December 1971, Kalam spoke to Dr Sarabhai by phone from Delhi airport,beforeboardinghisflightforTrivandrum.DrSarabhaiwas inTrivandrumandwas to return to Bombay in the night. He instructed Kalam to meet him atTrivandrumintheairportimmediatelyafteralightingfromtheaeroplane.

When Kalam reached Trivandrum, a pall of gloom hung in the air. TheaircraftladderoperatorKuttytoldhimwithtearsrunningdownhischeeksthatDr Sarabhai was no more. He had passed away an hour earlier following acardiacarrest.Kalamwasflabbergasted.HehadjustspokentoDrSarabhaiandexpected to see him. He stayed back at the airport till Dr Sarabhai’s mortalremainswereairliftedtoAhmedabadforthelastrites.Kalamtoldmeonce,‘Letnomanintheworldliveindelusion.Withoutagurunonecancrossovertotheothershore.’WhenIaskedhim‘Howdoesonefindtheguru?’,hereplied,‘Leteach man take the path according to his capacity, understanding and

temperament.Histrueguruwillmeethimalongthatpath.Iwasdoingmyworktothebestofmyabilityandrespectingmysituation,andDrSarabhaicameintomylife.’

Prof. M.G.K. Menon was given interim charge of the Indian spaceprogramme. He convened a large national seminar of scientists, engineers,technocratsandadministratorstodiscussanddefinetheten-yearprofilepreparedbyDr Sarabhai,whowas declared the father of the Indian space programme.TheThumbaEquatorialRocketLaunchingStationwasrenamedinhishonour.

Recognizing the growing demands and importance of space activities, thegovernment inJune1972constitutedan independentSpaceCommissionandaDepartment of Space. It invited Prof. Satish Dhawan, the director of IndianInstitute of Science (IISc), Bangalore since 1962, to head both organizations.Prof.Dhawanalso tookover as chairmanof the ISRO,which functionsundertheDepartmentofSpace.

InMay 1972,DrBrahmPrakash joined as the first director of theVikramSarabhaiSpaceCentre(VSSC).DrPrakashwasthecreatoroftheNuclearFuelComplex(NFC)inHyderabad,theformerchiefoftheDepartmentofMetallurgyat theIndianInstituteofScience(IISc)andoneof thescientificsecretariesforthe firstUnitedNationsconferenceon thepeacefulusesofatomicenergy thatwasheldinGenevain1955.

TheRATOsystemwastestedon8October1972atBareillyAirForceStationin Uttar Pradesh, where a high-performance Sukhoi-16 Jet aircraft becameairborne after a short run of 1,200 metres, as against the usual length of 2kilometres. The sixty-sixth RATO motor was used for the test. The test wasadjudgedanunqualifiedsuccess,andtheeffortwassaidtohavesavedsomefivemillion dollars. Kalam andNarayanan’s partnership, under the stewardship ofthevisionaryDrVikramSarabhai,hadnowpaiditsdividends,andthebenefitsofswadeshiaerospacewereabundantlyclear:‘Includingtrialexpenses,wespentlessthanRstwenty-fivelakhsontheentireproject.TheIndianRATOcouldbepurchased atRs. 17,000per piece, and it replaced the importedRATO,whichcost4000dollars.’2

AfterassumingtheleadershipoftheSLV-3project,Kalamfacedconflictingdemandsonhistime.Hehadtoattendtocommitteeworkandcorrespondence,makematerialprocurementdecisions,presideoverreviewsandbriefings;andhe

neededtostayabreastofawiderangeofdevelopments.Buthischangeinstatusdidnotalterthewayhelivedinanyrespect.KalamcametoTrivandrumin1968andstayedatIndiraBhavanLodgeinahumblecornerroomonthegroundfloor.In all his time inTrivandrum,he stayed in this same room.The roomdidnothaveanattachedbathroomthen,butonlyacommononeonthesamefloor.Withasinglebed,atableandachair,thesmallroomwasmeantonlyforbasicsingleaccommodation–itwasintendedforusebybachelorsonameagresalary,whocouldaffordnothingbetter.HislandladylaterrecalledKalam’sspartanlifestyle:‘Kalamdidnothavevisitorsatthelodge.Oncehewasbackfromtheoffice,hewould sit for reading. At the lodge, he communicated with only a watchman(securityguard)uponwhomhedependedforgettingprovisionsandfoodfromnearbyhotels.’3

Kalamstartedhisdaywithastrollofabout2kmaroundthelodge.Hewouldprepareamentalschedule for thedayduringhiswalkanddecide twoor threethingsthathewouldliketoaccomplishthatday.Atleastoneoftheseimportanttasksmust furthera long-termgoal. ‘Withouta long-termdefinitechiefaim,alifeislikearudderlessship–itgoesnowhere,’hewouldremindme.

Onceintheoffice,Kalamwouldfirstcleanhisdesk.Withintenminuteshewould segregate the papers there into three categories: matters that requiredimmediate action, matters of low priority which could be kept pending andgeneralreadingmaterial.Hewouldthenputthehigh-prioritypapersinfrontofhimon the desk,walk to his secretary’s desk and place the rest of the papersthere,outofhissight.

OnNewYear’sDay1975,KalamaccompaniedDrBrahmPrakashtoDRDLfora reviewof theDevilmissileproject.The reviewnotedexcellentprogress,butKalamobservedthataone-on-onephilosophyhadtakenprecedenceoverthegenerationofdesigndata.Consequently,thedesignengineershadnotbeenableto pay adequate attention to the necessary analysis,whichwas the practice atISRO.Kalamlearnedthatasuccessfulreverseengineeringprocessinitselfwasnotmerelyconcernedwithcreatingacopyorchangingaprototypeinsomeway.Itwasmoreananalysis inorder todeducedesign features fromtheprototype,with little or no knowledge about the procedures involved in its originalproduction.

Narayanan told Kalam that reverse engineering was an accepted and well-

developedpractice in thedevelopmentofmilitarysystems.TheWesternAlliesat the end of the war captured technical documents for the V-2 Rockets andrelated technologies from the German military. The Americans then focusedtheir reverse engineering efforts via Operation Paperclip, which led to thedevelopment of the PGM-11 Redstone rocket. The Soviets captured Germanengineers to reproduce technical documents and plans, and worked fromcaptured hardware, in order to make their clone of the V-2: the SA-11/R-1rocket.

Incontrast to thegallopingprogressatDRDL, theSLV-3was taking shapeslowly.Insteadoffollowingastraightforwardprocessofreplicatingaprototype,theSLV-3wastrekkingalongmanydevelopmentalpaths.Theprojecthadbeenformulatedinsuchawaythatthemajortechnologicalworkcentrescouldhandlepropellant production, rocket motor testing and launch of any large diameterrocket.Prof.Dhawanintroducedasponsorshipprogrammeforresearchinspacescienceandtechnology(RESPOND)inuniversitiesandnationallaboratories,toassistintheproject’sdevelopment.

At any rate, the assiduous technological development of the SLV-3 wouldeventually bear its fruit. For a year, from 1 August 1975 to 31 July 1976,hundredsandsometimesthousandsofvillagersgathereddailyinfrontofeachof5,000televisionsets–installedoutsidelikeaprocessionaldeityofatemple–towatcheducational television. Indianengineershadplaced the televisionsets inremote and especially backward villages spread in six clusters across thesubcontinent.Itwasanexperimentinsocialengineeringandruralupliftmentasmuch as it was in technology. The television programmes had been carefullyformulated toeducate thevillagersonhow to leadbetter livesandgrowmorefood.Mostvillageswerebeyondtheelectricitygridandrequiredsolarelectricalinstallationstopowerthesets.

ThetriumphofSITEensuredtheorganization’songoingsupportandprestige,bothwithinIndiaandinternationally.ForKalam,thesuccessoftheprojectwasanespeciallypersonalaccomplishment.RameswaramPanchayatSchool,wherehehadbeen first inspiredbyaclasson flightnearly fourdecadesearlier,nowhad a satellite television. Kalam’s father was beamingwith pride. He died in1976 at the ripe old age of 102 years, immensely proud of his son’sachievements.

Itwasduringthetumultuousperiodofthemid-1970s,withtheEmergencyofPrimeMinisterIndiraGandhiandtheresultingsuspensionofdemocraticrights,thatKalambegantodeeplyponderthecountry’ssocialandpoliticallandscape.HecouldseeawideninggulfbetweentheinterestsofthepoliticalclassandtheaspirationsofIndia’spoormillions.Anascentidea,‘Strengthrespectsstrength’,wouldcrystallizeovertimeinKalam’svisionforthecountry’sfuture.Hecouldseethepotentialforthecountryanditspeopletobecomeempowered,justashehadbeen–byeducation,hardworkandthenurturingoftechnology.

In his immediate duties, he could see that his hard work and pioneeringeffortsinindigenousaerospace–fosteredbyhislatebossandmentorDrVikramSarabhai–hadnowraisedthecountry’sinternationalstatusinthefield.ISRO’senhanced status facilitated an increase in recruitment for the first time afterSarabhai’s death. Thousands of young professionals from elite engineeringinstitutionsnowclamoured to join its ranks.SITEopened critical paths in therapidlyemergingEuropeanspaceprogrammes.ISROwasacceptedasanequalpartner in several critical cooperative programmesmanaged by the European,French andGerman space programmes. Indiamay not have joined the ‘spacerace’,butitwasaforcetobereckonedwithinaerospace.

Moreover, there were evermore practical applications for the aerospaceindustry,andpressingconcernsforthenation’speoplethatthenewtechnologiesof ISROneeded toaddress.Oneof theworstcyclonicstorms tohit the Indianshores struckAndhraPradeshon19November1977.Themost affected areaswereinthedeltaregionoftheRiverKrishna,whereastormsurgeofupto6min height from the Bay of Bengal wreaked havoc on its coastal populations.Landslides severed the railway lines on the Waltair-Kirandal route. Fields ofpaddy and cash crops were submerged by the waves. Thirteen sailing vesselswentmissinginthestorm,andatleast50,000peoplewerekilled.Hundredsofbodies were later found floating in the waters, and those bloated beyondrecognitionwereconsignedtomassfuneralpyres.

The horrific scale of the casualties highlighted a need for early warningsystemsfortropicalcyclones.BeginningwiththelaunchingofTIROS-IinApril1960, satellites were used to detect tropical cyclones. Techniques weredeveloped to determine in real time a tropical cyclone’s strength fromcharacteristicsseenonsatelliteimagery.Windspeedcouldbeascertainedfrom

thedata, anddifferences in temperaturebetween the surrounding stormcloudsandtheeyeofthecyclonecoulddeterminethestrengthoftheweatherpattern:the larger the temperaturedifference, the stronger the tropicalcyclone. ISRO’ssatellites could now be deployed to help save lives, giving early warning tomillions living in low-lying coastal areas in the cyclone-prone regions of thesubcontinent.

The SLV-3 Apogee rocket, developed as a common upper stage withDiamant,wasscheduled tobe flight-tested inFrance.Someproblemssurfacedduring the system integration, and Kalam was needed in France to attend tothem. Two days before Kalam’s scheduled departure to France, his motherpassedaway.HetookthefirstavailablebustoNagercoil,andboardedthenighttrain toRameswaram.He performed her last rites and returned to the railwaystationfromtheburialground.Years later,he remembered that therewas littletimeforgrief:‘ThenextmorningIwasbackatThumba,physicallyexhausted,emotionallyshattered,butdeterminedtofulfilourambitionofflyinganIndianrocketmotoronforeignsoil.’4

Withhisparentsgone,KalamthrewhisentirebeingintotheSLVproject.Hewithdrew from every other activity. He stopped playing badminton in theeveningsandstayedbackatwork,evenonweekendsandholidays.Astoiccalmenvelopedhim.Kalamimmersedhimselfinhisdutiesandquietcontemplation,exercisingmuchself-control,assomemenareapttodo,inovercominghisgrief.

P

2.2

VasudhaivaKutumbakam

Thesolemeaningoflifeistoservehumanity.

–LeoTolstoyRussiannovelist

reoccupiedwith hisworkwith the SLV-3 project,Kalam felt comfortable,andenjoyedagreatsenseofpurpose.Hewouldnevertireofmeetingwith

people,discussing,arguing,explainingandunderstanding–at leastsofaras itappliedtohiswork.Onapersonallevel,hestartedtofeelastrangeaversionfortheusualsocialinteractions,andhadnopatienceforidlegossipandsmalltalk.Whenhewasnotworking,hewouldmostlyseeksolitude, readingsomegoodbookorlisteningtoCarnaticmusic.Hewasconvincedthatlivingaccordingtoreason and virtue is to be in harmony with the universe’s divine order. Hehypothesizedthatthisorderwascodedinone’stalentsandthesituationsofone’slifeatanypointoftime.Thesetalentsmustbeidentified,nurturedandrefined,andthesituationsinone’slifemustbeunderstoodandattendedto.Forthis,heneededtobeatpeacewithin.

Nevertheless,Kalamfoundthatinteractingwithpeopleandcoordinatingtheirefforts was his special talent. The development of the SLV-3 was his latestmediumtomanifest this talent.ThesewereindeedthetransformativeyearsforKalam.Hewasrealizingtheimportanceoflivingapurposefullife;andhehadfreedhimself from theprisonof sensorypleasuresandmiserieshiddenbehindmerrymaking.Hewaspasthisforties,andthediversionsofyouthnolongerheldany allure for him. While he had settled into a confirmed bachelorhood, hislifestylewasmore that of amonk or a sadhu; hewas now happily engrossedsimplyinworkandcontemplativepursuits.

This is not to say that Kalam was aloof or cold; he continued to enjoy,throughout his life, lasting, meaningful friendships. And at this time, hedeveloped a particularly strong emotional bond with Dr Brahm Prakash. DrPrakashwasanoutstandingscientist,aninspiringleaderandaself-effacingmanwho had been the first Indian to head the Indian Institute of Science’sDepartment of Metallurgy. Under his leadership, the Atomic EnergyEstablishment’sMetallurgyGroupdeveloped techniques for the extractionandfabricationofavarietyofnuclear-grademetals.The‘closednuclearfuelcycle’,which was the goal of the Indian nuclear programme, was essentially aboutmaterialsofhighpurity,andDrBrahmPrakashwasatthecentreofthiseffort.Kalamfoundinhimhismentorteacher.DrSarabhaiwaslikeanangeltoKalam– inspiring and guiding – but almost not from this world. Brahm Prakash,however,waslikeNaranarayan,theembodimentofdivinegracerightinfrontofhim.KalamsawinBrahmPrakashhisdepartedfather.

DrBrahmPrakashrecognizedinKalamhisownself,fromhisyouthfuldaysinLahore.DrBrahmPrakashwasoneofmillionswholivedthroughthetraumaofPartition.HelamentedtoKalamonedaythatthereweremanybookswrittenontheNaziholocaust,butnoonehadreallyeverwrittenof thecallousnessofthe British colonial rulers with their Partition of India. They had arbitrarilydrawna lineon themap,deciding thenationalityofmillionsofpeople,withatotal disregard of the consequences. He told Kalam once, ‘Hitler has beenestablishedasamonsterofhumanhistory,andrightlyso.Butthedevilsinthegarb of suave politicians on the Indian subcontinent who created the colossalhuman tragedy of Indian Partition got away with their sins, after MahatmaGandhisettledtheiraccountwithhissacrifice.’

Dr Brahm Prakash and Kalam would often take long strolls. Dr BrahmPrakashwasaheavysmokerbutwhenwalkingwithKalam,hewouldnotlightasinglecigarette.Theybothsharedasenseofconcernforthesufferingofothersandanaspirationtoseethatsufferingrelieved.DrBrahmPrakashtreatedKalamashisson,andKalamgarnered fromhimtheeducationof the fineraspectsoflifethathehadmissedwithhisfather.

DrBrahmPrakashtaughtKalamtheessenceofthevirtueofrespect.Respectisabouttheworthyouputinpeoplearoundyouandinyourownself.Onemusthave regard for the worth of others. Likewise, one must have regard for the

worthofoneself.ButthemostimportantlessonKalamlearnedfromDrBrahmPrakashwas that of humility,which he explained toKalam as the respect forone’sownlimitations.DrBrahmPrakashtoldKalam,‘Humilityisnottheactorpostureofloweringoneselfinrelationtoothers.Humilityisabouthavingaclearperspectiveandrespectforone’splaceincontext.’Inareligioussetting,thiscanmeanrecognitionoftheselfinrelationtoGod,acceptanceofone’sdefects,andsubmissiontothedivinegraceasamemberofanygreatreligionoftheworld.

Kalam also learned from Dr Brahm Prakash his first lesson in thetransformationfrom‘I’to‘We.’HeexplainedtoKalam:

This is themost importantprocess leadersgo through inbecomingauthentic.Howelsecan theyunleashthepoweroftheirorganizationsunlesstheymotivatepeopletoreachtheirfullpotential?Ifour supporters are merely following our lead, their efforts are limited to our vision and ourdirections…Onlywhenleadersstopfocusingontheirpersonalegoneedsaretheyabletodevelopotherleaders.

In May 1973, Dr Brahma Prakash informed Kalam of the visit of Werner(Freiherr) von Braun, the legendary inventor of the V-2 and the Saturn-Vrockets. He chose Kalam to receive von Braun at Madras and escort him toTrivandrum.Kalamtookthisassignmentasagreatgift.WernervonBraunwasalmostuniversallyreveredin thefieldofrocketryasoneof thegreatestrocketscientistsandchampionsofspaceexplorationofhisera.HisV-2rocketwastheworld’sfirst long-rangeguidedballisticmissile.Itwasalsothefirstman-madeobjecttocrosstheboundaryofspace.

Kalam and von Braun boarded an Avro aircraft in Madras for the ninety-minute flight to Trivandrum. Kalam was pleased to sit beside his hero ofrocketry, and was even more gratified by this great man’s down-to-earthpoliteness.KalambroketheicebymentioningtovonBraunhisvisittoNASA’sWallops Island. In turn, von Braun asked about Kalam’s work and intentlylistened to his brief dissertation, as if he were just another practitioner ofrocketry.Kalamlaterwrote:‘Ineverexpectedthefatherofmodernrocketrytobe sohumble, receptive, and encouraging.Hemademe feel comfortable rightthroughtheflight.ItwashardtoimaginethatIwastalkingtoagiantofmissilesystems,ashewassoself-effacing.’1

ThoseunforgettableninetyminutesalsoallowedKalamtohearvonBraun’s

great story of human courage, of how he had prevailed in the most adversesituations.HeunderstoodfromvonBraun,inthisshorttime,howtheanchorofthe intellect could save a person from themost trying of life’s challenges. InMarch1945,whenAlliedforcesdefeatedGermany,vonBraunusedhisresearchandaccesstotechnicaldocumentstobrokeranewlifeintheUnitedStates.HeknewthatregardlessoftheNaziatrocities,nomajorworldpowerwouldrefusetheNazi regime’s technological advances. The post-WorldWar II geopoliticaljockeying between the major world powers would manifest in a race fortechnological superiority, which would be inextricably linked to rocketry andaerospacetechnology.

VonBraun toldKalamthatheandhisentire rocketry teamwerebrought totheUnitedStates and immediatelygiven employmentwith themilitary, as theAmericanshadnotechnologicalcapacityofthesorthehaddevelopedwithhisteam inGermany.American rocket scientistswould take another five years toreach the level of V-2 technology. Befitting his scientific stature, the USgovernment appointed von Braun as technical director of the US ArmyOrdnanceGuidedMissileProjectinAlabama.Duringthe1950s,vonBraunalsobecameoneofthemostprominentadvocatesofspaceexplorationintheUnitedStates. Americans accepted him as their own hero. Strength respects onlystrength.

In 1960, von Braun’s rocket development centre was transferred from thearmytothenewlyestablishedNASAandreceivedamandatetobuildthegiantSaturn rockets. Accordingly, von Braun became director of NASA’sMarshallSpaceFlightCenterand thechiefarchitectof theSaturnVlaunchvehicle, thesuperbooster thatwould propelAmericans to themoon.VonBraun impresseduponscientistsandengineerstheimportanceofrecordingtheirworkaccuratelyanddiligently onpaper and seeking collective reviewbefore publishing it.Hesaid, ‘Had I not created dossiers of my work, I would have been killed andburiedinanunmarkedgrave.Therecordsofmyworknotonlysavedmylife,itsaved years of hard work and scientific data of immense value for futureresearch.’

WhileKalamwasinFranceatCERNfortheSLV-3Apogeerocketproject,hewitnessedthegenesisofafascinatingandsuccessfulFranco-Germanaerospacecollaboration. French work with geosynchronous orbit telecommunications

beganin1967.FrancejoinedhandswithGermanytodeveloptwoexperimentalSymphoniesatellites.Thesmall(230kg)spacecraft,withthree-axisstabilizationandtwo6/4GHztransponders,werelaunchedbytheUSin1974and1975.TheSymphoniesystemwashighlysuccessfulinprovidingtelecommunicationslinksthroughout Europe and to other continents.Both spacecraft far exceeded theirdesignlifeoffiveyears.

Kalamwondered:WhatifIndiaandChina,insteadoffightingoverconcoctedissues, joined hands like France and Germany? Why are Asians caught in aperpetual cycle of self-degradation and petty conflicts? When France andGermany–whowereadversariesinthebitterestwarsofthelastcentury–canjoinhands,whatstopsIndiaandChina,whohadenjoyed2,000yearsofpeace!

On 19 April 1975, India entered the space age by launching its first-eversatellite, the Aryabhata, from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan Oblast, in Russia. AKosmos-3Mlaunchvehiclewasusedtoputthesatelliteintoanear-circularorbitat an altitude of 600 km. The satellite was constructed as a twenty-six-sidedpolyhedronwithadiameterof1.4m.Allofitsfaces,exceptthetopandbottom,were covered with solar cells. Named after the fifth-century astronomer andmathematician Aryabhata, the 360-kg spin-stabilized satellite enabled ISROscientistsandengineers to learn thebasicsofsatellite technologyindesigning,buildingandoperatingthesatellite.KalamadmiredthediligenceofhisRussiancounterparts:

OurfirstsatellitewaslaunchedbyaSovietRocket,Cosmos-3M,on19April1975fromKapustinYarTestRange.Although language isahugebarrierwhileworkingwithRussians, theyareverythorough in their schematic andmathematical expression. I witnessed the development of Indo-Russiancollaborationfromthetraditionalimportermodeltoamoresymbioticrelationshipthroughjointdefenceresearchanddevelopmentandmanufacturing.2

Theyear1975alsosawthecreationofTheEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA),anintergovernmental organization comprising twenty-two member states’representatives.ItwasheadquarteredinParis.ThesciencemissionswerebasedatEuropeanSpaceResearchandTechnologyCentre(ESTEC)inNoordwijk,theNetherlands, the earth observation missions at ESRIN in Frascati, Italy, ESAMission Control (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, and the European SpaceAstronomyCentre(ESAC)located inVillanuevade laCanada,Madrid,Spain.

The European Astronaut Centre (EAC), that would train astronauts for futuremissions,wassetupinCologne,Germany.AfterWorldWarII,manyEuropeanscientists left western Europe in order to work in the United States. Theyrealized that by returning to their countries and working solely on nationalprojects,theywouldnotbeabletocompetewiththetwomainsuperpowers;andthishadbroughtthemalltogether.

TheAryabhatawasfollowedbyBhaskara-1, launchedon7June1979fromKapustinYar aboard the IntercosmosC-1 launch vehicle. The 444-kg satellitemadeby ISROwas fittedwith two televisioncamerasoperatingwith invisible(600 nanometre) and near-infrared (800 nanometre) frequencies that collecteddata related to hydrology, forestry and geology. It also boasted a satellitemicrowave radiometer (SAMIR) operating at 19 and 22GHz for study of theocean and such phenomena as water vapour, liquid water content in theatmosphere, etc. ISRO used the Franco-German Symphonie satellite for theSatellite Telecommunication Experiments Project (STEP)to establish satellite-basedpostandtelegraphservicesduring1977–79.

Notallofthememorablehappeningsoftheseyearswerepositive.Onetragicaeronautical event,which unfolded right in front ofKalam, led him to deeplycontemplatetheprofoundissueofmortality.HewassittinginBombay’sSaharAirport passenger lounge,waiting to take the evening flight toTrivandrumonNewYear’sDay in 1978,when the deadliest aviation accident India had seenoccurrednearby.AirIndiapassengerflightAI855,boundforDubaifromSaharAirport,crashedjustoffthecoastofBandra,almostimmediatelyaftertakingofffromtheairport.All213passengersandcrewonboardwerekilled.TheaircraftinvolvedwasaBoeing747namedEmperorAshok.AsadKalamreflected,whileflying back to Trivandrum later in the night, that no one wants to die. Evenpeoplewhowanttogotoheavendon’twanttodietogetthere.Andyetdeathisthedestinationweallshare.Noonehaseverescapedit.Andthatisasitshouldbe, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’schangeagent.Itclearsouttheoldtomakewayforthenew.

AtleastinrocketryofthekindthatKalamwasnowengagedin,mechanicalfailure or human error rarely had any opportunity to cause the loss of life. Itcould, however, cause great distress. The first experimental flight trial for theSLV-3 was scheduled for 10 August 1979. The primary goals of the mission

were to realize a fully integrated satellite launch vehicle to evaluate on-boardsystems like stage motors, guidance and control systems and electronicsubsystems–andtoevaluategroundsystems,likecheckout,tracking,telemetryandreal-timedatafacilitiesinlaunchoperationsbuiltatSHAR.Therockettookoff at 7.58 a.m.Stage I performedperfectly; but the second stagewentout ofcontrol.Theflightwasterminatedafter317seconds,andtherocket’sshatteredwrecksplashedintothesea,540kilometresofftheSriharikotacoast.Kalamwasmortifiedbythisdramaticfailure,ashewouldlaterrecount:

Ifeltastrangemixofangerandfrustration.Suddenly,Ifeltmylegsbecomesostiffthattheyached.Theproblemwasnotwithmybody;somethingwashappeninginmymind…TheprematuredeathofmyhovercraftNandi,theabandoningoftheRATO,theshelvingoftheDiamant;allcamealiveinaflash,likealong-buriedPhoenixresurrecting.3

‘What do you suppose could have gonewrong?’ somebody askedKalam. Hewalkedawaywithoutanswering.Hewastootiredtothink.Thelaunchhadbeenprecededbyanight-longcountdown.Moreover,Kalamhadhadhardlyanysleepin the week prior to the launch. Completely drained, mentally as well asphysically, he went straight to his room and collapsed in his bed. It wasinevitablethatthosewhowanttoreapthebenefitsofthisgreatnationmustbearthefatigueofsupportingit.

Dr Brahm Prakash came to Kalam’s room but left without disturbing hissleep.Hereturnedafteraboutanhour,butKalamwasstillsleeping.DrBrahmPrakashquietly satoutsidehis room.WhenKalam finallywokeup late in theafternoon,DrBrahmPrakashtookhimtothecanteenforlunch.Hemadelightconversationduringthemeal,carefullyavoidinganymentionoftheSLV-3.DrBrahmPrakashwasagodsendwithhiskindnessandhelpedKalamthroughthisordeal.

Intheeveningtherewasapressconference.AlargecontingentofIndianandinternational press – and of course the entire ISRO top brass –were present.Kalamwas ready tobe skinnedalive.Prof.SatishDhawan tookchargeof thesituation. First, he surprised everybody with his opening statement,congratulating the SLV-3 team for achieving a flawless launch and theirsuccessfuldevelopmentofthefirst-stageboostermotor.HementionedKalambyname, saying that he had shown exemplary leadership; that he had put in a

mammotheffortinvolvingthousandsofpeopleoversevenyears–andhadneverallowedpersonallikesanddislikestocomeinthewayofhisduties.

One correspondent asked, ‘Twenty crores of taxpayers’ money has beendrownedintheBayofBengal.’Prof.Dhawankepthiscoolandanswered,

WhatisbeingattemptedinthespaceprogrammeinIndiahasfar-reachingconsequences.Youwillnotbeable tocount theamountofmoney thatwouldgooutof thecountry in thefuture if Indiadoesnothaveitsowncommunicationandremote-sensingsatellites.Pleaseunderstandthebillionsof dollars’ worth of work done by low-paid and frugally living employees of our governmentorganizations.

There was a pin-drop silence. He then added that he was confident that inexactlyayear’s time,SLV-3wouldsuccessfullyplaceasatellite inorbit.Prof.BrahmPrakash retired inNovember 1979, andDrVasantGowariker assumedhisformerposition.

The SLV-3was launched on 18 July 1980, successfully placing theRohinisatelliteRS-1intoorbit,therebymakingIndiathesixthmemberofanexclusiveclub of spacefaring nations. The successful culmination of the SLV-3 projectshowed the way to advanced launch vehicle projects such as the AugmentedSatelliteLaunchVehicle(ASLV),PolarSatelliteLaunchVehicle(PSLV)andtheGeosynchronousSatelliteLaunchVehicle (GSLV).Prof.DhawanaskedKalamto take up the Space Launch Vehicle Directorate at ISRO headquarters. Hismissionwouldbetopresideoverthespaceprogrammeforremotesensingandcommunication satellites, linking the corresponding launch vehicle systems,includingthelaunchcomplex.SivathanuPillaitookoverasKalam’slieutenant.

This was a time for change. Kalam’s old comrade Narayanan, who hadreached the rank of air vicemarshal, had by now retired. In his absence, theentireprogrammeofmilitaryrocketrywaslanguishingunderapersistentapathy.There was a leadership vacuum at the DRDO and Dr Raja Ramanna, thescientificadvisertothedefenceministerofIndia,invitedKalamtogivehisinputtothemissileprogramme:

TheDRDOneededsomebodytotakecommandoftheirmissileprogrammes,whichhadbeenstuckatthedrawingboardandstatictestbedstagesforquiteawhile.Prof.RamannaaskedmeifIwouldlike to join DRDO and shoulder the responsibility of shaping the Indian Guided MissileDevelopmentProgramme.4

On 26 January 1981, Republic Day of India, Kalamwas awarded the PadmaBhushan,thethird-highestcivilianhonourofthecountry.Onthesameday,Prof.Satish Dhawan received the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilianhonour inIndia.DrBrahmPrakashcalledKalamandsaid thathefeltas ifhissonhadreceivedthePadmaBhushan.TheAnnaUniversity,Madras,conferredonKalamthehonorarydegreeofDoctorofScience.HereceivedthedegreeintheconvocationfromDrRajaRamanna.DrKalamjoinedDRDOasdirectoron1June1982.

D

2.3

SmilingBuddha

Itisbettertorisefromlifeasfromabanquet–neitherthirstynordrunken.

–AristotleGreekphilosopherandscientist

rKalamwasfullyawareoftheburdenhewastakingonhisshoulders.Hewasbeinginterpolatedintoanorganizationwitharadicallydifferentculture

tothatofISRO;anditwas,at that time,functioningpoorly.HehadworkedatADE earlier but those were the formative years of the DRDO, when it wascreated more or less in mimicry of the Advanced Research Projects Agency(ARPA)intheUnitedStates.Itspurposehadalwaysbeentoexpandthefrontiersof technology and science for military applications, with the aim of reachingbeyondtheforces’immediaterequirements.Inthis,itwasnowlaggingbehind.Kalam’squestwouldbetohelptheorganizationsheditsstultifyinglowmoraleand reliance on foreign technology, and inspire a new culture of self-empowermenttoleadittowardsthetwenty-firstcentury.

DrKalamhadstudied theevolutionofDRDOfromclosequarters since itsinception. Its beginnings were more emotional than strategic. Veneration forsciencewasobviousinthechoiceofDrKothariasthefirstChiefofDRDO.DrKotharihadworkedunder the legendaryMeghnadSahaduringhismaster’satAllahabadUniversity,andhaddonehisPhDunderthefatherofnuclearphysicsErnestRutherfordattheUniversityofCambridge.SpecialWeaponDevelopmentTeam(SWDT)didtheinitialwork.ThisteamwaslaterexpandedintoDRDL,afull-fledgedlaboratoryatthecampusofDefenceScienceCentre,Delhi,inJune1961.ThelaboratorywasmovedtoHyderabadinFebruary1962onlandintheChandrayanaguttaareaprovidedby thestategovernment thathadoncehoused

thebarracksoftheerstwhileNizam’sarmy.Thedebacleinthe1962Sino-Indianwar had provoked serious discussion of missile technology development inIndia,raisingtheprofileoftheDRDOinthehallsofpower.

Thetopbrassoftheorganizationdecidedfirsttodevelopawire-guidedanti-tank missile. The anti-tank missile was a totally indigenous product – itspropulsion,control,guidance,powersupplyandmaterialswereallIndian.Therewerenocomputers,andelectroniccircuitswereusedtomakecalculations.Themissilewas test-fired near Imarat, a village on the outskirts ofHyderabad.DrKalamhadvisitedthisplaceearlierduringhistimeasamemberoftheMissileAdvisoryCommittee.Thetestsprovedtheanti-tankmissilereliable.

ThisprojecthadlaidthefoundationofIndia’smissileprogrammeandhelpedto trainmany technologists, includingA.V.RangaRao,S.Krishnan,K.RamaRao,Z.P.Marshal,H.S.RamaRao and J.C.Bhattacharya.DrKalamhadmeteach one of these learned gentlemen during the course of the SLV-3’sdevelopment, and some of them even came to Trivandrum to participate intechnicalreviews.Manyfromthegroupofmorethanfiftyscientistswhowereinvolved in the development of India’s anti-tank missile, went on to set upBharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad. BDL became the productionagencyofmissiles.Andinthelate1960s,theGovernmentofIndiaembarkedonthelicensedproductionofFrench-developedSS-11Banti-tankmissilesatBDL.

Indiaconducteditsfirstsuccessfulnuclearbombteston18May1974atthearmybase,PokhranTestRange(PTR), inRajasthan.Itwasthefirstconfirmednuclear weapons test by a nation outside the five permanent members of theUnitedNations Security Council – the victors ofWorldWar II – namely, theUSSR,theUnitedKingdom,France,ChinaandtheUnitedStates.Thecountry’sentrytothe‘nuclearclub’putanimmediatefocusonthemissiletechnologyfordeliveringnuclearwarheads.Thenation’spoliticians,ofallpoliticalhues,wouldhenceforth look towards theDRDOfor long-rangemissiles thatcould take thecountry’snuclearcapabilitybeyondstatictestsinthedesert.

The rocketrydemands in the forceswereboth immediateand long-term. Intheyears leadingup to thePokhrannuclear testof1974, the IndianAirForcewassufferingfromlackofsparepartsfortheSovietUnion’sSAM-2missilesfortheirhigh-altitudeairdefenceneeds.TheGovernmentofIndiadecidedin1972tosolvethisproblembyre-engineeringtheparts.Inparallel,aprogrammecalled

ValiantwaslaunchedunderSquadronLeaderR.Gopalaswamytobuildarocketenginepoweredbyliquidpropellants.Gopalaswamystartedaprojecttopioneerthe development of a semi-cryogenic liquid rocket engine. He set up a testfacilityattheJamnagarAirForceStationandjoinedDRDLin1964.Theenginewastestedon10June1974inthepresenceofDrKalam.

DRDO simultaneously turned its attention to building a guidance package,because the inertialnavigationsystemformedanessentialpartofa long-rangemissile.AteamheadedbyD.BurmanandcomprisingP.BanerjeeandAvinashChanderbuiltaplatform-basedinertialnavigationsystem(INS).Itwastestedonboard an Avro aircraft during 1974–75. By now, DRDL had built substantialinfrastructure in the fields of propulsion, navigation and manufacture ofmaterials. As it did not have its own range, the Indian Space ResearchOrganization’s Sriharikota base and the Indian Air Force’s Suryalanka Base,AndhraPradesh,wereusedforflighttestingtheSAM-2.DrKalamwaspresentfortwooftheseflighttrials.

Dr Kalam had a series of discussions with Dr Arunachalam, the chief ofDRDOandhisboss.DrArunachalamhadconsiderableexperienceintechnologydevelopment. He had received his PhD degree in materials science andengineering from theUniversityofWales in1965.Hehad thenworkedat theBhabha Atomic Research Centre for more than a decade and the NationalAeronauticalLaboratoryatBangalore,beforejoiningtheDefenceMetallurgicalResearch Laboratory, Hyderabad, as its director in 1975. Dr Kalam and DrArunachalam could clearly envisage the demands for missile technologymultiplyinginthefollowingdecades.Equally,bothwereconvincedthatonlyadynamic, cohesive organization had any chance of meeting the nation’srequirements.

Theymoreoverconcurredthattherewasaneedforaculturalrenaissanceinthesystem.DrArunachalamwasawarethatalmostallseniorscientistsatDRDLwerelivingwiththepainoffrustrationandrepressedanger.ThesuddenshelvingoftheDevilmissileprogrammewithoutconsultationhadhurtthem.Therewasalso a perception that senior officials in theMinistry of Defence had cheatedscientistsofthislaboratory.ItwascleartoKalamthattheburialoftheDevilwasessentialforarevivalofhopeandvision.DrArunachalamgaveDrKalamafreehand and promised his complete backing for the change. Hewas good to his

word.Dr Kalam immediately did two things. He created a Directorate of

ManagementServicesandinvitedColonelR.Swaminathan,theheadofMissileControlLaboratoryandaDRDOveteran,toheadthenewgroup.Indoingso,heaimed to address the career issues of the scientists and facilitate the smoothfunctioningoftheorganization.HealsorecruitedhisformerlieutenantatISRO,Sivathanu Pillai, to DRDO and helped him to organize the programmemanagement. These two able officers and trusted friends ofDrKalam indeedacted as his two hands in managing the DRDL, drawing the threads of itsdamagedmoraletogethertoformastrongfabricofcooperation.

Thenewteamwastoadoptamoreinformal,consultativemanagementstyle,whichwasunfamiliartothebureaucraticallyorthodoxDRDO.DrKalamevokedtheconceptofmanagementbyparticipationandmadeearnesteffortstoinvolvemiddle-level scientists and engineers in the management of the laboratory.Kalamsawitwasimperativethatdecisionsonvitalscientificandtechnologicalproblemsweretakenquicklyandcollectively:

ThroughoutmycareerIhadzealouslypursuedopennessinscientificmatters.Ihadseenfromveryclose quarters the decay and disintegration that go with management through closed-doorconsultationsandsecretmanipulations.Ialwaysdespisedandresistedsuchefforts.1

At any rate, one of the challenges of these years, and it ran counter to hisdynamic and flexible nature,was organizational rigidity.DrKalam took sometime to change the underlying organizational culture ofDRDL. The prevalentmindset of reverse engineering had served the institution in previous decades,when therewasanexigency for armaments.Rocketry for the forceshad tobecobbled together to meet immediate defence needs in the wake of the Sino-Indian war of 1962. The new culture of innovation and technologicaldevelopmentwas the onlyway to serve the country’s future as amilitary andtechnologicalpower.

With this objective in mind, Dr Kalam undertook some measuredorganizational changes.He first inducted 280young engineers in 1984,whichwasperhaps thebiggest-ever induction inan Indian scientificorganization.DrKalam evolved a matrix organization in which, by retaining the traditionalhierarchicalstructureofthelaboratory,heintroducedatask-drivenworksystem.

Thescientistsworkingintechnologydivisionsweremadesystemmanagersandgivenexclusiveresponsibilityforoneproject.Anexternalfabricationwingwascreated under P.K. Biswas, who had formidable experience of working withpublicsectorundertakings(PSUs)likeHAL,andprivatesectorindustrysuchasL&T,GodrejandTata.JustashehaddoneearlyinhiscareerindevelopingtheRH-75rocket,DrKalamwouldrelyonthebesttechnicalandscientificmindshecouldmuster–inandoutsidethegovernmentservice.

DrKalamalsoformedahigh-leveldecision-makingbodycalledtheMissileTechnologyCommitteetomapthewayforward.AccordingtoDrKalam’sandthe committee’s reckoning, the existingPrithvimissile could not be convertedintoa long-rangemissile,sohecreatedapitchforaballisticmissile involvingre-entry technology. On Dr Kalam’s insistence, a development project on re-entry technologywas included. Days of debate andweeks of thinking finallyculminatedinalong-termGuidedMissileDevelopmentProgramme.

DrKalaminvitedZ.P.Marshall,thechairmanandmanagingdirectorofBDL,N.R. Iyer, A.K. Kapoor andK.S. Venkataraman to synthesize all debates anddecisions intoaclearandwell-definedschemeformissiledevelopmentfor thefollowing ten years. The scheme was outlined in a paper that was sent forapprovalbytheCabinetCommitteeforPoliticalAffairs(CCPA).Thepaperwasgiven its final shape after consulting the representatives of the three defenceservices.The finaldocumentestimatedabudgetof fiftymilliondollarsoveraperiodoftwelveyears.

DrKalam,accompaniedbyDrArunachalam,madeapresentationtoDefenceMinister R. Venkataraman. The three service chiefs and the nation’s top-levelbureaucratswerepresent.Thediscussionwentonformore thananhour. Indianeededmissiles;butwasitpossible?DidthetrackrecordofDRDOsupportitsclaim?Fiftymillion dollarswere a significant sumofmoney, andwhowouldtake a twelve-year-long shot?Whatwould be the political fallout?Would theservices wait for the outcome?Were there other options? Themeeting endedwithout a decision or even any indication of the department’s intentions. Thedefenceminister, however, askedDrKalamandDrArunachalam tomeet himlaterintheevening.

Both the scientists were unsure of what exactly was in store for them. DrArunachalamwasanxious andverbalizedhisdoubts:What if only tenmillion

are sanctioned?Or, if they get only twentymillion,whichmissilewould theytakeinthatcase,andwhichothersshouldtheydiscard?DrKalamhadbynow,though,developedastrongsenseofintuition,borderingontheprescient.Hehadnosuchthoughts.HehadavisionofaSLV-sizedrocketsoaringintotheskyandre-entering thousands of miles away with its payload. His vision gave him acalmassurance.

Wheneveningarrived,arelaxeddefenceministercommunicatedtothemthegovernment’sdecisiontoapproveanintegratedguidedmissileprogramme,andnot just fundoneor twoprojects thatwerebeingasked.TheDRDO,however,wouldhavetoshouldertheresponsibilityfortheprogrammetillusertrialswerecompletedandproductionwas launched,andnot justconfine itself to researchanddevelopment.ThedefenceministeraskedDrArunachalamandDrKalamtoreworktheirfigures,incorporatingtheadditionalscopeofwork,andtomeethimthe following morning. Dr Arunachalam knew full well that Dr Kalam wastaking the night flight to Madras on his way to Rameswaram to attend thewedding of his niece Zameela (his brother’s daughter) the following evening.But Dr Kalam did not say a word about it. He handed over his ticket forcancellationtoDrArunachalam’ssecretary.

Dr Kalam and Dr Arunachalam huddled together in the latter’s office andworked tillmidnight.Theydecided to extrapolate thedots from theminister’swords by themselves and give a clear, rational plan to him. Dr Arunachalamarrangeddinner fromhishouse,andevenas theyate theywerebusyworking.While much detail was uncertain, both the scientists were convinced of onething:neverbeforeinIndiawassuchaplanattempted,butnowthatithadbeendecided, it must succeed. The Integrated Guided Missile DevelopmentProgramme(IGMDP)wasconceptuallybornintheweehoursof14May1983.ItincludedDrKalam’sdreamofaSLV-3-sizedrockettakingoffandthepayloadreturning through the atmosphere. They named the idea REX or re-entryexperiment launch vehicle and asked for it the modest budget of ten milliondollars. Defence Minister Venkataraman was visibly pleased with the plansshowntohimthenextmorning,andsaidthatitwouldnowbehistasktogettheplan sanctioned by the cabinet. Kalam later happily recalled the minister’ssupportive approach: ‘Turning to me, he (R. Venkataraman) said, “Since Ibroughtyouhere(toDRDO),Iwasexpectingyoutocomewithsomethinglike

this.Iamhappytoseeyourwork.”’2

DrKalamhad thankfullybowedbefore theministerand turned towards thedoor, when he heard Dr Arunachalam telling the defence minister how ‘DrKalamhadtosacrificegoingtoRameswaramtodayforhisniece’sweddingandcompeted this work even without saying as much as a word about hispredicament’. It amazedDrKalam that a person ofDrArunachalam’s staturewas concerned about awedding taking place on a far-flung island, in a smallhouse of ordinary people. And what the defence minister of India did nextamazedhimevenmore.

Theofficeof thedefenceministerputDrKalamonanIndianAirlineflightleaving forMadras an hour later, and tied upwith an IndianAir Force (IAF)helicopter that was running a shuttle to Madurai in the late afternoon. Thehelicopterwasreadyfor take-offwhentheflight landedatMadrasairport,andDrKalamwasairborneagaininlessthantenminutes.AtMadurai,theairforcecommandant even gaveDrKalam a lift to the railway station and a ticket toRameswaram. Dr Kalam boarded the train when it was about to leave theplatform.DrKalamreachedhisancestralhomeintimeforthewedding.Therewerenomobilephonesthen,andDrKalamwasexpectedtoattendthewedding.Unmindful that the machinery of government had moved virtual heaven andearth for Dr Kalam to be there in time, they were simply delighted with hisarrival, and went about the business of the marriage. Dr Kalam wasoverwhelmed,though,bythenoble,kindeffortsoftheministerandthedefencepersonnel.

Thedefenceministerwaslikewiseaccommodatingtothemissileprogramme:he stood by his word and got the IGMDP plan approved by the cabinet. AnunprecedentedbudgetofRs388crore (fiftymilliondollars in thosedays)wassanctioned. The five indigenous missiles of the programme were givenappropriatelyandunmistakably Indiannames, inkeepingwith thespiritof thenation’strystwithindigenousmissiletechnology.Thesurface-to-surfacemissilewascalledPrithvi(theearth),thetacticalcorevehicleforshort-rangeairdefencewasnamedTrishul(thetridentofLordShiva),themedium-rangesurface-to-airdefence missile was given the title Akash (the sky) and the anti-tank missileprojectwascalledNag(theserpent).DrKalamdubbedthemissileofhisvisionAgni,asthepayloadwouldre-entertheatmosphereasaballoffire.

Following the vision of Defence Minister Venkataraman in right earnest,theseprojectswereaimedtowards therealizationof indigenousstate-of-the-arttechnology.DrKalam’s teamwasnotmerelyconfining itself to re-engineeringmissilesavailableelsewhereintheworld.ThedevelopmentofNagwouldentailinnovativethermal-seekertechnology.TheinertialnavigationsystemofPrithvi,thephasedarrayradarsandcapabilitytohandlemultipletargetsthroughTrishul,theram-rocketpropulsionmotor inAkashand there-entry technology throughAgni, were indeed aimed to achieve a genuine self-reliance in missiletechnology.

Kalamtookhisowngoodtimetoidentifytherightleaderstohandlethefivemissileprojects.Therewasnodearthoftalentandexperienceinthegoodmixofservicesofficerswithoperationalexperience,hard-core technologyexpertsandyoungbloodwithgritanddetermination.Kalamwaslookingformenwhocouldclearlyvisualizethegoalofdevelopingamissilesystem,seeingitthroughfieldtrialsandtakingitrightuptothestageofproduction.DrKalamwasconsciousthatawrongchoiceofleaderwouldundothewholeachievementofgettingtheprogrammesanctioned.Hewaslookingfornotonlyfiveprojectdirectorsbutaleadership brigade that would sustain missile development through the nexttwenty-fiveyears.Hefeltthatheshouldbecircumspectinthisnewsituation:

Many of my senior colleagues – naming them would be unfair, because it could be only myimagination–triedtobefriendmeduringthisperiod.Irespectedtheirconcernforalonelyman,butavoidedanyclosecontact.Throughloyaltytoafriend,onecanbeeasilyledintodoingsomethingthatisnotinthebestinterestsoftheorganization.3

Dr Kalam by now had developed astute insights into the working styles ofpeople, but he wanted to follow a scientific approach. He asked Col R.Swaminathan to study themanagerial gridmodel, a style of leadershipmodeldevelopedbyRobertR.BlakeandJaneMoutondoingtheroundsinthosedays.ColSwaminathancameupwithareportdefiningthebasicaspectofaperson’sworkingstyleas tohowheplansandorganizes tasks.Atoneextremewas thecautious planner, whowould carefully spell out each step beforemaking anymove.Withasharpeyeforwhatcouldpossiblygowrong,hewouldtrytocoverall contingencies. At the end of the spectrum was a fast-tracker, who wouldweaveanddodgewithoutaplan. Inspiredby ideas,hewouldalwaysbe ready

foraction.Anotheraspectofaperson’sstyleSwaminathanbroughtoutinhisreportwas

control– theenergyandattentiondevoted toensuring that thingshappened incertainways.Atoneextremewasthetightcontroller,astrictadministratorwithfrequent checkpoints. Rules and policies were to be followed with religiousfervour.Attheoppositeendwerethosewhomovewithfreedomandflexibility.They had little patience for bureaucracy.They delegated easily and gave theirsubordinateswidelatitudeformovement.

DrKalamwantedhisleaderstobemenwhohadthecapabilitytogrowwithpossibilities, with the patience to explore all possible options and with thewisdom to apply old principles to new situations; people with the skill tonegotiate theirway forward.Hewantedhismen tobeaccommodating– tobewillingtosharetheirpowerwithothersandworkinteams,delegatinggoodjobs,assimilating fresh opinions, respecting intelligent people and listening towisecounsel. They would have to be able to resolve conflict amicably and takeresponsibility for slip-ups. Above all, hismenmust be able to take failure intheirstrideandshareboththeirsuccessesandfailures.KalamtoldSwaminathanthat he wanted leaders who would tread the middle path: those who couldcontrolwithout stiflingdissentorbeing rigidand thosewhocouldmake swiftprogresswithoutbreakingrules.‘Findmepeoplewhoneitherindulgeinexcessnorsufferwithdeficiency,’hetoldColSwaminathan.

D

2.4

StrengthRespectsStrength

Ifyouractionsinspireotherstodreammore,learnmore,domoreandbecomemore,youarealeader.

–JohnQuincyAdamsThesixthpresidentoftheUnitedStates

rKalamhadnowassumedtheroleofMissileManofIndia.Thepoliticaland bureaucratic establishment was easily convinced that missiles could

performcertainmilitaryandstrategic rolesbetter thanother typesofweapons.Thiswas due in no small part toDrKalam,who successfully conveyed theirvirtues: Ballistic missiles can be launched in poor weather or at night. Theytravel at supersonic speeds and can thus reach strategic targets – enemyinstallationsthatarefarfromthemissile’spointofdeployment–inaveryshorttime.Theycanalsobedirectedatenemygroundforces,aircraftornavaltargets.Andtheyaremoredifficulttodetectandinterceptthanaircraft,nottomentiontheir beingmore economical.Moreover, they can act as a serious deterrent tobelligerentstatesbyvirtueoftheirabilitytocarrywarheads.

DrKalam selectedColV.J.Sundaram to lead thePrithvi surface-to-surfacemissile project. Col Sundaram had belonged to the Indian Army Corps ofElectronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and held a master’s inaeronauticalengineering.DRDLhadproducedseveralcomponentsfortheDevilmissile, includinga solid rocketboosterwithhigh-strength steel casingsandaspecific impulse of 200 seconds, and a second-stage three-tonne liquid-propellant engine, fuelled by a combination of xylidiene and tri-ethylamine,oxidizedby inhibitedred-fumingnitricacidanddi-nitrogen tetroxide.Could itbe used for powering a ballisticmissile that could reach its target 150 to 250kilometres away within five to ten minutes, fitted with a warhead weighing

somewhereintheorderof500to1000kilograms?The work on the Devil missile was revived to test a strap down inertial

navigation system (SDINS), supported by a computer that would implementcontrol,guidanceandnavigation.ItscomputerwasbuiltintheSpecialPurposeComputerDivision(SPCD)andwaspoweredbyanoff-the-shelfLSI-V03(PDP,programmeddataprocessor,equivalent)processormodule.Other interfacesforgyros,accelerometers,telemetry,launchcontrol,etc.,weredevelopedinvariousin-house PCB (Printed Circuit Board) facilities. Dr Kalamwas determined tomakeuseofwhatevercomponentsthatwereavailable;yettheteamwouldhaveto go beyond the evolutionary ancestry of surface-to-surface V-2 and Scudmissiles.Thesemissiles could never deliver awarheadwithin aCEP (circularerror probable)measured even in kilometres – the CEP being the radius of acircle,whoseboundary is expected to encompass the landingpoints of 50percent of the missiles fired. Kalam was talking about a CEP of less than 100metres.

The Trishul was conceived as a quick-reaction surface-to-air missile thatcould also be used as an anti-sea skimmer from a ship against low-flyingattackingmissiles.ToleadTrishul’sdevelopment,DrKalamwasseekingamanwhonotonlyhadasoundknowledgeofelectronicsandmissilewarfare,butwhocouldalsocommunicatetechnicalcomplexitiestohisteaminordertopromoteunderstandingandearnhisteam’ssupport.HefoundCommodoreS.R.Mohan–anelectronicsengineer,whocame toDRDLfrom the IndianNavy– themostsuitablecandidatetoleadtheproject.

CommodoreMohanwouldoverseethedevelopmentofthemissile’sintendedschemeofdualcommandguidance:themissilewouldinitiallyrelyonka-bandgathering and then transfer to the tracking radar for its guidance. Themissilewould have electronic counter-countermeasures against all known aircraftjammers.Asthemissilewouldemployadual-thrustpropulsionstageusinghigh-energysolidpropellant,propulsionexpertA.K.KapoorwasmadeCommodoreMohan’s deputy. Trishul had to be capable of a rapid reaction time, high-frequency operation, highmanoeuvrability, high lethal capability andmultiplerolesforthethreeservices.

ForAgni,DrKalamwantedanold-timerwhowouldsharedeepinsightsintodevelopingstrategicsystems.HistwojuniorsatMadrasInstituteofTechnology,

K.RamaRaoandR.N.Agarwal,wereavailable,andhedecidedtogiveAgarwalthecommand.Agarwalhadbeenheadoftheaeronauticaltestfacilityandwouldtherefore best understand the design needs of the re-entry payload.DrKalamappointedRamaRaoaschiefofcomposites.RamaRao’steamwouldfocusonthe design of the re-entry stagemodule,wherein the fiercely guarded carbon-carboncompositetechnologywouldbeutilized.

DrKalamtooksometimetoponderthemanagementneedsofAkash,whichinvolved ramjet propulsion technology, and Nag, the guidance of which wasbasedonanimaginginfrared(IIR)passive-seekertechnologytoensurehigh-hitaccuracy in both top- and front-attack modes. These were futuristicundertakings, and he selected the relatively youthful pair Prahalada and N.R.IyertoheadtheAkashandNagprojectsrespectively.

DrKalamemphasized toall themenheselected that tobeeffectiveprojectleaders,theymustbeempathetictoadiversearrayofneeds.Healwayssaidthatthereare twofacetsof leadership inanorganizationinwhicha leadermustbeespeciallyadept.Oneisincomprehendingthebroadneedsoftheoverallmissionrequirements, and theother isbeingawareof theneedsof eachdepartment toeffectively leverage theirwork.Aprojectdirectormustunderstand themissionrequirements and the needs of each department and effectively prioritize anddelivermaterialrequirements,mostlyintheformoffunds.

In those days, there was no forum in DRDL where issues of generalimportance could be openly discussed and debated. DrKalam knew from hisfirst-hand experience at SLV-3 that scientist engineers were indeed veryvulnerable people.Theyperformed their own specialized tasks for high-stakesprojects–whichare inevitablysubject to theirnumerouscolleagues’ inputandthevagariesofamyriadof factors–overwhich theyhave littlecontrol.Theythus work under great anxiety and insecurity. Once they stumble – they loseconfidenceandfocus–itbecomesdifficultforthemtoregaintheirfooting.DrKalamwasmore thanawareof thechallenges they faced, andknew that theirmoralemustbesustainedwithintheworkplaceitself:‘Ididnotwantanyofmyscientists to face disappointments alone. I alsowanted to ensure that none ofthemsettheirgoalswhentheywereatlowebb.’1

Dr Kalam thus created a forum and named it the ‘Science Council’. Allscientistsinthelaboratory–juniorsandseniors,veteransandfreshers–would

sittogetheronceeverythreemonthsandletoffsteam.IntheveryfirstmeetingoftheScienceCouncil,aseniorscientist,M.N.Rao,stoodandaskedDrKalam,‘Onwhatbasisdidyouselect these fivePandavas?’Hemeant the fiveprojectdirectorswhomDrKalamhadpersonallyselected.

DrKalamgaveaverypatientanswer.HesaidthatastheprojectdirectorofSLV-3, he had acquired certain experiences. Based on these experiences, herecognized that thedirectorsof themissileprojectsmust control the threekeyparametersofscope,scheduleandbudget,andunderstandthenuancesof teamdynamics.DrKalamexplainedthathespoketoatleastfiftypeopleinthecourseof his deliberations. Some said that they were fanatical about drivingproductivityandmeetingschedulecommitments.Otherssaidtheyhadtheabilitytospotredflags;theywerezealouscommunicators,andwerewellrespectedbytheir peers and bosses. Dr Kalam said that the five project directors he hadselectedhadanabilitytobalancewhatneedstobedone,asdrivenfromtheplan,withwhat shouldbedone tomeet themission’s requirements– even if this iscounter-intuitive and not exactly in accordance with the project’s road map.Theseprojectmanagerswouldnotonlymanage–theywouldlead.

AyoungscientistwantedtoknowhowDrKalamwouldstoptheseprojectsgoing the way of the Devil missile project. Dr Kalam explained to him, andthroughhimtoallthedoubtingThomases,‘Theparticipationoftheproductioncentres and user agencies right from the design stage has been ensured, thebudgetisinplace,andthereisnoquestionofgoingbacktillthemissilesystemsare successfullydeployed in thebattlefield.’His answer receiveda thunderousovation from the audience. He had won his team’s confidence. In September1983,DefenceMinisterR.VenkataramanvisitedDRDL.Therewasnodoubtinanyone’smindaboutthecredibilityoftheIGMDP.

DrBrahmPrakashpassedawayon3January1984attheageofseventy-two,inBombay.DrKalamkeenlyfelthisloss.InthememorialserviceorganizedforDr Brahm Prakash, Dr Kalam spoke at length about his mentor teacher. DrKalamsharedwiththecongregationthatwhenBrahmPrakashreturnedtoIndiain1948,hewasgivenapositioninthethennascentAtomicEnergyCommissioninBombay.Towardstheendof1950,whentheIndianInstituteofSciencewasseekingasuitablepersontoheadtheDepartmentofMetallurgy–andthesettingupof theAtomicEnergyCommission’smetallurgy laboratorywas in its early

stages–hewasdeemed the logical choice for the job.DrHomiBhabha,whowas also amember of the court of the IISc, proposed thatDrBrahmPrakashwouldassumeleadershipoftheDepartmentofMetallurgyinBangalore,onthefirmunderstandingthathewouldreturntoBombayassoonastheprogrammeofworkgainedmomentumthere.

SidebysidewithhisacademicresponsibilitiesinBangalore,BrahmPrakashmaintained a continuous link with the atomic energy programme, attendingdiscussionmeetings in Bombay and also undertaking tours abroad during thesummervacations.Tomaintainoneof thesepositionswasaseriousendeavourforanyscientist.Tomaintainbothwithoutsacrificingattentiontothedutiesofeither, isaherculeantask;andDrBrahmPrakashdiditwithaplomb.Byearly1957,DrBhabhadecidedthatitwastimetoallowDrBrahmPrakashtoreturntoBombay.DrBrahmPrakashwas the firstprojectdirector for theNuclearFuelComplex(NFC)thatwassetupinHyderabadin1971.DrKalamsaid,‘Bythedetailedportraitofasthitaprajnagiven in theBhagavadgita–an individualofsteadfast mind with clarity in action, who remains unperturbed under anycircumstance–BrahmPrakashwasthereal-lifemodel.’

Around this time, Dr Kalam was playing a key role in developing Pinakarockets for the artillery at the Armament Research and DevelopmentEstablishment(ARDE)inPune.ThesewouldreplacetheRussianBM-21‘Grad’LauncherstheIndianArmywasoperating.ThePinakarocketswouldgenerallybedeployed in a batteryof seventy-two rockets.Aptlynamed after thedivinebowofLordShiva,alltheseventy-tworocketscouldbefiredwithinforty-fourseconds,layingwasteanareaofaround1sq.km.LikehisguruBrahmPrakash,DrKalammanagedtojugglemultipleworkloadsandworkacrossboundariesoforganizations, with relative ease. This was a skill that would serve himthroughoutthefollowingdecades.

AnotherofDrKalam’smyriadskillsthatwasincreasinglyexercisedintheseyears was his adroit diplomacy, which he had learned from his mentor DrVikramSarabhai.Nevertheless,internationalpoliticscouldattimesstymieevenDrKalam’sbestefforts.In1985,hevisitedtheUnitedStatesaspartofateamtobuyasupercomputerfromCrayInc.,inSeattle,US,thatwasostensiblyrequiredforweather forecasting.DrKalamneeded it for computational fluiddynamicsanalysis of the Agni re-entry payload. India did not have a hypersonic wind

tunnel,andtheonlywaytosimulateitsre-entrystagewastomodelitandtestitusing computation.Only theUnited States and Japan had the supercomputingtechnology.TheAmericanssnubbedDrKalam’sdelegation,bluntlyconveyingtheirdecisionnottosellthemachinetoIndia.

Indian scientists were again compelled to follow a swadeshi approach totechnological development; but it would be for the greater good. Indiancomputerexpertsrosetothechallengeofcreatinganindigenoussupercomputerof theCray computer’s capability, then in the gigaflops range.TheCentre forDevelopmentofAdvancedComputing(C-DAC)wascreatedinPunein1988,asIndia’s national initiative in supercomputing, under the leadership ofDrVijayBhatkar.TheWallStreet Journal took notice of the developmentwith a front-page headline: ‘Angry India Does IT’ when the C-DAC delivered thesupercomputer PARAM, three years later.2 Like many properly focusedindigenous endeavours, this swadeshi computing effortwas the seed of a newfieldofopportunity for thenation,whichwouldcontinue tobeharvestedwellintothenewcentury.

WhileDrKalamvaluedthefriendshipofmanypeoplefromothercountries,andwouldremainthroughouthisliferelaxedwithpeopleofanyraceorcreed,hewasuncomfortablewiththegeopoliticalapproachoftheWesternworld.HesawtheWestasthegeopoliticalaggressor.InDrKalam’sview,whichhesharedwithmeinvariousdiscussionsonthetopic,theageofblocscametoanendin1991withthecollapseoftheUSSR.Fromthistime,thegroupofsevenoreightindustrializedWesternnationsbecamethehuboftheworld,transformingallofAfrica,AsiaandLatinAmerica intomarkets.How theentirehumanitycanbemadetofollowonlyonepath,oneopinionandoneideal,hewondered.

IndianeededtoremaincognizantnotmerelyofgeopoliticaldevelopmentsintheWest,butalsosignificanteventsclose to itsownborders.Chinaconducteditsfirstnuclearteston16October1964,almostadecadeaheadofIndia,anditsmissileprogrammewascentredonhowtocarrythebomb.China’sfirstmissilewas Dongfeng (DF, ‘East Wind’ in Chinese). The DF1 was developed withactive participation by the Russians. The liquid-propelled, 590-km-range R-2missilewas the startingpoint.As thismissilewouldnot even reachAmericanmilitarybases in Japan from theChinesemainland,Chinaupgraded it toDF2witharangeof1,200km.TheDF-2missilewasdeployedalongtheSino–North

Korean border, in striking range of the whole Japanese archipelago. Overseveral years, China developed theDF-3 to be capable of reachingAmericanbasesinthePhilippines,theDF-4toreachtheUSterritoryofGuamIslandinthewestern Pacific and the DF-5 for its capability of striking continental UnitedStatesin1981–allusingliquidpropellant.

Large liquid-propellant missiles were intrinsically long and had thin skins.Theycouldnotbefilledwithpropellantsinahorizontalpositionwithoutcausingserious body damage. An unfuelled missile would first be erected on thelaunching pad and receive preliminary targeting alignment and on-boardequipment checks. Itwould then be filledwith oxidizer and fuel – operationswhichmustbeperformedseparately,becausecombined,oxidizerandfuelwouldspontaneously ignite. The missile, somewhat deformed by the loadedpropellants, would then undergo final alignment and checks, and datacorrespondingtotheassignedrangewouldbefedintothemissile’sinstruments.

All thesepreparationswouldconsume,onaverage,no less than fourhours.Thismadethemvulnerabletodetectionbyreconnaissancesatellites(orbitingtheeartheveryninetyminutes)andsubsequentpreventivestrikes.TheChinesethusdeveloped silos and rail-race systems until they succeeded in their first solid-propellant,1,700-km-rangerocketJL-1in1982.Thereafter,ChinaregularlysoldmissiletechnologytoPakistan,Iran,Syria,Iraq,Libya,SaudiArabiaandNorthKorea.

InApril1987,Canada,France,Germany,Italy,Japan,GreatBritainandtheUnitedStatesjointedhandsandcreatedtheMissileTechnologyControlRegime(MTCR),inordertocurbthespreadofunmanneddeliverysystemsfornuclearweapons. TheMTCR specifically targeted delivery systems that could carry aminimumpayloadof500kgaminimumof300km.TheMTCRwasnotatreaty,but a voluntary understanding among member countries sharing a commoninterest incontrollingmissileproliferation.Thepartnercountriescommitted toapplying an export embargo pertaining to a common list of controlled items.Thislistincludedvirtuallyallkeyequipmentandtechnologyneededformissiledevelopment,productionandoperation.

InJune1987,thevisionarybehindtheIGMDP,R.Venkataraman,waselectedthe eighth president of India. By this time, work on Prithvi was nearingcompletion. The MTCR embargo could have given rise to insurmountable

obstacles, had it not been for Dr Kalam’s astuteness and championing ofindigenous technological production. He guided the development of clusteredliquid-propellant rocket engines with programmable total impulse, with theforesightofattainingdifferentpayload-rangecombinations.Withthehelpoftheordnance factory at Khadaki (near Pune), Dr Kalam had also completelyeliminatedtheimportofthepropellantforPrithviengines.

DrKalam took a keen interest inmodernizing and expanding the ordnancefactories organization and secured massive funding for development ofpropellantsandhigh-energymaterialsforthewarheads.TheordnancefactorieshadbeenthelargestandoldestdepartmentallyrundefenceproductionenterpriseinIndia.ThehistoryoftheorganizationdatedbacktoBritishruleinIndiawhenthefirstfactory,theGunCarriageAgency,wasestablishedin1801atCossiporein Calcutta. Over the years, the number of factories had grown, with a rapidexpansion taking place post-1962. The war with China, and the subsequentdesireforself-relianceindefenceproduction,ledtotheestablishmentofsixteennewfactories,whichsawasurgeofexpansioncomparedtothefivethatweresetupbetween1949and1962.

ThePrithviwassuccessfully flight-testedon25February1988atSHAR. Itwas awatershed event in India’smilitarydevelopment, as this test establishedIndia’scapability todevelop thebasicmodules for futureguidedmissiles.ThePrithvihad theprovisionformodificationfroma long-rangesurfacemissile toan airmissile; it could also be deployed froma ship.ACEPof less than100metreswas achieved. The successful launch sent political shockwaves acrosstheregion,particularlyinunfriendlyneighbouringcountries.

TheresponseoftheWesternblocwasinitiallyoneofsurprise–andthenofindignation. The MTCR, with the United States at its head, imposed acoordinated technological boycott on India. The supply to India of computerprocessor chips, radio-frequency devices, electro-hydraulic components,maragingsteel,magnesiumalloy,gyroscopes,accelerometers,carbonfibre,glassfibre–almostanyproductormaterialthatcouldhaveanapplicationinIndia’smissileprogramme–wasbanned.PresidentVenkataraman–theformerdefenceminister–spoketoDrKalamoverthetelephoneandexpressedhissatisfactionforhavinghandedhimthereinsofthemissileprogramme.Hetoldhimnottobedeterredbythetechnologysanctions,remindinghimoftheaphorism,‘Whenthe

goinggetstough,thetoughsgetgoing.’Inspiredbythewordsofthepresident,DrKalamcollaboratedwithpublicand

privatesectorindustriesandacademicinstitutions,inabidtoassertthecompleteindependence and self-reliance of India’s missile technology. The nation’smissileprogrammemustcontinue,despite thebesteffortsofforeignpowerstoscuttleit.LedbyDrKalam,thetrulyswadeshipartnershipsdevelopedmaragingsteel for rocket motors, carbon-carbon composites and resins for the re-entryvehicle of the Agni missiles, magnesium alloy, phase shifters for passiveelectronicallyscannedarray radar,windingmachinesandso forth.TheMishraDhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), the Defence Metallurgical ResearchLaboratory (DMRL), and private industries together developed a crucialmagnesium alloy, which was denied to India by Germany. The internationalcampaigntothwartIndia’smissileprogrammehadmerelysloweditsprogress.

On New Year’s Day 1989, Dr Kalam declared at the Science Councilmeeting,‘Asacountrylocatedinoneoftheworld’smostunstableregions,Indiacanhardlyaffordtobedependentonimportedweaponryifitwantstobetakenseriouslyintheemergingworldorder.’

T

2.5

CrystalCathedral

Nevercuta treedownin thewintertime.Nevermakeanegativedecision in the lowtime.Nevermake yourmost important decisionswhen you are in yourworstmoods.Wait.Bepatient.Thestormwillpass.Thespringwillcome.

–RobertH.SchullerChristianevangelistandauthor

heDRDOhadacquiredapproximately2,100acresoflandinthe1970sforthepurposeofdevelopingarangeforanti-tankmissiletesting.Thelandwas

in the Pahadi Shareef area near Hyderabad, famous for the dargah of HazratSyedna Baba Sharfuddin of the Chisti lineage of saints. But for a dilapidatedbuildinginthatareacalledImarat,theentirelandscapeisdominatedbyancientrock formations, which are around 2,500 million years old and consideredamongst the oldest and hardest rocks in the world. Kalam later recalled hisimpressionsoftheplace:

Theterrainwasbarren–therewerehardlyanytress–anddottedwithlargeboulderstypicaloftheDeccanplateau.Ifeltasiftherewassometremendousenergytrappedinthesestones.Idecidedtoestablishamodelhigh-technologyresearchcentrehere…thisbecamemymission.1

Dr Kalam was mindful that his primary challenge in the IGMDP was thedevelopment of requisite basic technologies. Missile development without anadequate technological foundationwould be doomed to failure. It was indeedimperative that front-line research was conducted in areas such as specialmaterials, embedded electronics and software. These would comprise thebedrock upon which an ambitious missile programme could be successfullyconstructed. Moreover, facilities for testing and evaluating missile systemswould be required. DrKalam invited PrimeMinister RajivGandhi to lay the

foundation stone for the new facility inAugust 1985. Itwas namedResearchCentreImarat(RCI).

The RCI would test and evaluate missile components, modules, sub-assemblies,majorsub-assembliesandcompletelyintegratedmissilesinordertoweedoutdesign,fabricationandintegrationdeficiencies.Forthesepurposes,thecentre would have an inertial instrumentation laboratory, full-scaleenvironmental and electronic warfare test facilities, a composites productioncentre, a high enthalpy facility and a state-of-the-art missile integration andcheckoutcentre.ThiswasgoingtobeaHerculeantask.DrKalaminvitedM.V.SuryakanthaRaotoleadthiseffort,withayoungerKrishnaMohantoassisthim.

In accordance with the established procedure, Dr Kalam approached theMilitaryEngineeringServices (MES) toperform theconstructionwork for theRCI.TheMESinformedhimthattheywouldrequirefiveyearstocompletethenecessarybuildinginfrastructure.DrKalamimmediatelytookthemattertothehighestlevelsinthedefenceministry,knowingthatyearsofdelaywouldhampertheRCI’sprogressbeyondredemption.Hesecuredalandmarkdecisiontogivethecontract for theworks toMECONLimited,apublicsectorcompanyunderthe Ministry of Steel, Government of India. MECON, based at Ranchi, wasIndia’s front-line engineering, consultancy and contracting organization. DrKalam sought their full range of services, from concept to commissioning,includingturnkeyexecution.

Asthenextlogicalstep,DrKalamlookedforasuitablesiteformissileflighttrials. The search concluded near Balasore, a town in northern Orissa. Here,Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE), Chandipur, had been set up in1895, and itwas decided to create the new test range around its campus.ThePXE range had unique characteristics. The water receded at low tide to adistanceof about3km from the shore,whichprovideda temporary stretchofhard seabed suitable for various firing operations. The seawater and theunderlying seabed would provide a soft cushion for the fired projectiles andmake the launch vehicle’s recovery easy, both of which were required toexaminethemissiles’strengthofdesign.Atlowtide,theseabedwouldbecomesufficientlyhardtoallowmovementofloadedvehicles,andeventanks,duringrangeoperations.DrKalamfelt that the site fitted the requirementsofaproofrangeadmirably.

DrKalamvisitedthesiteforapersonalinspection.Hestoodattheseashore.Thetidehadreceded.Hesawmanychildren,barefootandrunningonthehard,warmsand,searchingforbrasspartsoftheshellsthathadbeenfiredbyPXEthepreviousday.Hischildhoodyearsfloodedhismind,whenhewouldgodoortodoor collecting tamarind seeds and delivering newspapers. He reflected thatalmost half of theworld’s population lives in rural regions – andmostly in astate of poverty. Inequalities in human development have been one of theprimary reasons forunrestand, insomepartsof theworld,evenviolence.Butthenpovertyisnotonlybeinghungry,nakedandhomeless.Thepovertyofbeingunwanted,unlovedanduncaredforisthegreatestpoverty–andisevencrueller.Heresolvedinhisheartthatsomedayhewouldworkformakingchildrencaredfor.

ItwasnoteasytotraveltoBalasore.DrKalamwouldreachCalcuttabyairandfromtheretravelbycartothetown.Theparlousconditionoftheroadwouldmakethe250-kmjourneyanodysseyofeightbone-jarringhours,orevenmoreat times.Once, therewascomplete roadblocknearKharagpur, andDrKalamhadtotakeadiversionintotheforestareaatnight.Hewasdozingwithhiseyeshalf closed, somewhere betweenBhagabanpur and Patashpur,when the driverbrakedsuddenly.DrKalamimmediatelyawoke,startled.Abarasingha(swampdeer)wasstandinginthemiddleoftheroad,unmoving,itsfieryred-orangeeyesstaringatthecarthroughthedarkness.Itsunbrokengaze,whichseemedtoaimrightthroughtohiminthecar,hauntedDrKalamfortherestofhisvisit.

PrimeMinisterIndiraGandhivisitedDRDLon19July1984.DrKalamhadmet the prime minster on several prior occasions, but this time he would bereceiving her on behalf of his laboratory. Dr Kalam noticed the friendshipbetweenDrSarabhaiandPrimeMinisterNehru,andhowithelpedDrSarabhaiprogresswithhisvisionforaerospaceinIndia.Theprimeministeraskedpointedquestions.Sheappeareddeterminedtoseemorepracticalresultsfromthestate’sinvestment;sheobviouslyviewedscienceasmuchmorethanaloftypastimeofacademics and schoolchildren. But she was also quite prepared to redesigninstitutionstoachievemoresynergybetweenscienceandtechnology,andtookadirectinterestinkeyscientificappointments.

WhatDrKalam realizedwas that althoughshe retainedher father’s respectfor science and scientists, she had also learnedmuch after his death and now

linked‘science’morestronglyto‘technology’.ShecongratulatedDrKalamfortaking a decision to not import high-tech facilities and taking the hard butultimatelymorerewardingrouteofachievinghisgoalswithIndianindustryandpeople.DrKalamtoldher, ‘Madam,evenwewant topurchasematerials fromoverseas; but noonewill sell them to us.TheWestern countries are jealouslyguardingtheirtechnology.’PrimeMinisterIndiraGandhitoldKalam,‘Putthemintheirplace.’

DrKalam’sflairforbringingpeoplefromdifferentwalksoflifetogetherandinspiring them for a common purpose, would again come into play. Dr V.S.Arunachalam organized a conference on IGMDP on 27 September 1984. DrKalaminvitedaround100academiciansandindustrycaptainsandsolicitedtheirpartnershipinthemissiledevelopmentprogramme.DrKalamsaid,

Technology development, its further adaptation and application has never been a verystraightforward process. A successful technological innovation requires a strong interactivemechanism, complete with the feedback loop for various stakeholders, for example – industry,extraneousknowledgesources,inspectionandcertificationagenciesandmostimportantly,theusersor the market. However, the problems become acute in a rapidly changing technological andeconomic environment. The Space andAtomicEnergy programme has elevated India to a stagewhere the country has demonstrated some remarkable strengths in modern technologies forachievingdevelopmentgoals.Thereexistsachainofnationallaboratories,specializedresearchanddevelopment agencies, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), universities and other academicinstitutions of higher learning, which are capable of providingworld-class expertise, technicallytrainedmanpower and technological support to the industry.Letus joinourhands indevelopingworldclassmissilestogether.

Until this time, therehadbeenagreatchasmbetweengovernment laboratoriesandacademicians.Ononesidewasthestatusconsciousnessofthegovernmentscientists turned officials, and as a counterforce there was the intellectualarrogance of the academicians. On that day, Dr Kalam indeed bridged thatdivide,andintheprocesswonmanyhearts.

Bythesummerof1985,allthegroundworkhadbeencompletedforbuildingRCI. PrimeMinister RajivGandhi laid the foundation stone of the RCI on 3August1985.TheprimeministertoldtheDRDLfamilythatheunderstoodthehardships faced by Indian scientists and expressed his gratitude towards thosewhopersevered,stayingintheirowncountrytowork.Hesaidthatnobodycould

concentrate on the demands of scientific work, unless he is free from thetrivialitiesofdailylife.Further,hepromisedhiswholeheartedsupport tomakeRCIatrulyworld-classcentreintermsofworkingenvironmentandamenities.Kalamnotedsomedifferencesbetweenthenewprimeministerandhismother:

Therewasachildlikecuriosityinhim(RajivGandhi)…Thegritanddeterminationdisplayedbyhis mother was also present in him, although with a small difference. Madam Gandhi was ataskmaster,whereasPrimeMinisterRajivGandhiusedhischarisma.2

MECONacquittedthemselveswellintheirconstructionofthemagnificentRCIcampus, finishing the work without any time delay or financial overruns.PresidentR.Venkataramaninauguratedthelaboratoryon27August1988.Itwasindeed the vision to develop technologies and systems rather than particularmissiles that hadmade the organization’s accomplishments possible. PresidentVenkataramanheldDrKalam’shand fora long timeand toldhim thathewasindeedproudofhisachievements.HeadvisedDrKalamtofocusonsmallandmedium enterprises and encourage them to carry out innovations at thedevelopmentallevel.

InvitedbytheUSAirForce,DrKalamvisitedtheUnitedStatesinSeptember1988withDrArunachalam,DrRoddamNarasimhaofNationalLaboratoryandK.K.Ganapathy ofHAL.TheAeronauticalDevelopmentAgency (ADA)wasestablishedtomanagetheLCA(LightCombatAircraft)programme,anditwasseeking the supply of theGeneral Electric F-404 engines for the future LightCombatAircraftprojectof India.The fourveteranscientistengineersused thelong-haul flight to the USA to reflect on the self-reliance of Indian strategicsectors.While thebetterpartof the forces’ low-technologymilitaryequipmentwasprovidedby theordnance factories, Indiawas still criticallydependentonWestern sources to meet its growing requirement for high-technologyarmaments.Onlyconcertedefforts–partnershipsbetweengovernment,industryand educational sectors – could hope to address this glaring strategicvulnerability.

AfterfinishingworkatthePentagoninWashingtonDC,theteamflewtoSanFranciscoontheirwaytoLosAngelesforameetingwithNorthropCorporation,the United States’ leading aircraft manufacturer. Dr Kalam utilized thisopportunity to visit Crystal Cathedral, built by his favourite author, Robert

Schuller.CrystalCathedral is a stunningmodernchurchof titanicproportions,constructedin1980inOrangeCounty,LosAngeles.DrKalamsawtheResearchCentreImaratashisownCrystalCathedral,andheprayed toGodingratitudeforitscompletion.

Dr Kalam held the religious places of all faiths in the highest esteem. Herealizedearlyinhislifethatvisitingplacesofspiritualimportancebringspeoplein contact with others following a spiritual path, and this creates a sort ofresonance.DrKalamtoldmeoncethatsaintsandsagescanindeedhelpusbygiving their association and sharing their spiritual knowledge and realizations.Thus,it isofprimeimportancetoalignourliveswiththeirrevelations,sothatwecanalsomakespiritualprogress.

Bythistime,DrKalamhadstartedspendingmostofhistimeatRCI.Avillawasconstructedforhimintheguesthousecomplex.DrKalamhadachildlikefascinationwiththefullmoon.Heusedtotellmethatthefullmoonwasatimewhenmysteriousthingshappenandwishescometrue.Therewasalargetreeinthecompound,andDrKalamlovedtositunderthetreealonelateonfullmoonnights.Ononesuchmoonlitnight,perhapsDrKalamvisualizedRCIasaworld-classavionicscentre.

DrKalamensuredthat,liketheCrystalCathedral,everythingabouttheRCIwas outsized: its campus, its deer population, the density of its trees, thebuildings that house its laboratories and its arched main entrance. He wasconvinced that the proportions of the campuswould inspire expansive dreamsforitsscientists,toleadthecountryforwardintothenewmillennium.

Andheknewthatascientist,ofallpeople,musthaveadreamorvision.DrKalamwasnotsurewhenheconceivedhisideaofthere-entrytestvehicleREX,exactly how it would be achieved. But like any good scientist, he was wellversed in the physics of re-entry and knew the principles that would allow amissilere-enteringtheatmospheretoendureitssearingtrajectory.

DrKalamlearned,attheGoddardCentrein1963,theconceptoftheablativeheat shield described first in 1920 by Robert Goddard, based on his study ofmeteors.Goddardunderstood thatalthoughmeteorsentering theatmosphereatthe‘KarmanLine’(around100kmabovesealevel)usuallymeetafieryendanddisintegrate,thisisnotdueonlytotheheatfactor.Whileameteorwouldentertheatmosphereata typicalspeedashighas30milespersecond,andmassive

heatoffrictionisthusgenerated,theinteriorofthemeteorwouldremaincold.Theerosionanddestructionofthemeteorisduelargelytochippingandcrackingofthesuddenlyheatedsurface.TheramificationsofGoddard’sdiscoverywereenormousforaerospacedevelopment.

The Agni missile payload would be delivered at hypersonic speed, butconsiderablyslowerthanafallingmeteor.Thisneverthelesscalledforthedesignand development of a re-entry vehicle structure that could cope with thescorchingheatoftheatmosphericdragandaerodynamicheatingofatmosphericre-entry.Inthisway,themissilewouldnotmeetthefateoftheregularmeteorasitfallstowardsearth.Ablativethermalprotectionsystemswerethusrequiredforthe re-entry vehicles, wherein thermal energy would be expended by way ofsacrificing the material. It would protect the payload by keeping the insidetemperaturebelowa limitof40°Celsius,when the temperatureof theoutsideskinwouldbegreaterthan2,500°C.Aninertialnavigationsystemwiththeon-boardcomputercouldthenguidethepayloadtothetargetlocation.

DrKalamneededateamtodevelopthecarbon-carboncompositematerialforthenoseandcarbon-phenolicmaterialfortheafterbody.DrKalamalsoneededanespeciallyskilledteamforthedevelopmentoffinite-element-basedsoftwaretomodelthesurfacerecession(ablation)withtime.Twomodelswererequiredtostudy the chemical andmechanical aspects of ablation. First, for thematerialremovalbyoxidationofcarbonathigh temperatures (chemicalablation)usinganalytical expressions and second, erosionof carbon-phenolic layeredmaterialby aerodynamic surface shear (mechanical ablation). With all the relevanttesting,aconsortiumoffourDRDOandtheCSIRlaboratoriesaccomplishedthetaskofbuildingtheAgnimissilere-entrystructure,intheshortspanofeighteenmonths.

Another challenge involved in the Agni payload design related to thetremendous speed with which it would re-enter the atmosphere. This wasestimated at twelve times the speed of sound. At this speed, there was noknowing how to keep the vehicle under control. And to carry out a test toascertainitsbehaviour,therewasnowindtunnelcapableofgeneratingspeedsofthatorder.DrKalamagainfoundhimselfhavingtocircumventthelimitationsofindigenoustechnologyandscientificinfrastructure:

IfwesoughtAmericanhelp,wewouldhavebeenseenasaspiring to something theyconsidered

theirexclusiveprivilege.Eveniftheyconsentedtocooperate,theywouldbecertaintoquoteapricefortheirwindtunneltestgreaterthanourentireprojectcost.3

HefoundthesolutionwithProf.S.M.Deshpandeat theIISc.Withfouryoungscientists working in the field of computational fluid dynamics, Prof. S.M.Deshpande developed a unique software that simulated hypersonic conditions,not available anywhere in theworld.This creative approach tonegotiating thecountless barriers imposed by theWestern blocwas the hallmark of theAgnimissile project’s success, and the ingenious efforts ofDrKalam and his teameffectively nullified the embargo of the Missile Technology Control Regime.WhiletheWesternworldwasguardingeveryfacetofitstechnology,DrKalamwascreatinghisowntechnologytoachieveIndia’snationaldefenceimperatives.

DrKalamneverallowedproblemstodefeathim.Hefacedproblemshead-onand defeated themwith his innovativemethods – and by seeking appropriatehelpfromappropriatepeople.Asamanager,DrKalamexploredthepotentialofthe non-cognitive factors – attributes, dispositions, social skills, attitudes, andintrapersonal resources – of the people around him. He was particularlyinterestedinemployingthosefactorsthathigh-achievingindividualsdrawupontoaccomplishsuccess.Withinhisdiscipline,DrKalampresentedarolemodeltohundredsofscientistsofhistimeingrit,tenacityandperseverance.

T

2.6

ChariotofFire

Themostpowerfulweapononearthisthehumansoulonfire.

–FerdinandFochSupremecommanderoftheAlliedforcesinWorldWarI

hefirstflighttrialoftheAgnimissilewasscheduledfor20April1989,atChandipur. It would be an unprecedented exercise. A missile launch

involvesawidearrayof safetyhazards, fargreater than thoseof space launchvehicles.Thiscallsforthelocationofalaunchsiteoveraremoteareaoflandorwater.TheBayofBengalprovidesan ideal stretchof seaoverwhichmissilescanbesafelyfired;itis,inasense,aprotectedsea.Onthewesternside,itcanbemonitored from peninsular India and in the east, there is the Andaman andNicobarIslandschain.Thismeansthattelemetrystationscaneasilybesetuptocovermostofthebayarea.

Allpreparatoryactivitiesforthelaunchwentasscheduled.Thepeoplelivinginnearbyvillagesweremovedawayat the timeof the launch,whichattractedmedia attention and led to much controversy. When the launch day arrived,though, thewholenationwaswatching theDRDO.Foreignpressurehadbeenexertedthroughdiplomaticchannelsnottogoaheadwiththeflighttrial.ButtheGovernment of India took a firm stand for its national defence prerogatives.DefenceMinisterK.C.PantstationedhimselfatBalasoreforthedurationofthelaunch.

At T-14 seconds, the computer signalled ‘hold’, indicating that one of theinstruments was functioning erratically. It was promptly rectified. Now, thedown-rangestationaskedfora‘hold’.TheCarNicobartrackingstation,whichwasnetworkedwithothertrackingstationsandnavalshipsviasatellitetochart

Agni’sflightpath,reportedaproblem.Inanotherfewseconds,multiple‘holds’were necessitated.This resulted in an unintended internal power consumption,andthelaunchhadtobeaborted.Themissilehadtobeopeneduptoreplaceon-board batteries. The anticlimax caused widespread disappointment. DefenceMinisterPantleftforDelhiwithapromisetoreturnsoon.DrKalamhadtolifthis teamoutof theirdespondency,andhedidsowithcharacteristicrealism:‘Ilost my launch vehicle in the sea and had to rebuild the whole thing. Yourmissile is in front of you. In fact, you have lost nothing but a fewweeks ofrework.1

Themediapredictablywentupinarms,circulatingvariousinterpretationsofthepostponementoftheflighttosuitthefancyofawidespectrumofreadership.At any rate, themissile wasmade ready for the launch on 1May 1989. Thedefenceministerarrivedasperhispromise.ButagainatT-10secondsa‘hold’appeared,andonecontrolcomponentwasfoundmalfunctioning.Acontrolvalvehad burst, and nitrogen gas had leaked in one of themotors. The launchwasabortedonceagain.Suchthingsareverycommoninrocketry–andhappenquiteoften elsewhere. But the expectant nation was in no mood to appreciate thedifficultiesoftestmissiledeployment.

Dr Kalam did not like a cartoon published in The Hindu, his favouritenewspaper, which showed a villager counting some currency notes andcommenting toanother, ‘Yes, it’s thecompensation formovingawayfrommyhutnearthetestsite–afewmorepostponementsandIcanbuildahouseofmyown.’‘Peoplejustdonotunderstandthecomplexitiesinvolvedinourwork,’DrKalam explained. Nonetheless, the humour of Amul’s cartoon recommendingtheirbutterasapropellantandthemissilebeingcalledIDBMforIntermittentlyDelayedBallisticMissile,waswellreceived.

Inanexemplaryshowofwholesomeleadership,anundistractedandresoluteDrKalamremainedwithhisteam,monitoringallitsactivity.ThoughachangeinweatherconditionsatChandipurwaspredicted,DrKalampreparedforathirdattempttolaunchbeforetheonsetofthemonsoonseason.Thelaunchwasslatedfor 22May 1989.DefenceMinisterK.C. Pant arrived on the day prior to thelaunch.Itwasafullmoonnight.HeinvitedDrKalamandGeneralK.N.Singhforawalkaftertheirdinner.ThewavesoftheBayofBengalwerecrashingandroaringathightide.MrPantaskedDrKalam,‘Whatwouldyoulikemetodoto

celebrate the success tomorrow? What gift would you like for yourself?’ DrKalam recalled his reaction to the defenceminister’s offer:‘What did I want?WhatwasitthatIdidnothave?Whatcouldmakemehappier?AndthenIfoundananswer.Weneed100,000saplingstoplantatRCI.’2

Thedefenceminister’sfacelitupwithafriendlyglow.‘Youhavebroughttheblessingsofmotherearth,Kalam.Wewillsucceedtomorrow,’hesaid.Finally,on22May1989atexactly7.17a.m.,theAgnimissileblossomedintoachariotof fire that propelled India into an exclusive club dominated by the world’stechnological andmilitary giants. The 300-odd scientists at the control centrewatching the pencil-thin missile arc across the sky on television monitorsthumpedeachotherontheback.DrKalamwasbodilyliftedontheshouldersofthejubilantscientists.

Meanwhile, Agni was igniting nervous reactions in many of the world’scapitals, stretching fromWashington toBeijing.Only five countries – theUS,theSovietUnion,France,ChinaandIsrael–haddevelopedIRBM(missileswitha range of 500 kilometres to 5,500 kilometres) technology. For India, Agnirepresented aquantum leap in strategic capability.At7.20 a.m., threeminutesafterAgniblastedoff,DefenceMinisterK.C.Pantpickedupthehotlinethathadbeen specially set up between the Chandipur Control Centre and the primeminister’s office on Race Course Road and said just one word to the primeminister: ‘Congratulations.’ Rajiv Gandhi immediately understood what Pantmeant.OntheprevioustwooccasionsthatPanthadcalledonthehotline,hewasthebearerofbadnews.Thistime,theprimeministerwasdelighted.Hestayedontheline,askinganumberoftechnicalquestions,whichshowedhowkeenlyhehadfollowedtheproject.Hehadaverydeepunderstandingofthetechnology.

The prime minister’s subsequent speech in parliament later that day wascautious,inthatitdidnottrumpetAgni’sstrategicimportance.ButRajivaddeda line: ‘We must remember that technological backwardness also leads tosubjugation.’WhilehestressedthatAgniwasonlya‘technologydemonstration’and ‘not a weapon system’, no one could be in any doubt that Agni hadbroadenedIndia’sstrategicdefenceoptionsmorethanatanytimesincethe1974Pokharan nuclear test. Dr Kalam declared, ‘The launch is a boost to theconfidence of Indian scientists and is a symbol of their cooperation,wherevertheyare.’Pant aptlypointedout, ‘The fact that twice themissionwas aborted

secondsbeforethelaunchonlyprovedthatourtestingandtrackingsystemswereperfect. The two aborted launches were, in that sense, a tribute to ourtechnology.’

Despite thetriumphof theAgni launch, thedefenceestablishmentwaswellawareofrivalnations’progressinmissilecapability.WhiletheAgnimissilehadbeen under development, Pakistan too had made advances. It had tested twosurface-to-surface missiles, Hatf-1 and Hatf-2, built with the help of China.PakistanclaimedthatHatf-1hadarangeof80kmanditssuccessor,arangeof300km.ThisimmediatelyspurredIndiaintothefull-scaledevelopmentofAgnianditsfoursmallersisters.Oncetheservicesdecidedontheirpreciseroleanddeployment–andthegovernmentgavethego-ahead–themissileswouldbeputintoproductionandbereadyforoperationalusewithinfiveyears.

Intermsofcost-effectiveness,itmadeperfectsenseforNewDelhitogivethegreen light for production. Agni could deliver –without any chance of beingcountered – a payload equivalent to four deep-penetration Jaguars withconsiderable accuracy, but with no danger to pilots or aircraft. Agni wasdeveloped at ameagre budget of threemillion dollars; and it had establishedIndiaintheleagueofballisticmissilesnations.

After the rigmarole and unpleasantness of having to relocate people everytimea launchwasplanned–and toavoid themediaattention itattracted–DrKalamproposedtomovethelaunchsitetoWheelerIsland,alandmassofabout2 sq. km in area, approximately 20 km off Chandipur coast. But for that, theGovernment ofOrissawould first have to hand the islandover to theDRDO.RecollectinghowDrVikramSarabhaisecuredthechurchgroundsatThumbatoset up TERLS, Dr Kalam sought an appointment with the chief minister ofOrissa,BijuPatnaik.

Biju Patnaik was a tall manwith a regal personality. Dr Kalam had heardaccountsofhisdaredevilpilotingacts.On24July1947,hehadflownaDakotaaircraftintoJava,defyingtheDutchsiegeandflyingIndonesianPrimeMinisterSultanSjahrirtoSingapore.ThisacthadenablednewlyindependentIndonesia’sparticipationinthefirstInter-AsiaConferenceinNewDelhi.Inanotherheroicact,hehadpilotedthefirstplanethatleftPalamAirportatDelhiatdawnon27October1947.HelandedatSrinagarAirport,takingsoldiersof1SikhRegimenttosaveKashmir.

BijuPatnaikgaveDrKalamawarmhug.Hesaid, ‘Kalam,youareagoodperson. Ihavebeen followingyourwork sinceSarabhai’sdays.Whateveryouask,Iwillgive.Yourmission–themissileprogramme–isveryimportanttothecountry.AnythingneededfromOrissawillbeyours…givemeapromise(thatyou will make an ICBM). The day India makes its own ICBM, I shall bestrongerasanIndian.’3

WheelerIslandlaterbecamethemissiletestfacilityformostIndianmissiles,butBijuPatnaik’s promise could not be fulfilled before his death on 17April1997.

The successful Agni missile test raised international hackles. Perhapsunsurprisingly, India’s pronouncement that the Agni was a ‘technologydemonstrator project’ to establish re-entry vehicle technologies did little toassuageitscontroversy.IndiahadusedaSLV-3boostermotor,acomponentofits civilian space research programme, for what were transparently militarypurposes.AswiththePrithvi,theUnitedStateshadopposedtheprogrammeasanother potential proliferation affront to the MTCR. What seemed to haveeludedWesterncritics,though,wasthelaudableself-relianceIndiahadachievedinmissile technology.TheSLV-3boostermotorwasabona fide Indianeffort.No external support was ever solicited or received for its development. DrKalamsaid,‘ThepointisnotwhowillallowIndiahereafterfromassertingourroleintheworld,thepointiswhowillstopIndia?’

OnRepublicDay1990,theIndiannationcelebratedthesuccessofitsmissileprogramme. The Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civil award of theRepublicofIndia,wasconferredonDrKalamandDrArunachalam.Twoothermissile scientists, R.N. Agarwal and J.C. Bhattacharya, were decorated withPadma Shri awards. Itwas the first time in the history of India that somanyscientistsworkingwithoneorganizationwereselectedforthenationalawardsinasingleyear.

Dr Kalamwas invited by theMadurai Kamaraj University to deliver theirconvocationaddress.UponreachingMadurai,DrKalamlookedforhis teacherIyaduraiSolomon,whowasbynowaReverendFatherandeightyyearsold.Hehiredataxiandlookedforhishouseformorethananhour.Hebroughthimtothe convocation and made him sit in the front row. Dr P.C. Alexander, thegovernorofTamilNadu,andchancelloroftheUniversity,theninvitedReverend

Father Iyadurai Solomon to the dais. Dr Kalam said in his lecture, ‘Everyconvocation day of every university is like opening the floodgates of energywhich – once harnessed by institutions, organizations and industry – aids innationbuilding.’Helaterrecountedhisformerteacher’stouchingwords:‘Aftermylecture,Iboweddowntomyteacher.“Youhavenotonlyreachedmygoals,Kalam!Youhaveeclipsedthem,”hetoldmeinavoicechokedwithemotion.’4

Afortnight later,on7February1990,N.R.Iyerandhisteamcelebratedtheawards for themissile programmewith themaiden flight of the Nagmissile.Theyrepeated thefeatagain thenextday.Themissilefeaturedahigh-strengthcomposite airframe with foldable wings and fins, an Imaging Infra-Red (IIR)seekerwithhighimmunitytocountermeasures,anon-boardreal-timeprocessor,acompact sensorpackage, anelectricactuation systemandadigital autopilot.Oncelaunched,theNagwouldnotneedtobeguided,allowingthelaunchertoseekcover.Themissilecoulduseitsautonomouson-boardguidancetohitevenafast-movingtank.

Prahladaandhis team launchedAkashmissileon14August1990,provingtheRam-rockettechnology,whichhadbeendevelopedforthefirsttimeinIndia.Themedium-rangesurface-to-airmissile(MR-SAM)witharangeof25kmandanaltitudeof18km,Akashwouldbecompletelyguidedbyradar.Itwasfittedwith a digital proximity fuse, to detonate its warhead after coming close to amoving target; a direct hit was not necessary. This marked the successfulcompletionofthefirstphaseoftheIGMDP.

Towards the end of 1990, Jadavpur University conferred on Dr Kalam anhonorarydegreeofDoctorofScience(DSc)ataspecialconvocation,alongwithan honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) to Prof. Amartya Sen. In the sameconvocation,anhonorarydegreewasconferredonNelsonMandelainabsentia.Dr Kalam became emotional upon hearing his name clubbed with this greatnation builder and academician. The meeting between Dr Kalam and DrAmartya Sen at the convocation laid a foundation for the future, when theywouldworktogethertorevivetheancientNalandaUniversity.DrAmartyaSenrecalledhisinteractionwithDrKalamlaterinhisbookArgumentativeIndian:

DrKalam,whocomesfromaMuslimfamilyandisaresearcherofgreatachievement,hasaverystrong commitment to Indian nationalism. He is also an extremely amiable person (as I haddiscoveredwhenIhad theprivilegeofhiscompanyatanhonorarydegreeceremonyatJadavpur

UniversityinCalcuttain1990).Kalam’sphilanthropicconcernsareverystrong,andhehasarecordofhelpinginwelfare-relatedcauses.5

Theyear1991beganonanominousnote.TheIraqiarmyhadinvadedKuwait.On 15 January 1991, a powerful coalition led by the United States launchedOperationDesertStorm,oneof themostrapidanddecisivemilitaryactionsofalltime.Injustoverfourdaysofone-sidedcombat,thecoalitionwouldliberateKuwait, demolish the Iraqi army and take hordes of Iraqi prisoners – all at aminimalcostincasualties.Anarrativesooncoalescedthatfocusedontheroleofnew military technologies in the victory, particularly those that exploited themicrochipandthedigitalrevolution.Kalamwasnowregularlyquestionedabouttheindigenousmilitarytechnology’scapabilities:

Thenationwasquick todrawparallelsbetween themissilesoperational in theGulfWarandourownwarheadcarriers.AcommonqueryIencounteredwaswhetherPrithviwassuperiortoaScud,whetherAkashcouldperformlikeaPatriot,andsoon.Hearinga‘Yes’ora‘Whynot!’fromme,people’sfaceswouldlightupwithprideandsatisfaction.6

AftertheGulfWarconcludedon28February1991,inthemonthofMarch,over500scientistsofDRDLandRCIassembledtodiscussissuesthathademergedinthis missile warfare. Dr Kalam posed a question:Was technology or weaponsymmetrywithothernationsfeasible,andifso,shoulditbeattempted?AyoungscientistaskedwhyIndia isapologeticaboutcallingAgniamissile.DrKalamsaid, ‘It is amissile.A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose,’ eliciting thunderousapplause.Themeeting ended after a lively discussion spread over three hoursdescribed Desert Storm a testimony of ‘revolution in military affairs’ by therapidadvancesinelectronics,informationandcommunicationtechnology.

Inthesameyear,DrKalamreceivedanhonorarydegreeofDoctorofSciencefrom IIT, Bombay. The citation described him as ‘an inspiration behind thecreation of a solid technological base from which India’s future aerospaceprogrammescanbelaunchedtomeetthechallengesofthetwenty-firstcentury’.The identityofDrKalamasIndia’sMissileManhadbeenwellestablishedbythistime.

In July 1992, Dr Kalam took over as the scientific adviser to the defenceministeranddirectorgeneralofDRDO.HesucceededDrV.S.Arunachalam.Hewould report to Sharad Pawar, the defence minister, in the cabinet of Prime

MinisterP.V.NarasimhaRao.

L

2.7

ProphetofSelf-reliance

There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy isignorance; that imitation is suicide; that hemust take himself for better, forworse, as hisportion;thatthoughthewideuniverseisfullofgood,nokernelofnourishingcorncancometohimbutthroughhistoilbestowedonthatplotofgroundwhichisgiventohimtotill.

–RalphWaldoEmersonAmericanessayistandpoet

tGen.DrV.J.SundaramtookoverthereinsofDRDLfromDrKalamon10July1992.HewasheadingthePrithvimissileprojectwithDrV.K.Saraswat

as his deputy. Before leaving for Delhi, Dr Kalam initiated the limited seriesproductionof thePrithviandAgnimissiles.Asa resultof thearmedservices’firmcommitmenttothesetwomissilesystems,theDRDOhadbeenabletoshiftitsfocusfromtechnologydemonstration,tomodifyingmissilesystemstomeetthe field requirements of the user, in terms of deployment and operability.Programmeswereinitiatedtodevelopshorter-andlonger-rangeversionsoftheAgnimissile,asupersoniccruisemissileandanavalvariantofthePrithvi.

The government of India constituted a committee under Dr Kalam, withrepresentationfromthethreeservicesanddefenceproductionunits, tocreatearoadmaponhowtoindigenouslydevelopcriticalkeytechnologyasasafeguardagainstdenialsbydevelopedcountries.PrimeMinisterP.V.NarasimhaRaohaddismantled the licence raj, the elaborate system of licences, regulations andaccompanyingredtapethatwererequiredtosetupandrunbusinessesinIndiabetween1947and1990.Hewasconvincedthattechnologicalpowerwouldraisethenationtoapositionofgreaterstrength–militarilyandeconomically.

Havingdeveloped theSLV-3and the fivemissile systems,DrKalamhadagoodgraspofthestrategicindustrialsysteminIndiaatthistime.Specifictothe

defence sector, therewere thirty-nineordnance factoriesgeographically spreadacross twenty-four different Indian locations, eight public sector defenceundertakings and consistently expanding large, medium, small and microundertakings from theprivate sector.TheDRDO laboratorieshaddevelopedasymbiotic relationship with industry and were considered part of the defenceindustrialbase.

Two decades had elapsed since the departure of Dr Homi Bhabha and DrSarabhai, the twogreatmenwhohad envisioned the atomic energy and spaceprogrammes.Itwastimethatsomeoneofthatstaturecapturedthebigpictureforthedefencesector.DrKalamwasnowdeemedtobeinthesameleagueashisformeridols,andwithhisinnatefacilityforvisualizingmanydisparatepartsasanintegrated,functioningwhole,hewaseminentlysuitedforthisjob.Howdoesthe nation regulate the phenomenal growth of its public sector factories andensure that theydonot turn intobehemoths?Whatwould Indianeed from theindustry in the next ten to fifteen years to convert the ongoing research anddevelopment efforts into useful and viable products? This was the brief hereceivedfromR.VenkataramanwhenhesanctionedtheIGMDPin1983.

DrKalamwasfullyawarethatthemannerinwhichhehadoverseenmissiledevelopmentwouldnotworkatthetimeoflimitedseriesproduction.TheIndiandefence industry was conditioned to undertake licensed production. Thedrawings done by the development agency – which left some details to theinference of the scientist/engineers building the unit – would not meet theordnancefactory’srequirements.Hewasalsoawarethatmakingasmallnumberofsystemsforexperientialflighttrialwasaradicallydifferentprocesstomakingthem in a factory setting in large quantities. Standardization, processoptimization,qualityassuranceandreliabilityweretoughdisciplinesthatneededtobeevolvedfortheunprecedentedsystemsandunfamiliartechnology.

DrKalamhadbeenassociatedwiththeTechnologyInformation,ForecastingandAssessmentCouncil (TIFAC), an autonomousorganization set up in1988under the Department of Science and Technology. It had a mandate toprognosticate with technologies, assess the technologies’ trajectories, andsupport technological innovation by network actions in select technologicalareas of national importance. Dr Kalam was clear about the path ahead. HisclosefriendfromISRO,Y.S.Rajan–whoworkedasscientificsecretarytoProf.

SatishDhawan,attheISROheadquarters–wasappointedasthefirstexecutivedirectoroftheneworganization.

Dr Kalam studied the findings of the Subramanian Committee, which hadincluded the formidable J.R.D. Tata as a member, published in 1963. Thecommitteepointedoutthattheknowledgebaseindesignwasinadequatefortherequirements in the fast-changing aerospace sector. The committee hadaccordingly suggested that joint design and development of aircraft enginesshouldbepursuedwithreputedenginemanufacturerslikeG.E.,RollsRoyceandSnecma.

India’sMissileManwouldnotmerelybeconfinedtoaerospace technology.Everversatile,andwithamindthatinquiredfarbeyondtheboundsofhisownfield,DrKalamwouldbeinstrumentalinpioneeringvarioustechnologiesfortheless fortunate in society.During1992,DrKalambecameacquaintedwith twodoctorsattheHyderabad-basedNizam’sInstituteofMedicalSciences(NIMS):cardiologistDrB. SomaRaju and orthopaedic surgeonDrB.N. Prasad. Theyinspired him to develop civilian spin-offs of defence technologies in order toassistpoorpatientswithaffordablesolutionsfortheirtreatments.ThisledtothedevelopmentofaFloorReactionOrthosis(FRO)tohelppolio-affectedchildrenwalkusingadvancedcompositematerialdevelopedbyDRDL.Italsogaverisetoacoronarystentmadefromdevelopingdelta-ferrite-freeausteniticsteelwireswithasurfacefreefromwire-drawing-inducedmicro-channels.

BothDrB.SomaRajuandDrB.N.PrasadprovidedmedicalinputtoDRDOscientists in an interdisciplinary biomedical collaboration that wasunprecedented in India. Dr Sivathanu Pillai later brought the FRO intoproduction, and with the help of orthopaedic surgeon Dr Narendra Nath, hadthousands of patients fitted with the device. The stent, developed by a teamunderDrA.VenugopalReddyandKoneruBose,waspatentedas the ‘Kalam-RajuStent’.TheintroductionoftheKalam-RajuStentcausedapricecrashinthemarketforimportedstents,andeventodaystentsareavailabletoIndianpatientsatthelowestratesintheworld.TheTechnologyInstitutions(TI)programmeofthenewlyfoundedICICIBankprovidedonemilliondollars’fundingtosetupaCardiovascularTechnologyInstituteatHyderabad.ThisledtothecreationoftheCareHospitalunderDrB.SomaRaju.1

WhenDrKalamwasapproachingtheageofsixty-twoyearsinOctober1993,

a momentum was created at the DRDO headquarters for his exit. He alsoreceived an offer to join Madras University as vice chancellor, perhapsorchestrated as an easy exit route. The news was made public and thenewspapers carried storiesof ‘decks cleared forDrKalam’s exit’.DrKalam’spersonalfilewassenttoPrimeMinisterP.V.NarasimhaRaoforapprovalofhisrelievingorder.

PrimeMinisterRaodidnotsigntherelievingorder,butcalledDrKalamtomeethimwithDrV.S.Arunachalam,whowasnowworkingashisadviserinthePrime Minister’s Office (PMO). The prime minister asked why Dr KalamwantedtogotoMadras.DrV.S.Arunachalamremainedsilent.Whentheprimeminister gaveDrKalam a querying look,DrKalam said that he had reachedsixty-two years of age, and it was time for him to retire from governmentservice. The primeminister retorted that hewas seventy-two, and should alsoretire in that case. He wrote on Dr Kalam’s file ‘service tenure extended tillfurtherorders’.

In 1994, The Indian Science Congress invited Dr Kalam to speak at itseighty-firstcongressheldinJaipur.There,hegaveaclarioncallfordevelopingtechnologyspin-offssothathealth-careimportscouldbeminimized.Hestressedthatthepainofsicknesswasbeingcompoundedbyhighcostsfortreatment,andthismustbealleviatedbyindigenoustechnologyandbiomedicalventures.‘Letmy brain remove your pain,’ he said. Dr Kalam announced the creation of aSociety for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) as an inter-ministerial workinggrouptobringdoctors,engineersandpublicserviceadministratorstogetherforthispurpose.HeassigneditsmanagementtohistrustedfriendsY.S.Rajan,DrB.SomaRajuandSivathanuPillai.

Iwasappointedastheprogrammemanagertoconvergethemedical,defence,scientificandgovernmentsocialstreams.HepresentedtoeachmemberacopyofMantheUnknownwrittenby theNobel laureateandcardiothoracicsurgeonDrAlexisCarrel in1935.He readaloud to allmembers aparagraph from thebookinthefirstmeetingoftheSBMTgoverningboard:‘Toprogressagain,manmustremakehimself.Andhecannotremakehimselfwithoutsuffering.Forheisboth themarble and the sculptor. In order to uncover his true visage hemustshatterhisownsubstancewithheavyblowsofhishammer.’2

When the stentwas ready, thequestionof statutory approval cameup.The

office of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) said that they onlyregulatedpharmaceuticals,andstentsdidnotcomeundertheirpurview.Indeed,evenafterthepassageoftwodecades,littlehaschanged.3DrKalamcalledupDrP.Dasgupta, theDCGI,andrequestedhimtoprovideano-objectioncertificateafter examining the documents, even if the stent did not strictly fall under hisjurisdiction.DrDasguptaconsented, facilitating theproductionof thestent.DrDasgupta visited the stent manufacturing unit at the Care Foundation,Hyderabad, and told Dr Soma Raju that he was deeply touched by the zealshownbyDrKalaminhispushforaffordableindigenousproducts.HesaidthatonlyifthoseatthehelmoftheIndianCouncilofMedicalResearch(ICMR)andother suchbodies showedcare for the interestsofpoorpatients and supportedinnovation,wouldworld-classdrugsandtreatmentsbecomeaffordable.

The SBMT developed Cytoscan, a PC-based interactive image analysissystemforobjectiveassessmentofcellsfordiagnosis/prognosisofcarcinomas.Software for classifying cancerous/normal cells on a cervical smear broughttogether scientists at the Bangalore-based Defence Bioengineering andElectromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) and oncologists and pathologists at theNIMS,Hyderabad.TheSBMTdevelopedasocialwelfareprojectnamedTulasi,aftertheplantreveredasanelixiroflifeinIndia,toscreenwomeninruralareasfor the earlydetectionof cervical cancer.DrKalam requestedhis friendMataPrasad, secretary Department of Welfare, to provide financial support forconductingTulasi’sfieldtrials.

IreceivedacallfromDrKalamtoimmediatelycometoDelhiwitharequestproposalfromtheSBMTforthefunding.TherewasnoInternetforinformationsearches in those days, andword processing had just arrived.All that I couldmanage at such short notice was a five-page write-up, cobbling togetherwhateverinformationIcouldmusteronthemedical,technicalandsocialaspectsof the project.WhenDrKalam sawmymeagre effort, he did not like it andscoldedme, saying, ‘Funny guy, I am seeking fifty-lakh funding for you, andyoucan’tevenwriteafifty-pageproposal!InDelhi,unlessyouwritebig,noonegets impressed, no one gives you money. People judge your quality by howmuchyoucanwriteandhowwellyoucanspeak.’

Fortunatelyforme,MataPrasad,theofficerwithwhomtheproposalrested,waskindwithmywrite-up.Hegraciouslysanctionedtheprojectandnotedthat

screeningpoorwomenintimeforfatalcervixcanceristhebestformofwelfarehe had come across and askedme convey his respect for the compassion DrKalam had demonstrated for the underprivileged. It is important that peopleoccupyinghighpositionscriticallyexaminetheircapabilities,whichareindeedenormous, anduse them for thegoodof facelesspoor citizens and solve theirproblems.Hehoweveraskedmetomodifythetitleabittofittoaschemeand‘sparemefromanypost-retirementheadachefordoingthisgoodtaskgiventomebythenoblesoulKalam’.

SBMT also attempted to make a cardiac pacemaker, and an externalpacemakerwassuccessfullydeveloped.Buttherewasnosemiconductorfoundryin India – and even at the time of writing, India does not have this vitaltechnological infrastructure– to take thisworkforward. Inanotherproject, thedevelopment of a Nd-YAG laser for ophthalmic applications was attemptedbetweenL.V.PrasadEyeInstituteandtheDefenceScienceCentre,NewDelhi.But it did not progress far. DMRL andMIDHANI developed titanium dentalimplantsundertheguidanceofBrig.T.RanindranathattheInstituteofNuclearMedicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), New Delhi. However, the workundertaken to develop a bileaflet heart valve with pyrolytic carbon betweenDRDL and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences andTechnology(SCTIMST),Trivandrum,alsocametonothing.

Indiaclearlyhadalongwaytogotomeetitstechnologyneeds.Doubtlessly,there would need to be some compromise between the ambition for theindigenousproductionofallthenation’smilitaryandciviliantechnologyneedsandwhatwasfeasible.Forthis,theSelf-RelianceCommitteemadeadistinctionbetweentheconceptsof‘self-sufficiency’and‘self-reliance’,thoughbothtermshad been alternately used in the Indian context. It was settled that self-sufficiency meant indigenously producing everything that the armed forcesneeded,whereas self-reliancemeant equipping the armed forceswith awholerange of equipment that might derive from an assortment of foreign anddomestic sources. Dr Kalam recognized that an inflexible adherence to ‘self-sufficiency’ was not an ideal path for a country like India, because India’sindustrial and research and development bases were not yet sufficientlydeveloped.Thus, self-reliancewouldbe theorderof theday,at least for sometimetocome.

Furthermore, Dr Kalam did not sugar-coat the fact that India’s defenceproductionsectorandresearchanddevelopmentlaboratoriesalsosufferedfroma capability differentialwith their international counterparts. He felt that jointventures with countries like Russia and France for co-production anddevelopment of defence equipment could be one way of addressing this. DrKalam famously said, ‘It is not the quantum of investment but the quality ofsynergy that we build with academia, the private sector and the DRDO thatwouldbethekeytoimprovingourdesigncapabilityinkeytechnologies.’This,along with improved production organization and collaboration with globallyrespected original equipment manufacturers and design houses, was indeedessential.

The key to self-reliance and eventual self-sufficiency was India’s nineDefence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). Unlike the ordnance factories,whichweredepartmentallyrunorganizations,theDPSUswerecorporateentitieswithrelativelymorefinancialandoperationalfreedom.DPSUswerealsolargerand operated in the high-end technology spectrums such as aerospace,electronics and warships. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was the largestand accounted for over half of all DPSU production and sales. BharatElectronics Ltd was the premier defence electronics company, with nineproduction units and thirty-one manufacturing divisions spread across sevenstates. Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) catered to the core needs ofdefence services such as trucks, diesel engines, earthmovers and railways.BharatDynamicsLtd(BDL)builtstrategicandtacticalmissiles,andunderwaterand aerial weapons. MIDHANI produced special steels, super alloys andtitaniumalloys thatwere thecore requirementsnotonlyofdefenceproductionbut also of the space and atomic energyprogrammes.MazagonDockLimited(MDL),Bombay;GardenReachShipbuildersandEngineers(GRSE),Calcutta;Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), Goa; and Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL),Visakhapatnam, were engaged in shipbuilding and other naval engineeringservices.

DrKalamrealizedthatbyandlarge,thepracticeoflicensedproductionhadhad its day.HALwas by this time an industry giant, assembling aircraft; thisorganization, and others of its type, should now be striving to becomeinternational technological leaders in their respective fields. Starting at

Bangalore, HAL now had several facilities throughout India including Nasik,Korba,Kanpur,Koraput,Lucknow,BangaloreandHyderabad.DrKalamspentagooddeal of effort understanding thegrowthofHAL.HALhad initiallybeenstarted for theoverhaulingof aircraftoperating in the regionunder theBritishand their companies. HAL’s first big order came in 1946, for the repair andoverhaulof100TigerMothAircraft.Thesewerea1930sbiplanedesignedbyGeoffreydeHavillandandoperatedbytheRoyalAirForce(RAF)andothersasaprimarytrainer.

When India gained Independence, HAL was recognized as the authorizedservice centre for the American aerospacemanufacturer, the Douglas AircraftCompany in India. HAL manufactured Percival Prentice Trainer Aircraft. In1950, HAL was admitted as a member of the Society of British AircraftConstructors,andwascontractedtomanufactureVampireaircraftunderlicencefromtheBritishcompanyDeHavillandAviationLtd.

After becoming a public sector company under theMinistry ofDefence in1951,HALhadsuccessfullybuiltandflown,withinthefollowingtenyears,theMarutHF-24atBangaloreandHS-748aircraftatKanpur.ThemanufactureofGnataircraftunderlicencefromtheBritishfirmFollandLtdwascommencedin1956. In1962,HALventured intobuildinghelicopters under licence from theFrenchaircraftmanufacturerSudAviation.Russiancooperationwassoughtforthemanufacture ofMiG-21 FL aircraft, including its engines and avionics. In1964,thefirstOrpheus703aircraftenginemanufacturedfromrawmaterialsbyHALwastest-accepted.TheenginespoweredtheintermediatejettrainerKiranaircraft.

By1973,HALhaddeliveredMiG-21MaircraftoftheCTSseries,producedunder licence in 1973, and ‘FlyAway’Cheetah helicopters.Andby1977, thehelicopters were being produced from the raw material stage. In 1979, HALenteredintoalicenceagreementwithBritishAerospaceforthemanufactureofJaguaraircraft.ThefirstJaguarAircraftbuiltindigenouslyfromtherawmaterialstagewashandedover to the IndianAirForce in 1988.Around this time, theIndian Air Force purchased and installed the facilities for the overhaul ofMirage-2000aircraftoftheFrenchaircraftmanufacturerDassaultAviation.

DrKalamwasdeeplyinvolvedwiththeaerospacedivisionofHALrightfromthe SLV-3 days, and saw through its expansion for the fabrication of missile

structures under IGMDP. The Prithvi missile wing bays, aerofoil wings,propellanttanksandaluminiumwarheadcasingsweremadeatHAL’saerospacedivision. I was involved with C.S. Maheshwari in getting Trishul airframesections fabricated there. We worked together in the development of themagnesium casting of the Akash missile section at the Foundry and ForgeDivisionwithP.K.Sengupta.

Startingwiththemanufactureofcommunicationsequipmentin1956,BharatElectronicsLtd(BEL)setuparadarmanufacturingfacilityforthearmyandanin-house research and development installation in 1966 at Bangalore. In the1970s, BEL establishedmanufacturing facilities for television transmitters forDoordarshanandbeganmanufacturingfrigateradarsforthenavy.AsecondunitofBELwassetupatGhaziabadin1974tomanufactureradarsandtroposcattercommunication equipment for the Indian Air Force. The Space ElectronicDivisionwasinstitutedatBangaloretosupportthenation’ssatelliteprogrammesin 1982. Dr Kalam brought BEL on board as the principal integrator of theAkashmissilesystemandfacilitatedthecreationoftheBELunitatHyderabadtomanufactureelectronicwarfareequipment.

TheSelf-RelianceCommitteehadunderscoredtheneedtoimproveourself-reliance quotient from 30 per cent in 1992 to 70 per cent by 2005. Thecommittee also identified the critical technologies required – gallium arsenidedevices, fibre optics, smart weapon subsystems, heavy particle beams, focalplane array and hypersonic propulsion. It recommended the creation of aDefence Technology Fund of Rs 100 crore to focus on ‘core’ and ‘mother’technology that are necessary for building state-of-the-art defence systems.4

These would include multimode radars, aero engines, carbon fibres and thestealthcapabilityforLightCombatAircraft(LCA),forexample.

The committee’s report underscored the need to create a Self-relianceImplementation Council (SRIC) as the ‘mastermind’ of the self-relianceendeavour.TheSRICwouldbringtogethertheheadsofDRDO,thearmy,navy,airforceandtheDepartmentofDefenceProductiontoensurethat thegoalsofself-reliance are monitored regularly and effectively. Dr Kalam opted for thetestedmodelofdesign,developmentandproductionofSukhoifighterplanesinRussia. There, the Sukhoi Design Bureau effectively steered the aeronauticalprogrammesinsyncwiththeproductionhouses.

DrKalamfeltthatinaturbulentworldwherethestatusquoandtechnologyare fiercely guarded by established powers, India must make concerted andjudiciously formulatedplans for its technologicalprogress. Itmust improve itsknowledge base with the active participation of academic institutions in thenationalprogrammes.Moreover, all stakeholdersmustpool their efforts in theprogramme: they must not be allowed by the political leadership to developfiefdoms and fight turf wars. Accepting failure is indeed the springboard ofsuccess. This is how Dr Kalam envisioned India’s tomorrow.With sagaciousunderstanding,DrKalamsaid,‘Thewholeuniverseconspirestogivethebesttothosewhodreamandwork.Weneedtoseizethemwithbothhands.’

U

2.8

TheRazor’sEdge

It’satoss-upwhenyoudecidetoleavethebeatentrack.Manyarecalled,fewarechosen.

–W.SomersetMaughamBritishnovelist

ntil 1992, Indian passport holders were prohibited from entering Israel.PrimeMinisterNarasimhaRaobroughtintotheopenIndia’srelationswith

Israel,whichhadbeenkeptcovertlyactiveforafewyearsduringhistenureasforeignminister,andinvitedIsraeltoopenanembassyinNewDelhi.IndiaandIsrael share some common ground, in that they are both isolated democraciesthreatened by neighbours that train, finance and encourage terrorists. It was astrategicimperativethatbothcountriescooperateondefencematters.DrKalamwastaskedwithestablishingtechnologicalpartnershipswithmanyoftheworld’sleadinghigh-techcompaniesinIsrael.

It would not be an easy task. There had been a good deal of negativeconditioning that needed to be overcome for a rapprochement.Although bothcountriesgainedtheirindependencefromtheUnitedKingdomwithinmonthsofeach other, they found themselves headed inmarkedly different directions fornearlyfourdecades. Indiabecamea leader in theNon-AlignedMovement thatmaintained close relations with the Arab world and the Soviet Union. IsraellinkeditsfuturetostrongtieswiththeUnitedStatesandwesternEurope.

On 6 March 1993, when Sharad Pawar became the chief minister ofMaharashtra, PrimeMinister Rao took over the defence portfolio himself. DrKalam now had direct access to PrimeMinister Narasimha Rao, who sharedwithhimandothernuclearscientistshisdesire todevelopanuclearbomb.Hesaidthatafterthecoldwarhadendedin1991andwiththatthe1971treatywith

the SovietUnion, India no longer had any superpower ally.With amenacingChina and an openly hostile Pakistan, therewas little choice but to become anuclear-capablenation.

Atanyrate,thethreatstoIndia’ssecuritywerenotonlyofatangiblemilitaryform.OnFriday, 12March1993, a series of thirteen bomb explosions rockedBombay.ThecoordinatedattackswerethemostdestructivebombexplosionsinIndianhistory.Thiswasthefirstterroriststrikeofitskind–planned,coordinatedserialbombblasts–intheworld.Theattacksresultedinmorethan350fatalitiesand 1,200 injuries.DrKalam toldme that the threat that India faced from itsenemieswaschangingitsform.Hewondered:Howdoesacivilizednationfighthidden groups?Howdoes a pluralistic society copewith the terrorists’modusoperandiofcontinuingrandomviolence?

Yearslater,DrKalamtoldmethatthepost-1991yearswereperhapsthemostthreatening for India.Wewere leftwithno superpowerbacker, surroundedbyinveterateenemies.Economicallyweak,wewereinnopositiontobuildnuclearweapons and bear the burden of nuclear sanctions. In spite of these adverseconditions,PrimeMinisterRaowasdeterminedtocarryoutanucleartest.Butwhen, in 1995, the tests were imminent, the United States got wind of thepreparations and put tremendous pressure on PrimeMinister Rao to abandonthem–andhedidso.

In1996, thenavyexpressed itsurgentneedforaquick-reactionairdefencesystem to protect its warships at sea from aircraft and anti-shipmissiles. ThePakistani navy had acquiredHarpoonmissiles fromAmerica and Exocet sea-skimmingmissilesfromFrance.Withoutanywarning,thesemissilescould–byday or by night and regardless ofweather conditions – approach our ships atnear-sonicspeedandinflict terribledamage.Notonlymustthewarshipfireitsmissileattheearliest,theanti-missilehasto‘see’theincomingmissilethroughthevisualdisturbanceofthewaves.ThedeploymentofTrishul,themissilethathadbeenintendedforthispurpose,hadbeendelayed.

Trishulhadnotyetfinisheditsstatictrialsfromafixedlauncher,leavealonethesecondandfarmoredifficultstageofmountingitandfiringitfromasailingwarship. The navy had no option but to commission two ships devoid of anymissilearmaments.DrKalamacknowledgedthenavy’spredicament.Hedidnotretreat into denial and offered no excuses. He said, ‘The services must be

served.’The navy evaluated several systems and settled on the Israeli Barakmissile. Thuswas born a great partnership.Not onlywere theBarakmissilesinstalledonIndianNavyships,butthisinitialorderalsoblossomedintoa350-million-dollarjointprojectbetweentheIsraelimilitarytechnologysectorandtheDRDO. This collaboration would develop the Barak Extended Range SAM,which could be deployed against targets at distances of over 100 km from alaunchsite,tenyearslater.ItwouldbeanotherdecadebeforeDrKalamwouldvisitIsrael.

Thetheatreofwarwaschanging.TheideatodevelopanIndiancruisemissilecrystallized after the 1991 Gulf War, when the American Tomahawk cruisemissilesprovedtheirusefulness,cripplingIraq’scommandandcommunicationcentresinshortorderandleavingitsarmedforcesexposedtoairattacks.Thatafewhundredcruisemissilescouldisolatethe1.2-million-strongIraqimilitaryinthespaceofafewhoursseemedincredible.DrKalamfeltthatitwasnecessarytoequipIndiawithacruisemissilesystem.

Dr Kalam enjoyed tremendous goodwill in the Russian scientificestablishment.Hecalledonthisgoodwilltoestablishajointventure,ratifiedbyanagreementsignedon12February1998,creatinganequalpartnershipbetweenDRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia. Mashinostroyenia was thelegendary organization that had developed iconic cruise missiles such asMalakhitandGranit,aswellasICBMsandspacecraft.Thepurposeofthejointventurewould be the design, development,manufacture andmarketing of thesupersonic cruise missile BrahMos, named after the Rivers Brahmaputra andMoscow.

Indiaheld a50.5per cent share in the joint venture company.TheRussiancontingenthadbeenkeenforthejointventuretoberealizedasaprivatesectorcompany. Had the DRDO’s share been 51 per cent, it would have become apublic sector company, falling under India’s defence ministry. Dr SivathanuPillaiwasappointedtheCEOoftheBrahMosAerospaceCompanyandRussiainvested126.25milliondollarsaccordingtoitscommitment.DrKalamhadonceagainbeen the architect of avital technological alliance, and itwasdue innosmallmeasuretotherelationshipshehadforgedoveryears,andtheinternationalesteemheenjoyed:

ThefriendshipbetweenKalamandYefremovandtheirbelief in theirrespective teamswasakey

factor. Yefremov’s academic stature and his role as a renowned rocket designer helped removeroadblocksandsuspicionsintheRussianbureaucracy.OntheIndianside,whenKalamforwardedaproposaltoPrimeMinisterRao,thefilecamebackwithhisapprovalthesameday.1

Not content with merely building a missile of the type of the IGMDP, DrKalamwantedtheBrahMosmissiletobeafuturisticweapon–itshouldbethebestandmostadvancedinitsclass.DrKalamlaiddownhiscrispsummationofhowthismustbeachieved.Hesaid,‘Increasethespeed.Followthebasicruleofwar–whenthespeedofattackincreases,itautomaticallyreducestheresponsetimeoftheenemy.BrahMosmustbefasterthantheTomahawk.’TheTomahawkwas a long-range subsonic cruise missile. The BrahMos was designed as asupersonicmissile.Itwouldhavetwostages:thefirst,consistingofasolid-fuelrocket,wouldtakethemissiletobreakthesoundbarrier(Mach1).Thesecondstage, a liquid-fuelled ramjet,wouldpropel it toMach2.8.Themissilewouldcruiseaslowas10metresabovethewavetops,makingita‘seaskimmer’.TruetoDrKalam’svision,theBrahMosisstillthefastestcruisemissileinoperation.

With all his success in harnessing technology for missiles and aerospacepurposes, Dr Kalam could see the untapped potential for the Indian civilianaeronautical industry.He regretted the fact that India,whichwas amongst thefirst in South Asia to manufacture an aircraft, had not developed its owncompetitive passenger aeroplane.TheNationalAerospaceLaboratories (NAL)had designed the Saras turboprop multi-role light transport plane using twoCanadianPrattandWhitney turbopropengines.But theSaraswouldonly takebetween nine and fourteen passengers. Dr Kalam was passionate about thedevelopment of a passenger plane with between seventy and 100 seats, thatwould allow India to connect its regional centres to the major metropolitancities.

At times, Dr Kalam was loud and vocal about his frustration with thestagnancyintheIndianaerospaceindustry.Hesaidduringtea,afterameetingoftheAeronauticalDevelopmentAgency(ADA),2‘WhentheEmbraercompanyinBrazil,startingwitha turboproppassengeraircraft,canmakeregionalairlinerswithseventy to110seatsandsmallerbusiness jets,whycan’twe?Ifasleepy,state-ownedmanufacturerofplanesfortheBrazilianmilitarycouldbecomeoneofthefourbiggestmakersofcommercialpassengeraircraftintheworld,whatisstoppingHAL?

Hisconcernwas,however,notmerelyformatters involvingtechnologyandaeronautics.DrKalam’svisionforthecountryinthistimewouldbecomeglobalin its scope,andcomprehensive, such that itwouldmanifestasablueprint forthenation’sprogressinthefirstdecadesofthetwenty-firstcentury.In1993,DrKalam took over as chairman, Technology Information, Forecasting andAssessment Council (TIFAC). Dr Kalam and Y.S. Rajan together oversaw anextensive study by a team of 500 experts to develop a vision of India as adevelopednationbytheyear2020.Theplanwassubsequentlypublishedinthebookform.

ThebookexaminedindepthIndia’sweaknessesandstrengthsandofferedavisionofhowthecountrycouldemergeasoneoftheworld’sfirstfoureconomicpowersby2020.Farfromconcerningthemselvesmerelywithdryeconomicdataand the technical aspects of the nation’s advancement, Dr Kalam and Y.S.Rajan’s vision was particularly concerned with improvements in the lives ofordinaryIndians:

What makes a country developed? The obvious indicators are the wealth of the nation, theprosperity of its people and its standing in the international forum. There are many indicatorsregarding the wealth of a nation: the gross national product (GNP), the gross domestic product(GDP), thebalanceof payments, foreign exchange reserves, rate of economicgrowth, per capitaincome,etc.…Economicindicatorsare important,but theyprovideonlyapartof thepicture…Thenumbers,impressivethoughtheymayappear,canveilconsiderablehumanmisery,especiallythatofthecommonpeople.3

India2020 identifiedfiveareasofprogress:agricultureandfoodprocessingaimed at doubling the present production; infrastructure with reliable electricpower providing urban amenities to rural areas and increasing solar poweroperations;educationandhealthcaredirectedtowardsilliteracy,socialsecurityand overall health for the population; information and communicationtechnology for increased e-governance to promote education in remote areas,telecommunication and telemedicine; and critical technologies and strategicindustries,particularly thegrowthofnuclear technology,space technologyanddefencetechnology.India2020systematicallyoutlinedtheissuesfacingtheIndiannationandits

people. It is curiouslyprescriptive and flexible, in that it discusses thepresentapproachestotheseissues,identifiestheirmeritsanddemeritsandthenproffers

anarrayofsolutions,intheviewthatthemostfeasiblecouldbedeterminedandimplemented.Prognostication,atleastasfarasmattersinvolvingtechnologicaladvancements,islikefiringatarapidlymovingtargetfromamovingplatform.India2020understoodtheneedtoremainopentonewdevelopments,asmuchas it understood the nation’s rich heritage in traditional indigenous solutions,suchasnaturalherbalremediesandtribalsystemsofmedicine.Furthermore,DrKalamandY.S.Rajanwereequallycomfortablewithadopting thebesthealth-care methods from other civilizations, such as Chinese acupuncture for themanagementofcertainchronicpainconditions.

Unsurprisingly,givenitsproponent’sscientificbackground,Vision2020alsochampionedusingthelatestinnovationsforage-oldproblems.Itsuggestedhowtechnologycouldbeemployedtoeradicatemalaria,bymappingoutmosquito-breedingareaswithremotesensingsatellites.Additionally,itsawafreshroleforthe lasersdevelopedby theDRDO to treat glaucomaandcataracts.DrKalamandY.S.Rajanwereadamant, though, that Indiashouldnotsimply imitate theideasofothernations.Indiashouldexercisetheinherentcreativityofitspeoplein formulating the most appropriate solutions for its issues. Some of thesuggested ideas were novel but brilliant, such as the use of biodegradabletapioca-linedpaperpackagesasasubstitutefortheenvironmentallydeleteriousplasticvariety.

Whateverinnovationswouldbeadopted,though,mustbe‘user-friendly’andenhancetheaverageperson’squalityoflife.Technologyshouldnotbealienatingforanyportionofsociety.Asamanwhohaddedicatedhislifetotechnologicaladvancement yet advocated a simple lifestyle, Dr Kalam was well aware ofmodernization’s drawbacks. He suggested that progress should not make thecommonpersonapprehensive,asthiscouldleadtoinefficiencyandlowerlevelsofcustomergratification.Oneshouldbeabletoanticipatechangesthatarelikelytooccurasaresultofmodernizationandadaptaccordingly.

Atanyrate,DrKalamexpressedsupremeconfidencethatbybecomingself-reliant,ournationalself-esteemwouldriseimmeasurably.Ourtechnologywouldforge ahead, thereby raising the standard of our products and above all, thequestionof indebtedness toanyothernationwouldbeeliminated.DrKalam’sassertion – that if the nineteenth century belonged to Europe, the twentiethcentury to theUnited States, the twenty-first centurywill definitely belong to

India–awakenedalongsubduedpatrioticfervour.DrKalam’snationalprofilewaselevatedfromthatofthevenerableMissileMantotheNationalVisionary.ThroughIndia2020:AVisionfortheNewMillennium,DrKalamsharedadreamwithmillionsofIndians.

WhileDrKalamandY.S.Rajanwereapplyingthefinishingtouchestotheirprogressivevisionof thecountry’s future, thenation’s leadershipwasmired inuncertainty.GeneralelectionswereheldinIndiain1996,resultinginthedefeatof the Indian National Congress government of PrimeMinister Rao. A hungparliamentwas declared. President ShankarDayal Sharma invitedAtal BihariVajpayee,asleaderoftheBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP), toformagovernment.PrimeMinisterVajpayee could notmuster support frommore than 200of the545members of parliament and resigned, ending his thirteen-day governmentwithPramodMahajanasthedefenceminister.Duringhisshorttenure,however,PrimeMinsterVajpayeewasbriefedbytheoutgoingprimeministerRaoaboutthereadinessofthenuclearbomb.PrimeMinisterVajpayeegaveago-aheadjustbeforehisgovernmentfell.

H.D.DeveGowdatookoverfromVajpayeeastheprimeminister.MulayamSinghYadav – the former chiefminister ofUttar Pradesh, the largest state ofIndia,andaleaderofthemasses–becamethedefenceminister.HedevelopedastrongpersonalbondwithDrKalamandevengavehimsomeHindi-languagelessons.Mulayam Singh sharedwithDrKalam his vision at the SouthAsianAssociation for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), established on 8 December1985.HeenvisagedaGreatIndianUnionalongthelinesoftheEuropeanUnion,with intrinsic economic connectivity and complete freedom of movement ofpeople across the Indian subcontinent. Mulayam Singh told Dr Kalam to bereadywiththenuclearbomb.SuchwastherespectMulayamSinghgavetoDrKalamthathewouldwalkintoDrKalam’sofficeintheSouthBlockwheneverheneededhim,insteadofcallinghimtohischamber.

ButPrimeMinisterDeveGowdadidnotsharehispredecessors’enthusiasmfor India’snuclearprogramme, andhe refused togivepermission to carryoutnucleartests.

InNovember1996,PresidentJiangZeminofChinacametoIndia.Itwasthefirst visit to India of the head of state of the People’s Republic of China. DrKalam had read extensively about China and was most reverent towards the

Chinese civilization. He asked me while I was assisting him with hisautobiography, to brief him on the guiding socio-political theory credited toJiang Zemin. Known as ‘The Important Thought of Three Represents’, thistheory was ratified by the Communist Party of China at the sixteenth partycongressin2002.DrKalamwantedtostudythistheorywhilehefurtherrefinedtheIndia2020vision.

President Jiang Zemin, the paramount leader of China, articulated that anation ispoweredby threepowerful forces.Heasserted that the threemustberepresented in the government, to prevent the implosion and dissipation ofcreative and productive energy into internal squabbling and even conflict. Hedefinedthe‘threerepresents’as:theadvancedsocialproductiveforcescarryingout economic production, the progressive course of China’s advanced culturetaking care of the cultural development of its people, and the fundamentalinterestsofthemajorityleadingtoapoliticalconsensus.

SincethefoundingoftheCommunistPartyofChinain1921,andcommunistChina in 1949, three major theoretical expressions have been formulated toguidethenationbuildingatdifferentstages.MaoZedong’s‘Thought’combinedMarxismwiththepracticalsituationoftheChineserevolution.TheaimofDengXiaoping’s‘Theory’wastobuildsocialismwithChinesecharacteristics.Andthe‘ThreeRepresents’ theorymarked anothermilestone for both party and nationbuilding.

What relevancedid these have for India?DrKalam said, ‘Thegovernmentmust always represent the development trend of India’s advanced productiveforces.Itmeansthatthegovernment’sprogramme,principles,policiesandallitsworkmust be in line with the laws governing the development of productiveforces; itmust embody the requisites for constantly furthering the release anddevelopmentofproductiveforces,especiallyadvancedproductiveforces;anditmuststeadilyraisethepeople’sstandardoflivingbydevelopingtheproductiveforces.’

DrKalamalsopropoundedhisnowfamiliarmantraontheroleofacademicand ideological principles in nation building: ‘Government’s programmes,principles,policiesandall itsworkmustembodytherequisitesforguidingthedevelopmentofanational,scientificandpopularsocialistculturegearedtotheneedsofmodernization,theworldandthefuture.Thesemustbeimplementedin

ordertoimprovetheideologicalandethicalstandardsandscientificandculturallevelsofthewholenationandtoprovidemotivationandintellectualsupportforIndia’seconomicdevelopmentandsocialprogress.’

Dr Kalam added, ‘Saying that the government represents the fundamentalinterests of the overwhelming majority of the people means that in itsprogramme,principles,policiesandallitswork,itmustpersevereintakingthefundamental interestsof thepeopleas itsstartingpointandobjective,givefullexpression to the people’s enthusiasm, initiative and creativity; and enable thepeopletoconstantlyobtaintangibleeconomic,politicalandculturalbenefitsonthebasisofsocialdevelopmentandprogress.’

ThesituationoftheIndiangovernmentatthattimestarklycontrastedwiththe‘ThreeRepresents’theory.TheGowdagovernmentcollapsedinApril1997,andtheCongresswithdrewitssupportforthecoalition.Thereasongivenwasthat,althoughGowda’sminorityUnitedFront governmentwas dependent upon theCongress,hedidnotconsultthepartyregardingimportantmatters.InderKumarGujral, widely regarded as a peacenik and minister for external affairs inGowda’scabinet,waschosenasthenewcoalitionleader.PrimeMinisterGujralreappointedeverysingleministerfromGowda’scabinet.Healsopubliclystatedthattherewouldbenochangeineconomicorforeignpolicies.

PrimeMinisterGujralwasof theview that1997wasnot the right time fornucleartesting.Hepreferredtomaintainthecountry’sexistingnucleardeterrent,and was concerned about the ramifications of India brandishing its nuclearcapability.Hefeltthatthecountrycouldnotaffordtheeconomicanddiplomaticfallout that would doubtless follow nuclear tests – sanctions and internationalopprobrium–muchlesshisgovernmentmaintainitstenuousholdonpower.Inany event, Prime Minister Gujral was a great admirer of Dr Kalam and hiscontributiontoIndia’sspaceandmissile-buildingcapability.

BothPrimeMinisterGujral andDefenceMinisterMulayamSinghbelievedthatDrKalam symbolized the scientific strengthof India.To send a powerfulmessageabouttheimportancethegovernmentgavetoIndia’ssecurity–notjusttothenationbutalsoacrosstheworld–theydecidedthatDrKalamshouldbeawarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest honour. This award wasannouncedinNovember1997.HewasthesecondscientistafterSirC.V.Ramantoreceivetheaward.

PARTTHREE

REALIZATION

Life isadreamfor thewise,agamefor the fool,acomedyfor the rich,a tragedyfor thepoor.

–SholomAleichemNineteenth-centuryYiddishauthor

P

3.1

MajorGeneralPrithviraj

Theatomicbombmadetheprospectoffuturewarunendurable. Ithas ledusup those lastfewstepstothemountainpass;andbeyondthereisadifferentcountry.

–J.RobertOppenheimerFatheroftheatomicbomb

olitically, theworldisacomplexsystemofcompetingforcesandinterests.Theworldorderremains inequilibrium–andpeaceprevails–whenthese

forcescompensateeachother,likethetwoweightspushingdownonthearmsofa pair of scales. The equilibrium is delicate; any small event may disturb itsstillness – and this is especially sowith themyriad of opposing forces on thesubcontinent.Theequilibriumherewasdisturbedin1998whenPakistantestedthe nuclear-capable Ghauri missile, a weapon of mass destruction that couldthreatenIndia’sheartland.

While India had been treading a long path of science and technologicaldevelopmentandhadbeenatsomepainsnottooffendinternationalanti-nuclearsentiment,Pakistanhadquietlybecomefullynuclear-capable.Moreover, ithaddone so with the complicity of a rogue state and forces inimical to India,unmindfulofworldwideconsequences.Thiswasnuclearproliferationbyproxy,and it had delivered weapons of mass destruction into Pakistan’s hands; itsmilitary could now deploy nuclear missiles capable of striking targets deepinsideIndianterritory.

Inasinisterbarterthatwoulddeeplytroubleobserversthroughouttheworld,PakistanhadobtainedNorthKoreanNo-Dongmissiles and in returnprovidedthe secretive regime nuclear design and enrichment equipment. India had nooptionnowbuttodevelopitsnuclearcapabilityinsymmetrywithPakistan’s,toregainthedelicatebalancebetweenthecountries.Forthis,itwasimperativethat

the Agni family of ballistic missiles were nuclear-weaponized without anyfurtherdelay.DrKalamhad,atanyrate,beenadvocatingthisforseveralyears.He had even built some consensus within the establishment on this; but thepolitical leadershipwas reluctant tomove forward in the face of internationalpressure,andnucleartestingwasabandoned.Reluctancewouldnowgivewaytoresolve.

The 1998 general elections gave an exclusive public mandate for theBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP).TheBJPelectioncampaignhadalreadyvoicedtheparty’s intention to further the nation’s nuclearweapons programme if itwerevotedtopower.Theelectionvictoryindeedcleareddoubtinanyone’smindonthe nuclear question. There was now a broad consensus that India shouldbecomeanopenlynuclearpower,iffornootherreason,thentobeaffordeditsdeservedstatusontheworldstage.ThePakistanmissileshockwouldonlyaddurgencytothenuclearissue.

The bitter experience of 1995,when the plans of testing the nuclear bombwere leaked to the United States, was still fresh in the leaders’ minds.InternationalpressureledbytheUShadbeenexertedsuchthattestinghadtobeaborted.This time, Indiawasnot simply exercising adefenceprerogative; thenation’s military capabilities had to be brought in symmetry with its mostimplacablefoe’s.PrimeMinisterVajpayeethereforedecidedthateverymeasureshouldbetakentokeeptheimpendingnucleartrialsfrombeingexposed.Hedidnot share his intelligence with his cabinet colleagues, including even, of allpeople,DefenceMinisterGeorgeFernandes,who remainednone thewiser forthesedevelopments.

PokhranhadseenthebeginningsofnuclearIndia,anditwouldnowheralditscoming of age as a full-fledged nuclear power. Pokhran is a small town in aremote location in theTharDesert, in the Jaisalmer district ofRajasthan. Thefirstundergroundnuclear testwasperformedhere in1974. It issurroundedbyrocks, sand and five salt ranges. The name Pokhran means ‘place of fivemirages’,anaptnameforthisarid,scorchedwasteland.Inanyevent,thesemi-desert conditions with uninterrupted clear skies, gently undulating terrain andonly shoulder-high thorny bushes didn’t provide much cover against spysatellites.World powers, both benign and hostile, had beenwatching Pokhranfromtheskiesforsometime,seekinganycluesofanucleartest.

Within a fortnight of securing a vote of confidence for his coalitiongovernmentintheparliament,PrimeMinisterVajpayeecalledDrKalamandDrR. Chidambaram and authorized them to conduct the nuclear tests. BrajeshMishra,principalsecretarytotheprimeministerandhismosttrustedaide,wasnominated as the single authority in the bureaucracy for their liaison. Thirtydays’ timewasthoughtreasonablenoticefor thoseresponsible tocarryout thetests.PresidentK.R.Narayananwas scheduled to tourLatinAmerica from26April to10May1997.DrChidambaram’sdaughterwasgettingmarriedon27April; his absence before this significant family event would betray to allobservers that somethingmomentouswas afoot.A full-moon-night enthusiast,DrKalamsuggestedtheBuddhaPurnimaDayforthetests,whichwouldbe11May1998.Withbarelyanydiscussion,everyoneconcurredwholeheartedlyonthisauspiciousdate.

The Pokhran range area had been under the charge of the 58 EngineerRegimentoftheIndianArmy’sCorpsofEngineers.Theregimenthaddugthreeshaftsovertheprecedingseveralyears,workingduringthenighthourstoavoiddetectionof their activitiesby spy satellites.Thereweremanydry, abandonedwellsinthearea,andafewofthemweredeepenedandwidenedinto50-metre-deepshafts.Theshaftsandfacilitieswerekeptinastateofcontinuousreadinessformorethanayearsothatatestcouldbedonewithinaslittleastendaysofadecision.

As part of the strict protocol to maintain secrecy, Dr Kalam and DrChidambaramdonnedarmygreenswhenevertheyvisitedPokhran,andtheirrealidentitieswereneverofficiallyrevealedtothepeopleworkingthere.DrKalamwasknownasMajorGeneralPrithviraj,andDrChidambaramwascalledMajorGeneral Natraj. Dr Anil Kakodar, director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC), and the 100-odd scientists and technologists from the BARC andDRDOwhodescendedonPokhran to conduct the tests,werealsogivenarmyfatiguesandfalsemilitaryidentities.

Anuclearweaponderivesitsdestructiveforcefromnuclearreactions,eitherfission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion (thermonuclearbomb). Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively smallamounts of matter. This series of tests would explode six bombs. Athermonuclear device was lowered into a 200-metre-deep shaft codenamed

WhiteHouseandsealed.Afissionbombwassetinplaceatthebottomofa150-metre-deep shaft code-named TajMahal and sealed. A sub-kiloton bombwasplaced inashaftnamedKumbhakaran.Theother three50-metreshafts for thesecondtestseriesweredesignatedNavatala(‘newwell’inHindi),abbreviatedasNT1,2,and3.

A thermonuclear weapon is a nuclear weapon that uses the energy from aprimary nuclear fission reaction to compress and ignite a secondary nuclearfusionreaction.Theresultisanexplosionofmuchgreaterpowerthanthatofasingle-stage fissionweapon. It is colloquially referred to as a hydrogenbomb,becauseitemployshydrogenfusion.Thefissionstageinthermonuclearweaponsgives rise to their fusion. The concept of the thermonuclearweaponwas firstdevelopedandusedin1952andhassincebeenemployedinthedesignofmostoftheworld’snuclearweapons.Thefission–fusioncombinationisfavouredforits efficiency: A thermonuclear weapon weighing little more than 1,000kilogramscanproduceanexplosiveforcecomparabletothedetonationofmorethan 1.2 million tonnes of trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive material used ingeneralwarfare.Anucleardevicenolargerthantraditionalbombscandevastateanentirecitybyblast,fireandradiation.

Sub-kilotondevicesare low-yieldnucleardevices.Theyareusedas tacticalnuclearweaponsforbattlefieldsupportpurposestoreplaceshort-rangemissilesandbombs.OneofthepurposesforthePokhrannucleartests,whichweremoreof a scientific rather than military nature, was to provide data for computersimulation for designing nuclear weapons and to provide technical inputs forultra-low-yield experimental blasts. Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshimaand Nagasaki, nuclear weapons have been detonated on over two thousandoccasions for the purposes of testing and demonstration – sometimes at greatcost to theenvironmentandhumanity.Theearlyatmosphericorabove-groundtests and high-altitude or exoatmospheric nuclear explosions were especiallydeleterioustotheenvironmentandsurroundingpopulations.

DrKalam,DrChidambaramandDrKakodkarwere standing together nearthe test site in themoonlitnightof10–11May1998.But for thesoundof thewindtherewastotalsilence.Suddenly,allthreeuttered,almostsimultaneously,thenameofDrHomiBhabha.Thisledtoanhour-longdiscussionbetweenthethreegreatmindsofnuclearenergyaboutthedreamofDrBhabha,tomeetthe

energyneedsofIndiausingelectricityderivedfromnuclearfission.Inthe1950s,DrHomiBhabhadreamedofsecuringIndia’slong-termenergy

independence through the use of uranium and thorium reserves found in themonazitesandsofcoastalregionsofsouthIndia.Indiahadonlyaround1–2percentoftheglobaluraniumreserves,butabout25percentoftheworld’sknownthorium reserves – one of the largest national shares of global thorium. DrBhabhawasoftheviewthatwithtotalreservesofthoriuminIndiaamountingtoover500,000tonnesinthereadilyextractableform,thecountrycouldproduce500Gigawattofelectricalenergyannuallyforatleastfourcenturies.KalamwasquitefamiliarwiththescienceinvolvedinDrHomiBhabha’svision,andwroteaboutitinthebookIco-authoredwithhim:

When mixed with natural uranium plutonium-239 undergoes fission to produce energy.Interestingly, in thisprocess,uranium-238gets transmuted intoplutonium-239and ‘breeds’morefuel than it consumes. For this reason, such reactors are called Fast Breeding Reactors (FBR).Thoriumitselfisnotafissilematerial,andthuscannotundergofissiontoproduceenergy.Itisonlyonbuildinguptheinventoryofplutonium-239thatthoriumcanbeintroducedasablanketmaterialinthereactorandtransmutedtouranium-233foruseinthethirdstage.1

The three scientists paid tribute to the great soul Dr Bhabha. Each one ofthemfelttheyhadbeenluckytomeetthissciencelegend.Futuregenerationsfedon the propaganda of consumerismwould hardly believe that such visionarieshad walked on Indian soil, the trio of Dr Kalam, Dr Chidambaram and DrKakodkar lamented. Each of these men had dedicated much of his life tofulfilling the dream of nuclear self-reliance, bequeathed them by Dr Bhabha.TheyknewthatwithoutDrBhabha,theywouldnotbestandingtherethatnight.

Thedayof11May1998brokewithheavygustsblowingthepowderydesertsands.ThewindwaslikelytotakethedustcreatedbytheexplosiontowardsthetownofPokhran.Theywouldhavetowait.PrimeMinisterVajpayeecancelledallhisengagementsforthedayandstayedathomenearthesecuredhotlinefromthetestsite.DrKalamrememberedaverybeautifulsentencehereadsomewhereinhisyoungdays:‘Youusuallyhavetowaitforthatwhichisworthwaitingfor.’

DrKalamcalledat3.00p.m. to tell theprimeminister that thewindsweredyingdownandthetestscouldbeconductedduringthenexthour.At3:43:44.2p.m. IST, the first threedevicesweredetonated simultaneously.Thecombined

forceofthethreeblastsliftedanareaaboutthesizeofacricketgroundtoafewmetresabovetheearth,sendingbillowingcloudsofdustandsandintotheair.Incontrasttothe1974explosion,therewasnothoughtofclaimingthatthesewere‘peaceful tests’. Indeed, government officials quickly emphasized themilitarynatureof the explosions. ‘These tests have established that Indiahas aprovencapabilityforaweaponizednuclearprogramme,’BrajeshMishratoldreporters.

Twodayslater,on13May1998thetwosub-kilotondevicesloweredinNT1and2weredetonatedunderground.ThedeviceinNT3waspulledoutandtakenbackunderordersfromDrR.Chidambaram,ashefeltthattheteamalreadyhadthe results they wanted with just five blasts. As he told the team laconically,‘Whywasteit?’ThePokhran-IInucleartesthadnowprovedthearrivalinIndiaofmore powerful and lighter nuclearweapons, small enough to be carried bymissiles.

Pakistanwasquicktorespondtothetests.On28May1998,PakistancarriedoutnucleartestsatRasKohHillsintheChagaidistrictofBalochistanprovince.Itwasfollowedbyanotherteston30May1998.PrimeMinisterNawazShariffamously said, ‘If India had not exploded the bomb, Pakistanwould not havedoneso.OnceNewDelhididso,wehadnochoicebecauseofpublicpressure.’

Nevertheless,DrKalamwasderisiveofthecommotionintheWesternmediafollowingthetestsofMay1998.Hetoldme,‘WhyshouldBritainhaveanucleararsenal, but not India?Why did nobody say anything when the French wereconducting atmospheric nuclear tests in occupied Algiers? Are these notreasonable questions? The answer does not lie in claiming that Britain andFrancehaveadivine right tonuclearweaponry,buta trulyethical exampleofunilateralnucleardisarmament,whichtheWestwasnotinterestedinandneitherweretheSovietsandtheChinese.’

While we were discussing this, I could not help but think of the unlikelymilitarypersonality,MajorGeneralPrithviraj,wearinghisuniformwithaveryun-militaryabandon.IwonderedifthespysatelliteshoveringoverPokhranhadcaptured images ofDrKalam’s hair. The flowing silvery locks that protrudedincongruously from the military hat of Major General Prithviraj would havebeenadeadgiveaway.

Whilehewouldhavebeenquiteunconvincingasamilitaryofficer,DrKalamhadaveritablearsenalofothertalents.InJanuary1999,DrKalampublishedhis

autobiographyWingsofFire,2whichIco-authored.Besidesthestoryofhislifeandthegratefulmentionofhisparents,teachersandmentorswhoshapedhimtosucceed,thebookintroducedtotheworldDrKalam’spenchantforpoetry.Thebookcontainedmanyofhispoemsandhisfavouritepoemsofothers.

DonotlookatAgniAsanentitydirectedupwardTodetertheominousOrexhibityourmight.ItisfireintheheartofanIndian.

DonotevengiveitTheformofamissileAsitclingstotheBurningprideofthisnationAndthusisbright.

The book was very well received by the public and critically acclaimed.Bhawani Prasad Chattopadhyay in The Statesman called it ‘a book worth itsweight in gold’. Prof. M.S. Mukunda at IISc wrote in Resonance, ‘There issomethingthateverybodycanextractfromthisbook…Thebookisworthyofbeing readbyevery Indian.’Whena reporterasked journalist andbroadcastingexecutiveM.V.Kamath– inan interviewpublished inTheAsianAge–whichbookwouldhemakecompulsoryreading,heanswered,‘A.P.J.AbdulKalam’sWingsofFire.’

Somemonthsafter thebookwasreleased,DrKalamwasgoingthroughthehundredsofletterswithmethatthereadersofWingsofFirehadsenthim.Onereaderwrotethathefeltlikeafellow-travellerwithDrKalamwhilereadingthestory of his life. Dr Kalam was deeply touched and explained to me themetaphorof life as a journey that is given form in theQuran.DrKalamsaid,‘The course of the journey metaphor in the Quran explains life as a moraljourney.Amanisgiventhegiftoffreewill.Thereisgoodmorallifeandthereisbad immoral life.There isagoodway, straightpathand there isabadway,aconvoluted path. Then there are many fellow-travellers. There are righteousfellow-travellers. There are wicked fellow-travellers. There is God as a guideandtheShaitanasthemisleaderpermittedbyGodtotestman.Godiseverreadyto support the righteous and obstruct the wicked. He sends fellow-travellers

accordingly.’On 20 February 1999, Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz

Sharif createdhistorybyopening thegates of friendship at theWagahborder,breaching thewalls of hatred that had symbolized India–Pakistan relations forthe preceding fifty-one years. When Prime Minister Vajpayee arrived at thebordercheck-postintheDelhi–Lahorebusaccompaniedbytwenty-twoeminentIndians, PrimeMinister Nawaz Sharif stood there to receive him.As the twoleadersshookhandsandembraced,hundredsofpeoplelineduponbothsidesoftheborder,celebratingtheevent.Itwasadefiningmomentinthehistoryofthesubcontinent.Despitethenucleartestsonbothsidesoftheborder,theleadershipofthecountriesmanagedtomakeinroadstowardsapeacefulcoexistence.

Nevertheless, Indiawouldcontinue topursue its fullnuclearcapability.TheAgni-IIwasfirsttestedon11April1999fromaconvertedrailcarriage,witharoofthatslidopentoallowthemissiletoberaisedtotheverticallaunchpositionby two large hydraulic pistons. The launch process was controlled from aseparate railcar.Themissilewas launched fromWheeler IslandnearBalasore.ThemissilesplasheddownintheBayofBengal2,100kilometresdown-range.TheliquidpropulsionstageofAgni-Iwasreplacedbyasolidpropellantmotor,makingAgni-IIanall-solid-propellantsystem.Themissilewouldshortlyseearoad-mobileconfiguration,lendingflexibilityandreducingvulnerabilitytofirststrike.

InApril 1999, the Pakistani incursion into the area that divided the Indianterritory of Ladakh from the northern areas of the state Jammu andKashmir,took the Indian Army by surprise. It was known that some elements of thePakistaniarmedforceswerecovertlytrainingandsendingPakistani troopsandparamilitaryforcesintoterritoryontheIndiansideoftheLineofControl(LOC).The latest infiltration, though, was more serious, aimed at severing the linkbetweenKashmir andLadakh and forcing Indian troops towithdraw from theSiachenGlacier.Butthatitwouldhappenalmostimmediatelyafterthehistoricvisit of the Indian primeminister to Pakistan, where hewas accorded such awarmreception,onlyaddedtoIndia’sdismay.TheLadakhincursionmadelittlediplomaticsense.

BeforethePartitionofIndiain1947,KargilwaspartoftheBaltistandistrictofLadakh,athinlypopulatedregionwithdiverselinguistic,ethnicandreligious

groups, living in isolated valleys separated by some of the world’s highestmountains.TheKashmirwarof1947–48concludedwiththeLOCdividingtheBaltistandistrict,with the townanddistrictofKargil lyingon the Indianside.After Pakistan’s defeat in the war of 1971, the two nations signed the SimlaAgreement promising not to engage in armed conflict with respect to thatboundary.

AftertheincursioninKargil,NawazSharif,primeministerofPakistanduringthe conflict, claimed that he was unaware of the operation, and that he firstlearnedaboutthesituationwhenhereceivedanurgenttelephonecallfromPrimeMinisterVajpayee.Heblamedtheincursiononhisgenerals.

The fundamental fact is that hawkish tendencies exist in both India andPakistan,andbothnationsneedtoreducethem.JustasjihadisexistinPakistan,anti-Pakistan hardliners exist in India. The issues and enmity between thecountries cannot be solved easily. Processes are complex and opinions areformedovermanyyears.Thereare,however,somanybrilliantpeopleonbothsides;andsuchgreatnaturalresources.Combined,oratleastcooperative,Indiaand Pakistan could have been far ahead of China, and perhaps among thegreatest of developed nations in theworld.DrKalam’s understanding of suchconundrumswasphilosophical,andinspiredbyancientscripture:

InMahabharata,whenBhishmawaslyingonhisbedofarrows,waitingforthemomentofhisdeathand the Pandavas approached him for his advice, he told them, ‘Nobody is anybody’s friend.Nobodyisanybody’senemy.Itisthecircumstancesthatmakeenemiesandfriends.’Theworldwillnotbethesameinafewdecadesfromwhatitistoday.Theevolvingstrategicthinkingprocessmustberesponsivetothenewworldorder.3

ItwastimeforDrKalamtomoveoutofDRDO.Hefeltthathehadstayedfor a little too long. Dr V.K. Aatre, chief controller (R&D) of DRDO anderstwhiledirectoroftheNavalPhysicalandOceanographicLaboratory(NPOL),Cochin,tookoverfromDrKalam.ButtheGovernmentofIndiawasinnomoodtoletDrKalamsettledowntoretirement.

InNovember1999,TheOfficeof thePrincipalScientificAdviser (PSA) totheGovernmentofIndiawascreated.DrKalamwasappointedthefirstoccupantofthisexaltedposition.ThePSAwouldevolvepolices,strategiesandmissionsforthegenerationofinnovationsandsupportsystemsformultipleapplications.

Moreover, the PSA would generate science and technology tasks in criticalinfrastructure, economic and social sectors in partnership with governmentdepartments, institutions and industry. This office would also function as thesecretariattotheScientificAdvisoryCommittee(SAC)tothecabinet.

DrKalamfeltthatcarryingoutevidence-basedstudiesforpolicyandstrategyinitiativeswasparticularlyimportant.Developmentandpilotprojecteffortswerenecessarytonucleateandcatalysemulti-disciplinaryprojectsorhelptonetworkinstitutions with common goals for enhancing national competitiveness andnational-security-related technologies. Dr Kalam invited Y.S. Rajan, his long-timefriendwhowasnowretiredfromTIFAC,toheadhisnewteam.Iflifeisajourney,Y.S.Rajanwasafinefellow-travellerforDrKalam.

T

3.2

Aarif

Youronlyobligation inany lifetime is tobe true toyourself.Being true toanyoneelseoranythingelseisnotonlyimpossible,butthemarkofafakemessiah.

–RichardBachAuthorofJonathanLivingstonSeagull

he PSA office was housed in the Vigyan Bhavan Annexe, the adjacentbuildingtoVigyanBhavan,apremierconventioncentretheGovernmentof

Indiahadbuiltin1956adjacenttothevice-president’shouseonMaulanaAzadRoad.DrKalamhadhispersonalsecretaryH.Sheridon transferred to thenewoffice.DrRajan tookoverasDrKalam’sscientificsecretary.For the first fewweeks, itwasnotclearwhat thenewofficewoulddo.Memoriesof thesleepytimesofADEintheearly1950sandtheuncertaintyofthepostSLV-3daysatISRO returned. But like then,DrKalam and his teamwouldmake their ownwork. Drawing from his rich experience at ISRO headquarters and at theDepartmentofScienceandTechnology(DST),DrY.S.Rajanmade thePSAafunctionalentityintheGovernmentofIndia.

Insteadofallowinghisofficetobecomeanotheradd-ontothegreatscientificbureaucracy that had evolved over the years in India, Dr Kalam perceived apressingrequirementfornewmeansofachievinghisgoals.Unquestionably,hewasaveteraninhandlingtortuousbureaucraticmatters;hisabilityherewasoneofhisstrongsuits.HehadsecuredDGCIapproval for thestent,presidedoverdistribution of FRO to the needy and relocated people every time he hadlaunched a missile in Balasore. He had successfully negotiated bureaucraticmazes by a persistent and straightforward approach – andwith his trademarkcharm.Butnow,hesoughtaninnovativeapproachtothecorridorsofpower.

Not thatonecoulddiscount thepowerofhischarm,norhiscommitment to

seeingaprojectthroughtofruition.ButnoteveryonewasA.P.J.AbdulKalam,and even with his abilities and stature, he sometimes felt challenged by theintricaciesofthegovernmentbureaucracy.Furthermore,hewasnolongeryoungbyanystretch,andhefeltanurgentneedtomoveforwardwithhisplans.Therehad to be better methods for doing good work within the system; AbrahamLincoln’s fundamentalprincipleofagovernmentof thepeople,by thepeople,forthepeoplebecamehisguidinglight.DrKalamdecidedtocreateanicheforhisoffice,byboldlytakingsociallyrelevantissues–whichhadbeenlostinthelabyrinth of multiple ministries – directly to the Cabinet for approval andimplementation. He was determined to make a difference in the lives ofeverydayIndians,andhewouldcircumvent red tapeandvested interests todoso.

Conversely,hewouldbringhiseyesandearsclosertothepeople.Forthis,hewould need to identify the bestminds of the times,whichwas another of hisstrong suits.WhenDrKalammovedout of themighty corridors of theSouthBlocktounderstandthelargerproblemsofthepeopleofIndiainhisnewrole,hefoundresonanceinthreepeople:DrKakarlaSubbarao,professorofradiologyattheAlbertEinsteinInstituteofMedicineinNewYork,whohadbeencalledbyN.T.RamaRao,thechiefministerofAndhraPradeshtosetupNizam’sInstituteofMedicalSciencesinHyderabad;R.M.Lala,theco-founderoftheCentreforthe Advancement of Philanthropy (CAP) and its chairman since 1993; andChandru Shahani, the chairman of Klenzaids, an engineering company inMumbai,workinginthefieldofcleanmanufacturingsettingsforthebiologicalandelectronicsindustries.

DrKalam drew onDrKakarla Subbarao’s passion for bringing the best ofmedicalsciencefortheserviceofhispatients,whatevertheirbackground.WhileworkingattheaffiliatedhospitalsofAlbertEinsteinCollegeofMedicineinNewYorkatMontefiore, JacobiandBronx-Lebanon,DrKakarlaSubbaraocame incontact with thousands of poor African American patients who faceddiscrimination at every turn. Even after segregation ended, African AmericanpeoplefacedallmannerofbigotryandracisminthegreatAmericancities.Theyhad poorer schools, lesser resources directed to their areas and suffered fromprejudicebasedonthecolouroftheirskin.Theirneedswereoftenignored;theyweremostlytreatedasanafterthoughtbythoseinpower.DrSubbaraoplayeda

keyroleintheformationoftheTeluguAssociationofNorthAmerica(TANA),andbroughtTelugu-speakingpeople together inAmericabeforehewas calledback to India. Inspired by Dr Kalam, Dr Subbarao used his life’s savings tocreateatrustforthestudyofradiologyandaninternationalschoolforchildrenintheShaikpetareaofHyderabad.

DrKalamcametoknowaboutR.M.LalaafterreadinghisbookCelebrationof theCells,written in the formof letters toa friendwhohadbeendiagnosedwith cancer. Lala chose journalism as his career at the age of nineteen andestablished the first book-publishing house from India inLondon in 1959.HefoundedHimmatWeeklywithRajmohanGandhi,abiographerandgrandsonofMahatmaGandhi,whichheedited for adecade. In1974,Lala joined theTataGroupandwasworkingdirectorof theSirDorabjiTataTrustwhenDrKalamfirstmethim.HesharedwithDrKalamthathehadworkedintheTatatrustsforalmosttwentyyearsbeforeJ.R.D.Tatahadinvitedhimtoactuallyjointhetrusts.ButJRDneverinterferedinhisduties,eventhoughhewasthechairmanandhadthepowertodoso.Hepossessed,alongwithDrKalam,thesameattributeofalltrulygreatleaders:heknewwhentousehispowerandwhennottouseit.

Chandru Shahaniwas suffering from a rare type of blood cancerwhenDrKalammet him first in 1999.His indomitable spirit touchedDrKalam.Theirfriendship over the years facilitated the indigenous development of biologics.Although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved manyformsofbiologicaltherapy,othersremainedexperimentalandwereavailabletocancerpatientsprincipallythroughparticipationinclinicaltrials.DrKalamusedhisgoodofficestotakecareoftheregulatoryissuesforthesetherapies.Shahanidevelopedfourmobile-levelbiologicalfacilitiestocultivateandcontainbacteriatostimulatethebody’simmunesystemtoactagainstcancercells.

InMay2000,DrKalaminvitedfiftymedicalexperts,directorsofgovernmentlaboratories, researchers and industrialists to Vigyan Bhavan. This diverseselectionofprominentmindsattended thismeeting tobrainstormonhow life-savingtreatmentsbasedonmoderntechniquescouldbemadeaffordableinIndiaandotherdevelopingcountries.Themagnitudeandseverityofpreventableandtreatablenon-communicablediseases–diabetes,stroke,cancerandheartdisease– had brought the affordability ofmedicines to the forefront of global publichealth.DrKalamcalledontheseeminentpeopleofthehealthsectortoevolvea

blueprintformoretimelyandaffordableaccesstomedicines,notonlyinIndiabutforthewholeworld’spoor.

Therewasageneralconsensusatthemeetingthatifmedicineswerepricedatthe cost of production under an alternative research and development system,they would immediately become more affordable. Moreover, the budgets ofgovernmentsubsidyprogrammesandcharitieswouldbeabletoprovidegreatercoverage and treatment to those who needed it. Dr Kalam told themembers,‘Multinationalcorporations foundedon thewealthamassedduringcolonialismwould never work for the poor of this world. They undertake research as amoney-multiplyingactivity.Indiancompaniesmustfindsolutionsfortheirownpeople.Theywouldbecomegreatmultinationalcorporationseventually,astheirproductswillbeusedbythreebillionpoorpeopleoftheworld.’

This meeting proved the beginning of three great developments in Indianhealthcare:thedevelopmentofamalariavaccine,indigenouslivertransplants,andstemcellresearchinophthalmology.Notmuch,though,couldbeachievedin thewayofbringingdown thehighcostofpatentedpharmaceuticals, stents,andcancertreatmentusingbiologics.

IndigenousagriculturaldevelopmentalsohadlongbeenakeeninterestforDrKalam,anditfeaturedheavilyinhisIndia2020.Henowinitiatedapilotprojectinvolving3,000farmingfamiliesthatimplementedasystemicapproachforthecultivationofrice,wheatandpulses.Theconstantsupplyofinputmaterialssuchas seeds, fertilizers andpesticideshadbeenmet throughpeople’sparticipationwiththecreationoftheAgroServiceCentreandtheSeedGrowersAssociation.Knowledgeempowermentoffarmerswithimprovedcultivationtechnologywasgiven a special thrust. This made a significant impact on the productivity ofcrops,particularlyriceandwheat.Productivityofriceinprojectareasincreasedfrom2to5.5tonnesperhectareandofwheatfrom0.9to2.6tonnesperhectare.Mostencouragingwasthereadinessofthefarmerstoadoptthenewtechnology.DrKalamkeptacloseeyeon theprojectandwasgratifiedwith theresults: ‘IwascontinuouslyincontactwithPaliganjfarmersofBihar.TheTIFACmissionhas resulted in doubling the productivity of rice and wheat in areas near RPChannel-5 in Bihar using innovative integrated farming and marketingmethods.’1

InJanuary2000,IaccompaniedDrKalamonavisit toBihar.Westayedat

theGovernmentGuestHouseneartheBiharassembly.ItwasaBritishcolonial-erabuildingwithgloriouslyhighceilings,largewoodenstairsmadeofmassiveteak planks, decorative lamps and, of course, vintage furniture. It possessed akindofstiff-necked,fustycharm;butnotallwas toDrKalam’s liking.Wesatdown to breakfast the first morning after we arrived, and Dr Kalam becameimmediately agitated. The staff had prepared for him a typically Englishbreakfastoftoastandjam.Hecalledmeandaskedmetogodowntothekitchentoseeifsomething‘eatable’couldbeserved:‘Don’ttellmethattheseguyseatthisforbreakfasthere!’

ThecookmostrespectfullyexplainedtomethatmostofthesahibswhocamefromDelhiwereservedthisbreakfast.ItoldthecookthatDrKalamwasnotasahib,hewasasaint.Thecookenthusiasticallycookedhotbhaatinaboutfifteenminutes’timeandservedittoDrKalam,whoateitgleefully.

In the evening, Dr Kalam was taking his usual post-dinner stroll in thesprawlingcourtyardof theguesthouse,whenhenoticedagiant tamarind tree.Hebecameanimatedandsaid,‘Look,funnyguy,thesefunnyguyshavesuchabig tree full of tamarinds, but did not put evenone inmybhaat.Why areweIndianssoblindtoourowngiftsandunsureof thesoundnessofourtraditionsthatwemimictheeatinghabitsandfoodsoftheforeigners?’

Throughout,DrKalamwas a curiousmix of simplicity of habits and greatintellectual complexity; but he was by no means a sahib yearning for thetrappings of a glorious past. Everything in his life was forward-looking andprogressive. Even his spartan lifestyle served its purpose here; he had noextraneousretinueorpointlessattachment tomaterialgoods thatcould impedehisprogress–physicalorspiritual.Evenasageadvancedonhim,hekeptupacrackingpace,hissprightlygaitmatchedbyasimilarlysprightlymind.

Andhisfocusremainedonbringingtechnologicalprogresstohiscountry.On5May2000,DrKalaminauguratedthefirst telemedicinelinkconnectingCareHospitalwithMehboobnagarDistrictHospitalonaV-SATlinkprovidedbytheHughesEscortsCommunicationsLtd.DrB.SomaRajuopenedanewfacilityofCare Hospital at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Dr Kalam joined the board ofdirectorsofQualityCareIndiaLtd., theholdingcompanythatownedtheCareHospitals.

Education, asDrKalam knew, is the key to technological development. In

October 2000, Dr Kalam met Azim Premji during his visit to theWipro-GECentreatBangalore.ThisinstallationbuiltGE’sadvancedmedicalequipmentinIndia, significantly reducing its cost. Premji briefed Dr Kalam about theeducationalinitiativethathewasplanning.DrKalamaskedPremjihowWiproreached itshigh stature in thebusinessworld.DrKalamwasquite takenwithPremji’sreplyandlaterquoteditinseveralofhisspeeches:

Sir,Icansaythattherearethreeaspectsthatcometomymind.First:Sweatforgenerationsandthehardworkofteams.Second:Weworkforcustomers’delight.Third:Abitofluck.Thethirdpointwillnotbeofanyconsequence if thefirst twoaspectsarenotachieved. InWipro,whatwehavetriedtodoiswealthgenerationwithsocialconcern.2

On26January2001,amassiveearthquakemeasuring7.9on theRichterscalestruckGujarat.Morethan30,000peopleperishedinthecalamity.Theepicentreof the quake was some 300 kilometres west of Ahmedabad near the town ofBhuj,whichborethebruntofthedestruction.On15March2001,DrKalamandY.S.RajanvisitedBhujtoreviewtherehabilitationworkintheaftermathoftheearthquakethatstruckGujaraton26January2001.There,DrKalammetSadhuBrahmaviharidas, a disciple of Pramukh Swamiji, the head and inspirer ofBAPS.

Sadhu Brahmaviharidas asked Dr Kalam a startling question: ‘After thedetonationofthefirstatomicbomb,RobertOppenheimerrememberedtheGita:“Time I am the shatterer of the world.” What came to your mind after youdetonatedIndia’sfirstatomicbomb?’DrKalamsaid,‘TheenergyofGoddoesnot shatter, it unifies,’ towhichSadhuBrahmaviharidas replied, ‘Our spiritualleader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj is a great unifier. He has unified all ourenergies to regenerate and restore life from the rubble of damage.’ Deeplyimpressed,DrKalamexpressedhisdesiretoY.S.Rajantomeetsuchaswami.

On30 June2001,DrKalamandY.S.RajanmetPramukhSwamiji inNewDelhi.Swamijiwassittingonasofa,andanothersofawaskeptforDrKalam.HumbledbyPramukhSwamiji’sgentleandgraciouspresence,DrKalamoptedtositdownontheflooralongwiththeothersadhuspresentintheroom.AsDrKalam did not know a word of Gujarati, Pramukh Swamiji’s language, andPramukh Swamijiwould not understandEnglish, SadhuBrahmaviharidas firstbecame the interpreter, and later avery close friendaftermany suchmeetings

withSwamijioverthenextdecade.DrKalamtoldPramukhSwamiji thatIndiahadhadavisionbefore1857to

be an independent nation.The strugglepersisted for the followingninety longyears.DuringthistimetheentireIndiansociety–peoplefromallwalksoflife,rich and poor, young and old, elite and ordinary, educated and illiterate – allcame together in thisaim.Thegoalwassingularand focused,and itwaswellunderstoodthatIndiamustbeafreecountry.

DrKalamtoldPramukhSwamijithathehadworkedforfortyyearsinthreeofthegreatscientificfieldsofIndia–atomicenergy,spaceresearchanddefenceresearch.DrKalam said that hewas pained to see that despite the passage offifty years since India attained Independence, therewasnonewvision. Itwasstill a developing country. Itwasnot strongeconomically, itwasnot cohesivesocially, not even stable at times, its energydeficiencywas unbearable, it hadserious security threats, and ithadcripplingdependencyon importsofoil andcriticaltechnology.

Dr Kalam further informed Pramukh Swamiji that five hundred experts atTIFAChadponderedformorethanayearuponwhatshouldbethenewvisionafterIndependence.AvisionformakingIndiaadevelopedcountrybytheyear2020 had emerged. The experts, after much deliberation, had identified fiveimportantareasbywhichtotransformIndiaintoadevelopedcountryinthenexttwentyyears.Theseareaswereeducationandhealthcare,agricultureandfoodprocessing, information and communication, infrastructure, and criticaltechnologyforthestrategicsectorsofatomicenergy,spaceanddefence.

DrKalamsaid that as theprincipal scientific adviser to theGovernmentofIndia,hewasvisitingvariousorganizationsandmeetingpeoplefromallwalksoflife.Hisgoalwastodistilaclearvisionthatcouldinspirethenation,buttherewasnotmuchmovement.DrKalamverycandidlyexpressedthathefeltthatitwasnotenoughtosecureamandatefromthegovernmentoreventhefinances;the problem lies in having people to carry out thismission of developing thenation.

Pramukh Swamiji heardDrKalam patiently, allowing him to finish. Then,spontaneously,Swamijipointedout,‘Alongwiththefiveareas,youneedasixthone–faithinGod.’Thisutterlynewdimensionwhichthescientistsandthinkershadnotyetponderedupongeneratedadiscussion that lasted formore thanan

hour. Swamiji explained that development in all the proposed five areas wasnecessary,butanationisasgoodasitspeople.Thequalityofpeopleisenhancedby cultural andmoral values.Both ofwhich are sustained by spiritual values.Hence, with progress and prosperity, the inner spirituality of India should bedevelopedthroughfaithinGod.Wemustenhancelifealongwithlifestyle.

DrKalamwasrivetedbythisrevelationandverycandidlyagreedthathefelttheproblemlies inpeople;nothaving thepeople tocarryout thismission.Heunderstoodthattorealizethisgreatdream(ofadevelopedIndia),threetypesofpeople are needed –punyatma (virtuous people),punyaneta (virtuous leaders)andpunyadhikari(virtuousofficers)…howcantheirnumbersbeincreased?3

Dr Kalam informed Pramukh Swamiji that he was contemplating theestablishmentofafive-membertrusttoimplementtheplanevolvedinhisIndia2020 book and sought Pramukh Swamiji’s blessings. Pramukh Swamijiconcluded themeeting saying, ‘It’s good that you’ve come here today. It hasgivenusmuchjoy.YouarelikeaVedicrishi.Therishisofthepasthavedoneboth;givenusscienceandservedsociety.Youtooarearishi–servingsocietythroughscience.’PramukhSwamijipropheticallyblessedhimtoleadIndia.

DrKalamhadbeenhopingtosetupatrusttorealizehisdream,butnowfeltsomethingmorethanatrustwasneededtomotivateanation.Hewasnotclearwhatwas needed, but aftermeeting Pramukh Swamiji, DrKalamwas deeplysatisfied and felt thatwhateverwasneededwould come.His personal faith inhimself,hisdreamandhisworkincreasedimmensely.IfGodiswithyou,whocanbeagainstyou?

InSeptember2001,DrKalamvisitedtheDargahSharifofSufisaintKhwajaMoinuddin Chishti, calledGharibNawaz at Ajmer. The simple teachings andmessageofGharibNawazcouldpenetrateevenaheartofstone.DrKalamheardthat Gharib Nawaz’s compassionate gaze had silenced the fiercest of hisenemies.

TheteachingsofGharibNawazhavebeenrecordedinseveralbooks.GharibNawazsaidthatonewhopossessesthemagnanimityoftheriver,thekindnessofthesunandthehumilityof theearth isclosest toGod.Onewhoisgraceful inpoverty,content inhunger,cheerful ingriefand friendly inhostility,possessesthenoblest character.According to thegreat saint, the surestway toavoid thepunishmentofhellistofeedthehungry,toredresstheaggrievedandtohelpthe

distressed.DrKalamalwaysfeltdrawntothespiritualteachingsofgreatSufisaints.His

father once told Dr Kalam that his mother wanted to name him Aarif. Shevisualized her youngest child as enlightened, knowledgeable and devoted toAllah.Shewantedtoimparttohersonadeepinnercallingtoinspireothersforahighercause.Buthisfathersawhisboyasacollector,andthereforetheysettledon naming him after the most respected Muslim of the era. That day whilereturning fromAjmer,DrKalam realized that hehad indeedbecomewhathismotherwishedhimtobe.

That he had become knowledgeable was also without question. On 1November2001,TezpurUniversityconferredanhonorarydoctoraldegreeonDrKalam, along with renowned musician Bhupen Hazarika and eminentmathematician Professor Jyotiprasad Medhi.After the convocation, Dr Kalamaddressedalargegatheringofyoungstudents.Hechosethetheme‘indomitablespirit’ for the interaction.During theensuingdiscussion,one studentaskedDrKalam,‘WhycannotwaterfromtheBrahmaputra,whichisinfloodmostofthetime, be diverted to Rajasthan, which suffers from a drought every year?’ DrKalamlaterrecalledhowhewasbaffledbythemanifestcommonsenseof thequestion:‘Onlychildrenwillhavetheseinnovativeideas.Grown-upstendtoseemoreimpossibility.Itwassuchapowerfulquestion!Iwascompletelybeaten.Iwassureeventheprimeministerwouldnothavebeenabletoanswerit!’4

HowcouldDrKalamanswerthisbrightyoungster,whowasaskingavalid,straightforwardquestion?Howcouldheexplainthatriversareapetissueforthestates,andthattheyfightforimaginaryrightsovertheirwaters,nevermindingthat the rivers have flowed for millennia before the states were formed? Thestates make claims over the water with arguments that they are guarding theprosperityof their futuregenerations, carelessof the fact that in themeantimethewaterwastefullyflowsintotheseaandcausesfloodseveryyear.Galvanizedby thismost obvious but perplexing question,DrKalammade interlinking ofriversamissionat thePSAandpursued itatvarious forums–but invain.Aspresident, he would continue to speak of the virtues of linking the country’srivers:

Interlinkingofriverscouldminimizefloodhavocandprovidewatertodrought-proneregions.Thecountryhasbeenutilizingverylittleofthequantityofwaterfromtheavailable4,000billioncubic

metres.Thecountry’s foodandwater requirementhasbeengrowingbecauseof the fast-growingpopulation.Onlyplannedandbetterwatermanagement(can)meetthechallenge.5

Inthesameevent,anotherstudentaskedDrKalamaquestionforwhichhehadnogoodanswer.Thestudentsaid,‘Sir,bigleadersinanyfielddon’tcomeandtalk to us.We see our primeminister often going to Chennai, Lucknow, andmany other places.But he never comes here.Wewant him to come here;wewanttotalktohim.IsAssamnotpartofIndia?’DrKalamdidn’tshyawayfromthestudent’svalidconcern,andevenmadeapointofconveyingittotheprimeminister:‘IlaternarratedthistothePrimeMinister(Vajpayee).Heconcededthepointandsaid.“Childrendon’ttalktomeanymore.Maybethesecuritycordonhascreateda separation.”’6Thereafter,DrKalamresolved thathewouldmeetyoung children whenever and wherever he could possibly do so. He wouldremain firm on this throughout his presidency and later in his life; he evenbreathedhislastwhiletalkingtoyoungchildren.

On 3 November 2001, Dr Kalam delivered the Justice Harihar MahapatraMemorial Lecture in Cuttack, Orissa, declaring: ‘India will emerge as adeveloped nation in twenty years.’ JusticeMahapatra was judge in the PatnaHigh Court for a long period. He established Cuttack Eye Hospital, UtkalUniversity and above all, worked to eradicate poverty in his area, living to agood age of ninety-two years. The Oriya translation of Wings of Fire wasreleased on the occasion of Dr Kalam’s lecture. After the function, one boyaskedDrKalamabouthisfavouritebooks.DrKalam’sreplywasasrevealingofhischaracterasitwasfrank:‘Fourbooksinmylifehavebeenveryclosetomyheart.MantheUnknownbyDrAlexisCareel,TheThirukkural,LightfromManyLampsbyLillianEichlerWatson;andtheHolyQuranis,ofcourse,aconstantcompanion.’7

TherewasnoclutterinDrKalam’smind.Justfourbooks,abookprovidingscientific outlook, a book themorality of his culture, a treasury of inspirationfeaturinghundredsofpassagesandquotationsselectedfromthewisdomoftheagesandthebookofhisreligion.

D

3.3

WhoIsOurEnemy?

Geniusisnotthatyouaresmarterthaneveryoneelse.Itisthatyouarereadytoreceivetheinspiration.

–AlbertEinsteinTheoreticalphysicistandNoblelaureate

rKotaHarinarayanahadbeenDrKalam’sclosestbuddyduringhistenureas thechiefofDRDO.DrKotawasnot a friendofDrKalam’s likeY.S.

Rajan.Neitherwashehis lieutenant likeSivathanuPillai.Hewashand-pickedby Dr Arunachalam to head the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) DevelopmentProgramme in 1985 fromHAL, where he was working as chief designer. DrKalamstoodbyhissidefigurativelythroughoutthetenyearsthat theyworkedtogether and physically on 4 January 2001, when Wing Commander RajivKothiyal soared into the sky with the LCA, designated as TechnologyDemonstrator1(TD-I)atHALAirportinBangalore.

The flight lasted about twenty minutes. Two support Mirage 2000 aircraftflewalongwith theLCAprototype.Leadingfromthefront,ChiefofAirStaffAirMarshalA.Y.Tipnispilotedoneof them.With this accomplishment, Indiaentered the elite class of countries with an indigenous fighter aircraft. Theaircraft was given the code KH-1 to honour the great work of Dr KotaHarinarayanathatmadethissuccesspossible.

The LCA project was conceived in 1983 with the target of designing anddeveloping an advanced technology, single-seat, single-engine and supersoniclightweightaircraftforair-to-air,air-to-groundandair-to-seacombat.Itwasthesecond prototype fighter of Indian origin, after HF-24 Marut, which wasdesignedbyaGermanteam.TheAmerican-madeGEF-404enginewasusedinthisaircraft,astheindigenouslybuiltKaverienginehadbeendelayed.

LCAwas themost ambitiousproject everundertakenby theDRDO.Therehadbeenovereightyorganizationsand300smallandmediumfirmscommittedtothismammotheffort.Theprojectalsofacedloudcriticismovercostandtimeoverruns andwhether the aircraft’s technologywould become obsolete by thetime it was inducted into the Indian Air Force. And worse, the question wasactuallyposedwhetherthecountryneededtoembarkonthisexerciseatall.

Dr Kalam used to pity the critics who never got their hands dirty in anyengineering shop and who would willingly or gullibly play into the Westernlobby’s hands. He answered the naysayers in his usualmeasuredmanner, butwithclarityhintingatbluntness: ‘Wehavemoreadvancedtechnologythan theJAS 39 (Gripen) and as much advanced technology as EFA’s (Eurofighter)Typhoon. We have pumped in so much advanced technology. I wish peoplewouldunderstandthereasonswhywehavetakenmoretime.Wewerenotlayingaroad;weweremakingafighterplane.’

The pointDrKalamhad consistentlymadewas that a countrywith a one-billion-strongpopulationcouldn’tsustainitselfbyrelyingongoodsfromabroad.We can buy some things, but crucial military requirements such as strategicaircrafthavetobedevelopedhere,andthathasbeenourchallengeandmission.We should not attempt tomeet our defence needs by assembling aircraftwithpartsfromabroad.Whatbasecouldyoucreateinthecountryfromsuchactivity?This country would forever remain poor if we relegate our engineers andscientists to themechanic’s shop, to use spanners and screwdrivers instead oftheirminds.DrKalamsawall too clearly that thiswas an issueofgeneratingwealth–ofthematerialandintellectualkinds.TheLCAproject,andthoseofasimilarnaturethathechampioned,arenotmerelyaboutbuildinganaircraftoramissile.Theycreatejobsandstimulatethecountry’sscientificadvancement;andforthisreason,theyareindispensible.

From the LCA project, our country has fostered a series of technologies,leading to a multitude of spin-off benefits. Several companies that developedtechnologiesfortheLCAhaveexportedthem.Therehavebeenplentyoftears,tribulations and hard work, but that is par for the course. Technologicaldevelopment is by no means easy. Dr Kota Harinarayana explained theprotracted nature of aircraft development to themedia, bemoaning that criticshad not looked at the time taken for foreign endeavours to field successful

aircraft:

Buildingof theF22aircraftbegan in1980and it flew first in1997– after seventeenyears.TheEurofighterwastomakeitsmaidenflightin1990,butitflewin1994.TheUK,Germany,ItalyandSpainhavebeeninvolvedwiththeEFA.Whyisthemediamumonthisaspect?Westernnationsarecontinuallyworkingonprototypesandhavemoretime,consideringtheirtechnology.Intheaircraftbusiness,fifteenyearsisnotalongtime.Butmovingaheadshouldbefaster–decisionsareneededtoenterproduction.1

Dr Kalam’s face would beamwith pride, however, when he talked about theLCA:

The LCA is the smallest supersonic fighter in the world. It has performed beautifully. Thetouchdownwasbeautifulandthepilotsaiditdidnotfeellikeaprototype.Wemayhavetakenourtime,butwehaveperfectedit.WhentheAmericansranawaywiththeirsoftwareafterPokhranII,we tested our control laws and flight control systems for almost two-and-a-half years.We havetesteditthriceasintensivelyasanyEuropeancountryortheUS.Therewerenofailuresinthefirstflight.Thedesign,evaluation,flight-testingandairworthinessteamsdidanincrediblejob.Whyareweenemiesofourownsuccess?

Prof.P.V.IndiresanandDrKalamcrossedeachother’spathsbychance.Prof.Indiresan, the former director at IIT, Madras, and a great champion of ruraldevelopment,haddevelopedamodelcalledProvidingUrbanFacilitiesinRuralAreas(PURA).DrKalamasPSAwaslookingforideasthatcantransformIndia,particularly its 700,000villages.On the sidelines of an eventwhere theybothfinallymet,DrKalamaskedhim, ‘Tellme, sir, have the bureaucrats acceptedyourcounseloncontentiousissues?’Prof.Indiresansaid,‘Theyseektheadvicewhich theywant, andnot theguidance that theyneed!’Thusbegana shortbutvery intense collaboration between the two great scientists for transformingIndianvillages.Prof.P.V.Indiresansawpoolingresourcesasawayforwardforvillages to sustain themselves and forge ahead: ‘The problems of rapidurbanization can be overcome by “providing urban amenities in rural areas”through thePURAschemeandbyworkingwithclusters rather than individualvillages.’2

DrKalam later recalledhis immediateaffinitywith theconcept: ‘WhenmyfriendProf.IndiresancameupwiththeideaofPURA,itstruckachord.Istarteddetaileddiscussionswithhimand severalother experts in the fieldwhohada

similarinterest.’3

BearinginmindthatmostvillagesinIndiaaretoosmalltoofferevenbasicamenities and cannot support schools, hospitals,markets and services that arecurrentlyavailableinurbanareas,PURAwasevolvedasasolutionaswellasanideal.PURAofferedawayoftranscendingthisisolation.Itconsideredavillagenotasadisparateunitbutsawtheresourcesofaclusterofvillageswithatotalpopulationofatleastthirtytofiftythousand;andthiswouldbelargeenoughtosustainmanybasicurbanservices.

On30September2001,DrKalamwasflyinginahelicopterfromRanchitoBokaro to attend a JharkhandState Science andTechnologyCouncilmeeting.SamareshSingh,scienceandtechnologyministerintheJharkhandgovernment,wasseatednexttoDrKalam.Therewasviolentturbulence,andthepilotssaidthat there was something terribly wrong with the helicopter’s rotor.MomentsbeforelandingatBokaroataround4.30p.m.,thehelicopterenginefailed,anditplummeted to the earth from a height of about 100 metres. Miraculously,everybodysurvived.SamareshSinghrecalledDrKalam’spolitenessandcalminthe face of doom: ‘It sounded like imminent death to all of us; Dr Kalamremained composed with his signature smile playing on his lips. He evenadvisedthetwopilotsnottoworry.’4

Despitebeinghurt,DrKalameffusivelyexpressedhisgratitudetothepilots,whowere injured themselves,andtold themtheydeservedawardsforbravery.Hethenheadedwithoutdelay to theRamakrishnaVidyalaya inBokaroforhisscheduled programme, addressing the students therewithout any indication ofhis ordeal.At night, a panel of doctors sent bySamareshSingh persuadedDrKalamtotakeatranquillizer.Thatnight,DrKalamhadavividdream.Hesawhimself in adesertwithmilesof silvery sand shiningunder a fullmoon.Fivemenstoodinacirclearoundhim.ThemenwereEmperorAshok,CaliphUmar,AbrahamLincoln,AlbertEinsteinandMahatmaGandhi,andtheyspokeinturntohim.

EmperorAshoksaid,‘OKalam,IlearnedaftertheKalingawarthatthereisnovictory incausing suffering toothers.Triumph is apeacefulkingdom.Youhave done enough for weapons, now work for peace.’ Caliph Umar said, ‘OKalam, I learned after I conquered Jerusalem that all men are indeed equal.There isnopoint in forcingothers to followyourpath.Youwillgetonly that

which is ordained for you.God alone is the sovereign.Never seek favours ofmen.’Einsteinsaid,‘OKalam,youareagreatscientistbutbeawarethatsciencewithout religion is lame; religionwithout science is blind.Neverdeviate fromyour religion.’ Finally, Abraham Lincoln said, ‘O Kalam, nearly all men canstand adversity, but if youwant to test aman’s character, givehimpower.Becarefulwithyourpower.’

Thenextmorning,DrKalamreadinthenewspaperthataplanecarryingtheyoungleaderMadhavraoJivajiraoScindiaandateamofjournalists,crashedontheoutskirtsofMainpuridistrictofUttarPradesh,killingallonboard.Ashiverran throughhisspine.What if thehelicopter lostpowerafewsecondsearlier?Was there a link in his surviving the mishap and the divine messages in thedream?

UponreturningtoDelhi,DrKalammetPrimeMinisterAtalBihariVajpayeeandrequestedhimtorelievehimfromgovernmentservice.DrKalamsaid,‘Sir,I have completed seventy orbits around the sun,may I take leave now?’ TheprimeministerofferedDrKalamaministerialposition,buthepolitelydeclined.Aftersomesilentmoments,withunspokenwordshangingin theair, theprimeministersaid,‘Jaisiaapkimarzi’(Asyouwish).

Prof.N.Balakrishnanat theIISchadbeenafriendofDrKalam’ssincetheCray supercomputer denial days in the late 1980s. He later established theSupercomputerEducationandResearchCentre(SERC)atIISc,oneofthebesthigh-performance computing centres in India.Balki, asDrKalamcalledProf.Balakrishnan, felt that Dr Kalam should come to IISc. The high-speedaerodynamicslaboratoryatIISchadsomeofthefirstfacilitiesinthecountryforthe study of gas flow, and it had flourished because of the launch vehicleprogrammesofISROandtheAgnimissileprogramme.

DrKalamenjoyed thehistoricaldistinctionofbeing theearliest scientist toharnessthegrowingpowerofcomputersforaerospacedevelopmentinIndia.Hemade it possible for new regimesof gas flow–high temperature, high speed,lowdensity,etc.,tobestudiedindetailnumerically.HiscollaborationwithProf.Roddam Narasimha and his brilliant students at IISc and later at NationalAerospace Laboratories, which at that time had the country’s most powerfulcomputerusingparallelcomputationtechnologies,wasadvantageousnotjustforaerospace. A further spin-off benefit had seen an enhancement in national

capabilities due to the requirements of the programmes that Dr Kalam wasworkingon.

DrKalamplayedakeyroleinthecreationoftheSpaceTechnologyCellatIIScheadedbyRoddamNarasimha.Inhishabitsandlifestyle,DrKalamwasaguerrilla commander in the disciplined barracks of IISc. His simple, almostmonkishlifestyleoffendedthewaysandmannersofmanyinternationallytrainedacademicians at IISc, who would see themselves as martyrs, sacrificing theirlivesbyworking in the institute rather than living inmoredevelopedWesternsocieties.DrKalamseemedentirelyuninterested inchasingwealthormaterialcomfort;buthewasclearlydrivenbyanextraordinarypassionfordesigningandbuildingambitious technological systems.Thesecharacteristics, alongwithhisgreat personal charmandobvious commitment to theproject onhandmade itverydifficult for anyone to say nowhenDrKalam sought help. Prof. SivarajRamaseshan,whowas thedirectorof IISc from1981 to1984,would say thatKalam could milk a tigress. Incidentally, Prof. Ramaseshan came fromimpressive Indian scientific stock: he was the nephew of Indian scientist andNobel laureate Sir C.V. Raman and cousin of Nobel laureate SubramanyanChandrasekhar. An acclaimed writer, his fair summation of his colleague DrKalamremainsoneofthemostinsightfuleverwritten:

He (Kalam) defiedmonocultural paradigms: hewas a technologistwith a big heart, amanwhobrokeupthedevelopmentofthenationtoalargeseriesofdoableprojects,anasceticinhispersonallife,andapersonwhorespectedabilitywhereverhefoundit,withtotaldisregardforwealth,power,degrees,position[and]class.5

The Indian Space Research Organization had set up the Brahm PrakashMemorialChairatIISc,andBalkiandmanyotherslikehimatIIScwerekeenforDrKalamtotakethechair.TheymetDrKalamatDelhitothisend,buthepointedoutthathedidnotholdaformalPhDdegree,andthatwouldberequisiteat IISc for such a position. But their enthusiasm for seeing him at the IISccampus made for an interesting discussion, and the group bolstered theirargumentbyhearkeningtotheveryconceptionoftheinstitution.

TheynarratedtoDrKalamasignificanthistoriceventthatoccurredin1893.A ship called Empress of India was sailing from Yokohama in Japan toVancouver in Canada. On board were two extraordinary Indians – Swami

Vivekananda and Jamsetji N. Tata. Both were headed for Chicago on twodifferent missions. Swamiji was to attend the World Congress of Religions.Jamsetji was going to see World’s Columbian Exposition, a celebration oftechnology and industrial progress. On board the ship, Jamsetji discussed hisplanstostartasteelmillinIndia.SwamijitoldJamsetjithatthereweretwopartsto the challenge – manufacturing technology and the science of steel. Thetechnologycouldbebroughtfromabroadbutthesciencehadtoberesearchedathome.ThissowedtheseedofanideainJamsetjiTata’smindtostarttheIndianInstituteofScienceatBangalore.HelaterwrotetoSwamijiin1898,askingforhissupportfortheventure.

The coterie of Dr Kalam’s supporters for the chair even showed him thefacsimile of that historical letter. The exactwords Jamsetji Tata usedwere: ‘Iknow not who would make a more fitting general of such a campaign thanVivekananda.’Swamijiinturnwrote,‘Iamnotawareifanyproject,atoncesoopportuneandsofarreachinginitsbeneficenteffects,haseverbeenmootedinIndia…The scheme grasps the vital point ofweakness in our nationalwell-beingwithaclearnessofvisionand tightnessofgrip, themasteryofwhich isonlyequalledbythemunificenceofthegiftthatisbeingusheredtothepublic.’As events would transpire, Swamiji passed away in 1902 before the IndianInstituteofScienceeventuallystartedfunctioningin1909.

TheteamfeltthatanacademicPhDwasimportant;butitwasnomorethanaselfishendeavourbetweenaguideandastudent,financedbysomeprojectanddonetoearnalivelihoodbythestudentandsustainingonefortheprofessor.Intheirview, IIScwas losing itsway; itwasdrifting far fromthe ideologyof itsfounders. They felt it needed a breath of fresh air to lead the institution intoworkingforsociety,ratherthanforitselforitsfaculty.Perhapstheywerealittletooclosetothetruthhere,astheadvocacyforDrKalamtriggeredaverystrongreactionintheIIScestablishment,asacontemporaryarticlepointedout:

ThedonsofIIScnixedtheidea.‘WecannotencouragehimtoworkoutofIIScbecausethereisaconflict of interest,’ the director said. Ostensibly, IISc, which handles only postgraduate anddoctoralstudents,didnotwantthe1,00,000childrenthatKalamwantedtomeeteachyeartoinstilthescientifictemperinthemonitscampus.6

DrKalamtookthecontroversy,whichwaswidelydebatedinthecountry,inhis

usual stoic way. He was no Vivekananda, and IISc had long left behind thelegacyofJamsetjiTata.TheinstitutionappearednowtobeinspiredbythemoreworldlyvisionofbecominganIndianHarvardorMIT.ThedebatesurroundingDr Kalam’s candidature – or at least the advocacy by his supporters – had,however, raised an important point about the responsibility of the Indiangovernment to its scientists. The government should ensure that the scientistswhocommittheircareerstonationalprogrammesaregiventimeandsupporttoearn academic credentials befitting their abilities.Nevertheless,DrKalamhadbeentoobusybuildingrocketsandassistingmilitaryandnuclearprogrammestocommithimselftotherigmaroleofamaster’sandPhD.Andperhaps,inthefinalanalysis,thenationwasallthebetterforthis.

InNovember2001,DrKalammovedtothecampusofhisalmamater,AnnaUniversityinChennai,andresumedhisacademicpursuits.Hebecameinvolvedin teachingand research tasks,whichwassomethinghehadalwayswanted todo.Buthisofficialresponsibilitiesneverallowedhimtoteach.Bythattime,hefelthehadadivineordinancetoinspirespirituallyenlightened,skilfulandhard-workingyouths–andthatmustbefulfilled.

AtAnnaUniversity,FatherAathappillyKuriakoseGeorgeapproachedProf.Kalam. He wanted to do a PhD after completing his Master of ComputerApplicationsfromChristCollegeinBangalore.DrKalamaskedhimtoselectatopic thatwouldeventuallyhelppeople.Aftermanyweeksofdeliberation,hecame up with the idea of enhancing the capabilities of mentally challengedchildrenbystimulationoftheirbrains.

This topic resonatedwithDrKalam.Amentally challenged child typicallysuffersfromhisconditionduetoadeficiencyinthequantityandqualityofbrainneurons.Itisthisdeficiencythatresultsinhisintellectualabilitybeingimpaired.If away of increasing the neuronal density by appropriate training in at leastsome areas could be found, it would lead to a better quality of life for theaffected children. Aware that he was not qualified to guide his student – DrKalamwasneveronetooverstatehisknowledge–heinvolvedDrT.R.RajuatNational Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in theresearch and to guide Father George. The research evolved methods forincreasing the population of neurons through natural challenging of the brain,external stimulation, through the use of stem cells or with a combination of

these.The research proved that the shortening of paths by practice underlines the

needforrepetitionsinthecaseofmentallychallengedchildren.Theroleofboththehemispheresintheexecutionoftaskspointstotherequirementfortrainingboth the brain’s hemispheres. The role of proper exercises to wire the brainunderscorestheneedforproperexercisestoenhancethebrain’scapabilities.DrKalam was fascinated by this work, and it expanded his understanding oflearning:

DuringthistimeIcameacrossresearchdoneonthebrainatHarvardUniversity.Ilearntthatthereisconvergingscientificevidence for four systemsas the foundationsofhumanknowledgeand ithintsatafifthone.Iknewnowthatachildlearnsbyobservingtheobjectsiftheyaremovingasconnectedandboundedtogetherasflocksofbirds,ormovingonconnected,unobstructedpathsliketrains on railway tracks, or the objects are influencing each others’motionwhen andonlywhentheytouchlikebilliardballscollidingwitheachother.7

EachinteractionwithstudentswasadvancingDrKalamonaspiritualpath.Astimeprogressedhebecamemorethesaintthanthescientist.OnmybirthdayinFebruary2002,DrKalamgavemeabook:Careof theSoul. It dealtwith thetheme of adding depth and meaning to everyday life. He highlighted thefollowinglines:‘Soulisrevealedinattachment,love,andcommunityaswellasinretreator innercommuningandintimacy.Whensoul isneglected, itdoesn’tjustgoaway;itappearssymptomaticallyinobsessions,addictions,violence,andlossofmeaning.’8

On 11 April 2002, Dr Kalamwas invited to a function at the AnandalayaHigh School in Anand, Gujarat. When Dr Kalam reached Ahmedabad theprevious evening, the city was under curfew. He went to Anand by road,escortedbypolice.ThenextdayatAnandalayaHighSchool,during theusualinformal interactionDrKalamwould encourage after his formal lectures, oneboyaskedhimaquestion:‘Whoisourenemy?’DrKalamdidnothaveapromptanswer,sohepassedthequestiontotheotherchildrenpresentthere.Afterafewmomentsofdeliberation,SnehalThakkar,aclasstwelvestudent,answered,‘Sir,ourenemy ispoverty.’DrKalamwas thrilledby theclarityofher answer.HecongratulatedSnehal and laterdedicatedhisbook IgnitedMinds to her. ToDrKalam, this answer was like a burst of light, akin to the blazing sun cutting

throughdarkclouds.Deepinsidehim,DrKalamknewthatspiritualpovertyisevenworsethanmaterialpoverty.Theignoranceofsoulisourrealenemy.

D

3.4

KingdomofGod

Know you all not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be notdeceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers ofthemselveswithmankind.

–TheHolyBible1Corinthians6:9

rKalam’s talentswerewidely sought, and he never had any thoughts ofretirement. The National Aeronautical Laboratory had played a major

supportingroleinthedesignofLightCombatAircraft.NALhadbeentheworkcentre for the National Control Law team, which spearheaded the activitiesleadingtotheInitialOperationalClearance(IOC)StandardControlLawandair-data algorithms for the LCA. NAL quickly renewed its association with DrKalam andmade him the chairman of its ResearchCouncil (RC).One of hiscolleaguesreminiscedofhistimethereinhisnewrole,withamoreprominentstatus:

Once againwe sawKalam in theNALguesthouse, but this time escortedbygun-toting securitystaffbecausehewasseenasaterroristtarget.Curiouslyenough,theZ-classsecuritymadehimanevengreatercelebrity…Aschairman,Kalamseemedbrusqueandimpatient.Hedidn’tencouragedeeptechnicaldiscussions.Kalamseemedsomewhatshallow(comparedtoSatishDhawanwhohadbeenthechairmanofRCearlier),butmadesurethatdecisionsweremadequicklyandfolloweduprigorously.1

DespitetherebuffoftheIndianInstituteofScience,DrKalam’scredentialsandunparalleled experience inhis fieldhad led tohisnewpost at his almamater,AnnaUniversity.HemetwithProf.A.Kalanidhi, thevicechancellorofAnnaUniversityon29September2001.Prof.Kalanidhihadphonedhimuponreading

inthenewspapersthathewasplanningtojointheIndianInstituteofScienceinBangalore.Prof.KalanidhifeltthatDrKalamshouldoccupyaprofessor’schairatAnnaUniversity.Afterall,hewasaformerstudent,andsurelytheuniversityhad the first right over him. They had a long, amicable discussion whichconcludedwithDrKalampromising to callbackafter thinkingaboutProf.A.Kalanidhi’s offer. Prof. Kalanidhi left for the United States immediately aftertheirmeeting.A fewdays later,whenhewas atBoston airport on hisway toChicago,DrKalamconfirmedhiswillingnesstoworkatAnnaUniversity.

Prof. Kalanidhi told Dr Kalam that since he represented the scientificcommunity of India, he couldn’t exclusively represent the university and belimited toanyone subjectordepartment.Hesuggesteda titleof ‘ProfessorofTechnologyandSocietalTransformation’–perhapsoneofthemostapttitlesDrKalamhadeverbeengiven–andDrKalamreadilyagreed.Prof.KalanidhitoldDrKalamthat inWesterncountries,universities flourishwith thehelpof theiralumnibut in India,alumnisupport isbarelymentioned.Hewanted tochangethisanddevelopanalumninetwork.HetoldDrKalamthathispresenceonthecampuswouldmotivatethealumnioftheuniversity,spreadacrosstheworld,tosupport their alma mater. Some months later, his unassuming tenure at AnnaUniversity – which was to be cut short by the calling of the nation – wasdescribedbythevicechancellor:

On2October2001,Kalamoccupiedthechair.Aroomandtwoattendantswereprovidedforamanwhowasknown tobe simpleandhatedostentation.Anoffice room,an Internetconnection, tworesearchscholarsandtwostenographerswereallthathehadattheuniversity.Ofcourse,hehadtoputupwiththesecuritypersonnelprovidedbytheIndiangovernment.2

Dr Kalam was accommodated in the guest house of Anna University at itssprawlingcampusinGuindy.Thegroundsextendedover100hectaresabuttingtheRiverAdyaron thenorth.Therewerenomess facilitiesat theguesthouse,andbreakfastwouldcomefromthePGHostelmess.Prof.KalanidhiconvincedDrKalamtoacceptmealscookedinhishouse.StenographersT.NagarajanandS. Balasubramaniam, working in the registrar’s office, became his two officeassistants.Years later,T.Nagarajanwould reminisceofDrKalam’s simplicityandhumility:

Kalamsirenteredtheroomwithonesmallleatherbag,whichcontainedthreesetsofhisclothes,a

pairofshoesandafewbooks.Iwassurprisedtoseeamanofhisstaturelivingsuchasimplelife.He was contented, concerned about people around him and their families, and was polite andpunctual.Notoncehasheshownanyprideorarrogance.Ihavenevercomeacrosssomeonelikehiminmyentirelife.3

Thoughothersmayhaveviewedhislifestyleasaustere,DrKalamenjoyedwhathe perceived as the luxury of living on Anna University’s beautiful campus.There,hecouldspendhisleisuretimewiththestudents,listeningtotheirdreamsandanswering theirquestions.Hecould takehiscontemplativeeveningstrollsthroughthegroundsandcourtyards,surroundedbyitstreesandlawns.Hewasnear his ancestral roots, at least linguistically and culturally, and the balmyChennaiweatherwas as familiar as the sultry seaside climate of his youth inRameswaram.

Fromanacademicsnubthathisindomitablespirithadbarelyevenregistered,he had landed in a place of acceptance and comfort, where his talents wererecognizedandhecouldcontributetothefutureofthenewgeneration.Butthiswasnotwhatdestinywantedofhim.Hewouldbesoontakenawayfromwhatmust have seemed to many as his perfect retirement job, to a greater, higherorbit.Hewouldnotmerelyinspireafewstudents:hewouldinspireanation.

Spiritual inspiration in theseyearswas an increasingly important theme forDrKalam,evenwhileattendingtohismoretemporalduties.DrKalammadehisfirst visit out ofAnnaUniversity toAmrita Institute ofComputerTechnologynearKollam inKerala.N.Balakrishnan andG.MadhavanNair, then directorVSSC,accompaniedhim.DrKalammetMataAmritanandamayiDevi.Shetoldhim,‘Spiritualitybothbeginsandendswithcompassion.Nooneisanisolatedisland;weareall linksinthegreatchainof life.Justas therighthandreachesouttoaidthelefthandwhenitisinjured,theabilitytofeelthesufferingsofallbeings as our own, and an intense yearning to comfort them, should awakenwithinus.’

On6October2001,DrKalamwenttoKanchipuram.TheSankaracharyasofKanchi organized a very important gathering of farmers from hundreds ofvillagestolaunchaknowledge-empoweredruraldevelopmentprogrammebasedon the PURA concept. When the meeting ended, both acharyas – SwamiJayendraSaraswathigalandSwamiVijayendraSaraswathigal–calledDrKalamforaprivatemeeting.SwamiVijayendraSaraswathigalsaid,‘Kalamsahib,you

have realized thepresenceof the sameatman in all livingbeings, thusmalicetowardspeopleandotherbeingsstartsdisappearing.Thedivinityhasdawnedinyourheart.Goandspreadcompassion.’DrKalamonceagain remembered thepropheticwordsofPramukhSwamiji thatagreatdestinyawaitedhimandonedayhewouldleadIndia.

DrKalamdidnotrealizethedepthofthetransformationthatwashappeningaround him, though. He was too busy meeting students and visitingorganizationsdoingservice.InJanuary2002,DrKalamwenttoSriSathyaSaiInstitute of Higher Medical Sciences at Whitefield in Bangalore, to attend aconference on Medical Technology and Health Care. Prof. P. Rama Raoaccompaniedhim.Hewasimpressedtoseetheworld-class tertiaryhealthcarehospitalsestablishedbySriSathyaSaiBabatoprovidepatientcarefacilitiestoallirrespectiveofcaste,class,creed,gender,religionornationality–completelyfreeof any charge.Aswith the acharyas a fewmonths earlier,DrKalamwaswell received by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Kalam recalled: ‘When I finished mypresentation on how technology would transform human life, he got up andblessedme,tothecheersofparticipants.’4

The following month, Dr Kalam visited the Brahma Kumari SpiritualAcademy at Mount Abu in Rajasthan. Dr A. Sivathanu Pillai and Dr W.Selvamurthywerewithhim.DrKalam interactedwithcoronaryarterydisease(CAD)patients,calleddilwalsthere,andthedoctorsattheGlobalHospitalandResearchCentreoftheBrahmaKumariAcademy,headedbyDrPratapMidha.Dr Selvamurthy andDrMidha postulated, through years of clinicalwork andresearch in physiology and psychology of heart patients, that there is a verystrongmind–body synchrony. Further, by the purification of themind throughmeditationandcleaningofthebodywithdietandexercise,heartdiseasecanbecontrolled and even cured.Kalamwrote later of a profound spiritual incident,occurring in thewakeof a numberof spiritual events around this time,whichseemedtoaugurgreathappenings:

I had an extraordinary spiritual experience … The deity of the Brahma Kumaris, Shiva Baba,descendedononeofthedisciples,DhadhiGurrzar.Beforeoureyes,herpersonalitychanged:Herfacebecameradiant,hervoicebecamedeeperasshetalkedaboutthefourtreasuresofknowledge,yoga,virtueandservice.5

On10June2002,DrKalamgotamessagefromDrKalanidhi’sofficethattheprimeminister’sofficewaslookingforhimandthatheshouldcometothevicechancellor’soffice tospeakto theprimeminister.DrKalamwasperplexed,ashehadhadnocontactwithanygovernmentfunctionaryforsometime.Whenhearrivedinthevicechancellor’soffice,hewasconnectedtotheprimeminister’soffice,andafterafewminutes,PrimeMinisterAtalBihariVajpayeecameontheline.Hesaid,‘Kalamsahib,thenationneedsyouasitsRashtrapati.’DrKalamthankedPrimeMinisterVajpayeeandrequestedanhour’stimesothathecouldreflectuponhisgenerousoffer.Vajpayeesaid,‘Pleasedothat.ButIneedonlya“yes”andnota“no”.’

By evening, Dr Kalam’s candidature was announced at a joint pressconference addressed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convener,George Fernandes, the parliamentary affairs minister, Pramod Mahajan, theAndhraPradeshchiefminister,ChandrababuNaidu,andtheUttarPradeshchiefminister,KumariMayawati.Apressarticleat thetimedescribedthebipartisansupportthatDrKalam’snominationreceived:

Kalamemergedwiththebackingofanoverwhelmingmajorityoftheestablishment.TheCongress,after two days of being torn between its natural inclination to oppose the NDA and a strongcompulsiontoendorseaneminent,apoliticalmemberoftheminoritycommunity,finallyplumpedfortheMissileMan.6

Anothercommentatorsawthenominationinpoliticalterms,asacleverploybythe government to breach the opposition’s ranks. Ironically, Dr Kalam, anapolitical,unalignedandalmostuniversallyapprovedcandidatefortheofficeofpresident,hadbeenapawn inapolitical intrigue, the reporterasserted.And itwas for his very attributes that the intrigue had been successful:‘Unwittingly,Kalambecame theweapon of a devastating political strike. In amatter of sixdays,Kalam’scandidaturesawthePeople’sFrontbreakingupandtheCongresssheepishlytoeingthegreatconsensus.’7

Till Dr Kalam received the call from PrimeMinister Vajpayee, presidencywas the last thing onKalam’smind.He had prepared himself to dedicate histime to various projects that he could not fulfil during his career proper. InChennai,helaunchedhimselfintohisdreamofinteractingwithatleastonelakhstudentsfromacrossthecountry.Hewasalsoinvolvedintryingtopreserveand

transform the traditional knowledge etched on ancient palm leaves into digitalmediaforpermanentstorageandwiderdistributionthroughtheInternet.

Alltheseprojectswouldhavetobeputonhold,thenhandedtotrustedpeopleto advance on their own undertaking. Dr Kalam had many practical mattersahead of him, and would address them in his characteristic practical manner.WhenParliamentaryAffairsMinisterPramodMahajancalledhimupandaskedhimforanauspicioustimeforhimtofilehispresidentialnomination,DrKalamtoldhimastronomy,notastrology,keepstheworldgoing.Hewouldcontinuetofunctioninasimilarmannertothatwhichhadsustainedhimallhisworkinglife;and this could be quite a surprise for some. For their part, the media wasbemusedandmore thana little takenwith the futurepresident’spositivityandsincerity,whichwasanythingbutpoliticsasusual:

ThereisaquietinnocenceaboutKalamashecomestotermswiththefactthathewillbethenextoccupantofRashtrapatiBhavan.India’spresident-to-beathisfirstpressconferenceon13Junewasyettoshakeoffthehangoverofhavingdeliveredfiftylecturesinthelastsixmonths.Sowhenhefaced the motley crew of young men and women holding notepads, microphones and videocameras, he felt he was merely addressing another group of students. As he quoted from theBhagavad Gita (Whatever happened has happened for the good, whatever is happening ishappening for the good andwhatever will happenwill happen for the good), Kalam repeatedlyasked his ‘class’ if they had understood what he was saying. He urged everyone to repeat thepunchlineafterhim–‘Thenationisbiggerthantheindividual.’His‘students’obliged!8

Pramod Mahajan came to Anna University and escorted Dr Kalam to NewDelhi.DefenceMinisterGeorgeFernandesreceivedDrKalamattheairport.Heimmediately went to the prime minister’s office from there. He also metSamajwadiParty leaderMulayamSinghYadav,his earlierboss in thedefenceministry.Intheevening,DrKalamoptedtostayattheDRDOguesthouseintheAsiadVillage,whichwashis‘home’from1992untilthefinalyearwhenheleftDelhitojoinAnnaUniversity.

AccompaniedbyPrimeMinisterVajpayeeandhisseniorcabinetcolleagues,DrKalamfiledhisnominationpapersinparliamenton18June2002.Thefirstsetofnominationpaperswas filedby theCongressparty ledby itschiefSmt.SoniaGandhi, followedbypartymembersShivrajPatil,DrManmohanSingh,P.M. Sayeed, NajmaHeptullah, Ambika Soni, Arjun Singh andAhmad Patel.PrimeMinisterVajpayee,HomeMinisterLalKrishnaAdvani,ExternalAffairs

MinisterJaswantSinghandDefenceMinisterGeorgeFernandesfiledthesecondsetofnominationpapersonbehalfoftheNationalDemocraticAlliance.

When PrimeMinisterVajpayee pointed out thematrimonial status column,whichindicatedthatDrKalamwasabachelor,DrKalamquippedthatnotonlywasheabachelor,hewasalsoaBrahmachari.Thissenteveryonepresent intofits of laughter.Among the leadersof theparties supporting theNDA,TeluguDesam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, Samajwadi Party chief MulayamSinghYadav,BijuJanataDalchiefNaveenPatnaik,BahujanSamajPartyvice-president Mayawati and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee werepresent.

Inhisfirstpressconferenceon19June2002,DrKalamsuccinctlyputacrossthe need for having an educated political class, with compassion as thecornerstone of political decision making. Veteran reporters were a littlenonplussedbutcharmedbyhiscandidapproachtotheirquestions:

For hard-nosed journalists, used to short term strategies, crisp and straight-on-the-face answers,Kalam’slecturesabouttheneedtoeducatepeopleandimprovetheeconomytoendviolencewerealien.However, in betweenhis vague replies,Kalam slipped in a few suggestions about howheplanstoconducthimselfatopthegloriousRaisinaHill.Onanycontroversialissuehewouldconsultthe country’s leadingconstitutional experts.Decisionson issues suchaspresident’s rule in stateswould be decided based on ‘what people needed, rather than what a few people want’ … DrKalam’s disarming candour and an almost fanatic rigour to avoiding anything remotelycontroversialleftboththemissilemanandthereportersstillsmilingattheendofitall…9

Despite robust support for his candidature across the political spectrum, DrKalamwouldnotbeelectedunopposed.OctogenarianfreedomfighterandLeftFrontnomineeLakshmiSahgalfiledhernominationpapersforthepresidentialelectionon21June2002.ShewasaccompaniedbyformerprimeministerH.D.Deve Gowda, CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee, CPI leader J. Chittaranjan,ForwardBlocleaderDebabrataBiswas,RSPleadersAbaniRoyandHarishankarMahaleandWestBengalchiefministerBuddhadevBhattacharjee.

Thepresidentof India is indirectlyelectedbymeansofanelectoralcollegeconsisting of themembers of parliament and the legislative assemblies of thestatesandtheUnionterritories.DrKalamtookanationwidetourtocampaignasapresidentialcandidate.Whileinthesouth,DrKalammadetwodetours.On9JulyhewenttohishomeatRameswaram,andon14JulyhewenttoPuttaparthi

tomeetSriSathyaSaiBaba.DrKotaHarinarayanaaccompaniedDrKalamtoPuttaparthifromBangalore.

DrKalamsawSriSathyaSaiBabaasaspiritualiconcelebratingthecivilityandgrandeuroflife.Hespreadamongsthisfollowersthemessageofdevotionintheface of a global culture that was increasingly based on violence, cruelty andunrestrained greed, concealed with beautifying niceties about progress. DrKalamneverdiscussedthemystiqueorextraordinarypowerdevoteesperceivedintheBaba,butreveredhimasaculturalforceofincrediblemagnitude.

Perhapsinevitably,DrKalam’selectioncampaignraisedsomedebateonhisreligious practices. A comparison between Dr Kalam and former presidentsZakirHussainandFakhruddinAliAhmedwasrejected;DrKalamwasnotseenasaMusliminthecommonunderstandingofIslam.Thesuddenemergenceofaveena-playing,Bhagavadgita-reading,Rameswaram-bornKalamstruckmanyasan unreal happening. They were indeed baffled at Dr Kalam’s elevation as aforceforgood,change,agency,self-reflexivity,criticalthinking,action,serviceandlove.DrKalaminvokedthesimpletruthofIndiaasapluralisticsociety;andhechallengedthecarefullyconstructedstereotypesfavouredbyvote-bank-basedIndian politics. Some media commentators swiftly recognized that Dr KalamwasinmanywaysthequintessentialIndianMuslimoftheages:

The Indian Muslim, like any other Indian, is a creature of his village, district, state, in everypossible way…Kalam is part of a continuing tradition which exists but about which we havedevelopedanamnesiabecauseoftheobsessionoftheglobalmedia–andthatofourown–withpaintingtheMusliminamonochromaticshade…AsforKalam’sfamiliaritywithHinduscriptures,wasnotJusticeIsmailinChennaithecountry’sleadingauthorityontheKambanRamayanam?AndKalam,forallhisdevotiontoRama,stillhastocatchupwithAbdulRahimKhan-e-Khana’sversesinSanskritdedicatedtoDasharath’sson.10

On18July2002,DrKalamwaselectedtheeleventhpresidentofIndia,andthefirstscientistpresidentoftherepublic,byathumpingmajority,winning90percent of the votes polled. SecretaryGeneral of theRajyaSabha,R.C.Tripathi,whowasthereturningofficerofthepresidentialelection,handedoveracopyofthe notification declaring Dr Kalam as the president-elect to ParliamentaryAffairsMinisterPramodMahajan.

PramodMahajandrovetotheAsiadVillageandhandedoverthedeclarationtoDrKalam.DrKalamthankedPramodMahajanforbeinghiselectionagent.

‘So, funnyguy, youmademe the president!’DrKalam said joyfully.He thenemergedtothelargemediacontingentgatheredoutside:

Iamindeeddelightedtogetelectedasthenextpresident.Ithankallmyfriends,parents,teachersand three great professors – ProfessorVikram Sarabhai, Professor SatishDhawan and ProfessorBrahmPrakash…Mymessage to the country is thatwe need a vision, a second vision for thenationtogetIndiatransformedintoadevelopedcountryintwentyyears.11

On24July2002,DrKalam’selderbrotherA.P.J.M.Maracayerwiththeimamofthe localmosque,A.C.M.Noor-ul-Huda,P.L.V.Shastri, an elderly priest fromRameswaram who was Azad’s classmate, and thirty-four other members offamilyandfriendsarrivedfromChennaibytrain.Maracayerwaswarmwithhiswords,andspokeofhiswishesforDrKalam’stenure:‘Iamextremelyhappy.Ialwaysprayedforhissuccess.Hehasmadeusproud.Wehadspecialprayersforahassle-freepresidentialtermforhim.ButIdon’texpecthimtoserveus.Thenationismoreimportant.’12

On25July2002,outgoingpresidentK.R.NarayananescortedDrKalamtothe central hall of parliament. Vice-President Krishan Kant, and Lok SabhaSpeakerManoharJoshiwelcomedhim.TheChiefJusticeofIndia,B.N.Kirpal,administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new president. FormerpresidentR.Venkataramanwaspleasedandproudtoseethatthepresidencyofhiscountrywasbeingbestowedonthemanwhomhehadrightlytrustedin1982tomakeIndiaamissilepower.

DrKalam invited all his friends to the swearing-in ceremony.DrVargheseKuriencamewithhiswife.Y.S.Rajan,SivathanuPillai,D.Narayanamoorthy,R.N.Agarwal,R.Swaminathan,DrB.SomaRaju,Iandmanyotherswerethere.Formostofus,itwasourfirstchancetoentertheIndianparliament,andinallprobabilityourlast.SnehalThakkar,who‘ignited’DrKalam’smindinAnandafewmonthsearlier,wasinvitedtotheceremonyasthenewpresident’spersonalguest.

PresidentKalamwasgivenatwenty-one-gunsaluteandtakentoRashtrapatiBhavaninasix-horsebuggy,escortedbythemountedPresident’sBodyguard,anelitehouseholdcavalryregimentoftheIndianArmy.

Intheevening,afterthe‘tea’ceremonywasdonewithandalltheguestshadleft, President Kalam stood inside the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is a

mansion of four floors and 340 rooms, with a colossal floor area of 200,000squarefeet,constructedbytheBritishrulersin1931withheavyclassicalmotifsinordertoemphasizepowerandimperialauthority.PresidentKalamlookedintothe space around him, as if oblivious of the opulent building, and told me:‘Buddy,ifyouonlyhadeyestoseeandearstohearandwitstounderstand,youwould know that theKingdom ofGod is the sense of holiness, goodness andbeauty.It isasclosetoyouasyourbreath.TheKingdomofGodiswhereourbestdreamscomefromandour truestprayers. Iglimpsed it at thosemomentswhenIfoundmyselfbeingbetterthanIwasandwiserthanIknew.’

T

3.5

AngelandMarshal

Whatapieceofworkisaman,hownobleinreason,howinfiniteinfaculties,informandmovinghowexpressandadmirable,inactionhowlikeanangel,inapprehensionhowlikeagod.

–WilliamShakespeareThegreatestplaywrightoftheEnglishlanguage

heAppointments Committee of the Cabinet selected P.M. Nair, secretary,Department of Defence Production and Supplies, as secretary to the

presidentofIndia.Hecamefromthe1967batchofIASofficersfromtheUnionterritories cadre. Dr Kalam knew Nair ‘sahib’ since the time of the SLV-3project,when hewas posted at Thumba. PresidentKalam askedNair to fix ameetingwithVice-PresidentKrishanKanton27July2002ashisfirstdutyafterassumingoffice;butthemeetingnevertookplace.

The vice-president passed away that verymorning. The unpredictability oflife once again confronted President Kalam. Before the National DemocraticAlliancedecidedonhimastheircandidateforthepresidency,KrishanKantwasoneof the front runners for the post.KrishanKant had served as governor ofAndhraPradeshforseven-and-a-halfyears,from1990untilhiselevationtothevice-presidency.ItwouldhavebeenonlynaturalthatKrishanKantwouldhavefollowedthepathofDrSarvepalliRadhakrishnan,DrZakirHussain,V.V.Giri,R. Venkataraman, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma and K.R. Narayanan, who allbecamepresidentsaftercompletingtheirvice-presidentialterms.However,therewasnotellingone’sfate.

Dr Kalam’s guests from Rameswaram stayed for two days at the DRDODevelopment Enclave Guest House and another three days in RashtrapatiBhavanafterhemovedthere.DrKalam’sbrotherstayedwithhiminhisroom.

DrKalamhiredaprivatebustoferryhisgueststovariousplacesandevents.Noofficial carwas used.He also paid for their food and stay.His simplicity andpropriety was ingrained, and no amount of pomp and circumstance wouldchangehisapproach.

The pressing needs of the timemeant that hewould only take a few shortdays to settle into his position before he embarked on some of the moreimportantdutiesofhispresidency.DrKalamhadearlierbeenactivelyinvolvedin Gujarat’s rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts after the devastating Bhujearthquake of 2001. The earthquake had plunged Gujarat into the gloom ofdeath, destruction and sheer helplessness. Thousands of lives were lost.Hundreds of thousands of people were rendered homeless. Entire livelihoodswere destroyed. As if that was not enough, within a mere five months themindless communal violence of 2002 had dealt the state another unexpectedblow. Innocents were killed; families were rendered helpless. Property builtthroughyearsoftoilwasdestroyed.TheviolencewasindeedacripplingblowtoanalreadyshatteredandhurtingGujarat,stillstruggling togetbackon its feetfromthenaturaldevastationoftheearthquake.

Aspresident,DrKalamtookabolddecisiontovisitGujaratashisfirstdutyoutside the national capital. He knew that two railway carriages had beenburned,andeffortstoquelltheflameshadbeendeliberatelyhamperedbyriotousmobs. The fire killed fifty-eight passengers, including many women andchildren.Aretaliatorybloodbath followed inmanypartsof thestate.Does therealsafetyof theminorities lie in thegoodwillof themajority?HadDelhinotunderstoodtheneedtoconfronttheevilofcommunalviolenceafteritsanti-Sikhpogromin1984?Butithadtochange.Thenationcan’tbeheldhostagetothederangedmindsetofmobkillings.DrKalamhadalwaysbeenappalledbysuchhappenings,andhefelt thathisvisitaspresidentwastheleasthecoulddoforthenationunderthecircumstances.DrKalam’sdecisiontoaddresstheissuewaslauded in thepress,whichacknowledged thecourageofhisvisit toGujarat atthistime:

Beingthefirstpresidentialvisitoutsidethecapital,theGujarattripacquiresasymbolicdimension.DrKalamwillgettoseeforhimselfthehorrorsofcommunalviolenceandwillhearthechargesofgovernmental complicity. Inpolitical terms,DrKalam’sGujarat trip should serve anoticeonallthosewhothoughttheyhadgotapliablePresident.1

PrimeMinisterVajpayeewas,however,lukewarmabouthisvisit,asDrKalamwouldrecollect:

Vajpayeeaskedmeonlyonequestion,‘DoyouconsidergoingtoGujaratatthistimeessential?’Itoldtheprimeminister,‘IconsideritanimportantdutysothatIcanbeofsomeusetoremovethepain,andalsoacceleratethereliefactivities,andbringaboutaunityofminds,whichismymission,asIstressedinmyaddressduringtheswearing-inceremony.’2

Central government officials cautioned Dr Kalam that he would face a coldreception and that there would be protests frommany sides. But to his greatsurprise,whenDrKalamlandedatAhmedabadairporton10August2002,notonly was Chief Minister Narendra Modi awaiting his arrival, but his entirecabinet and a large number of legislators, officials andmembers of the publicwere also present at the airport.He could see the fear neurosis at play in themindsofthepeoplesittinginDelhi.Someinfluentialpeoplehadcreatedascriptfor Indian society, and every event must fit that script – even if it has to bedistorted,exaggerated,minimizedorevenignored.

DrKalamvisitedtwelveareas–threereliefcampsandnineriot-hitlocationswherethelossoflifehadbeenparticularlyegregious.Thechiefministerindeedescorted President Kalam throughout the visit. President Kalam was able tosuggest to him directly the urgent actions that were required apropos thepetitionsandcomplaintshereceivedfromthepeople.

After visiting the relief camps and riot-hit locations,DrKalamwent to theSwaminarayan temple on Shahibaug Road to meet Pramukh Swamiji. As heentered themeeting hall, sadhus chanted the Shanti Path, amantra for peace,harmony and happiness. Pramukh Swamiji Maharaj warmly welcomed thepresident and the chief minister with garlands, and offered his support andprayers:

Swamijisaid,‘Oursocietyisgoingthroughadifficulttime,andpeace,asyousay,hastoprevail.There are thousands of victims, both Hindus andMuslims. Right measures need to be taken toalleviate their suffering.Life is sacred; peace is sacred.Myvintee (petition) toRashtrapatiji andMukhyamantriji is towork forpeaceandunityofminds. Ihaveonlyoneearnestprayer toGod.That never again should such cruelly unfortunate days come in the lives of any other person,society,stateornation.’3

DrKalamlatervisitedBhuj,wreckedbytheearthquakethepreviousyear.The

Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) hadconstructed500sheltersmadeofcompositeboardsofjuteandcoir,andparticleboards made of rice husks, with bamboo-mat veneers supported on steelchannels and angles. They also made more than a hundred fibre-reinforcedplasticmodulartoiletunits.Itwasasuperbexampleofhowcompositematerialsoffer significant advantages over metals in some structural applications. Theshelter design had demonstrated the flexibility and efficacy of variouscombinations of fibre reinforcement and resin materials. ‘Knowledgepurposefullyappliedindeedbecomesadivineforce,’saidPresidentKalam.

ItwasduringthisperiodthatDrKalamreadabookTheInnerJourneyHome,written by A. Hameed Ali. He liked a ‘thought experiment’ described in thebook, and compared the situation of communal violence to a situation of dimlight and vision distorted by the colours and designs of shutter glasses. Theconversation he had with me on this matter would later appear in the bookGuidingSouls.

Letusimaginethatweareinacompletelydarkroom,aroomfullofallkindsofobjects.Thereisalight source in this room, with a dimmer switch that can be enhanced or reduced.We are alsowearingcleareyeglasseswithshuttersofdifferentcolours.Thecolouredglassofeachshutterhassometransparentdesignsengravedonit.Webegintoincreasetheintensityofthelightbyslidingthedimmerslowly,tothedimmestillumination.Webegintoseethevaguestoutlinesofsomeoftheobjects in the room. We may misapprehend what we see, for we still cannot differentiate theshadows from the real objects. Our predicament is complicated further because of the multi-shuttered glasses. Our knowledge is incomplete because of the dim light and distorted by thecoloursanddesignsoftheshutterglasses.Butallofwhatweseeistakenasknowledge.Weturnthedimmerupslowlyandsteadily,andeveryonceinawhile,removeoneoftheshuttersinourglasses.Basic knowledge increases steadily, becoming fuller andmore accurate. Only if we remove theshutters,whatweseewouldsurpriseus.Ourknowledgewouldbecomecompleteandobjective,fullandtruthful.4

SuchadepthofunderstandingwassuretoimbueDrKalam’spresidencywithaunique quality, and the nationwatched intently at the very different approachtakenbyPresidentKalam.Heshowedhisindependentmind,hiscouragetodowhathefeltwasrightandaboveall,adesiretoconnectwiththeordinarypeoplebygoingtothem.Hewasawarethatthepowerfulelectronicmediawascapableofcreatingavirtualreality.Agoodleadermustnotbeswayedbywhatisshownbythetelevisionchannels.Whilehisfirstvisithadturnedouttobeabalmfora

hurtingpeople,hissecondvisithadallthepotentialtostiranotherhornet’snest.On 5 September 2002, Dr Kalam visited Bhopal and went to the Bhopal

MemorialHospitalandResearchCentre.Onhisarrivalatthehospital,ShakeelaBano, a victim of the Union Carbide factory gas disaster of December 1984,Justice A.M. Ahmadi, chairman of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust andUnion cabinet minister Sadhvi Uma Bharati welcomed President Kalam. Theconstruction and management of the hospital had been mired in unsavourycontroversies, andmany citizens had pleaded with the president to intervene.Theimbrogliowasnotedintheprintmedia:

ThehospitalwasfundedfromthesaleoftheattachedpropertyofUnionCarbideIndiaLtd,anditsaimwastogivefreetreatmenttogasvictims.Instead,thehospitalgivesfavouredtreatmenttotherichas30percentofthemoneytheypaygoestodoctors.Theverypurposeofthehospitalhasbeendefeated.5

DrKalamhadalongdiscussionwithJusticeA.M.Ahmadiandthedoctors.Hetold the learned judge and the doctors that managing perception was veryimportant.Publicperception is indeedat timesmore important thanreality.Hesaid that your reality will not be a happy one if the perception of the peopleabout you is not good. Dr Kalam inaugurated a telemedicine link with CareHospital,Hyderabad, set up byDrB. SomaRaju at his behest and interactedwithsomegasvictimsundergoingtreatmentatasub-centreinGinouri.

Intheevening,DrKalaminauguratedtheNationalJudicialAcademyinthepresence of the Chief Justice of India Justice B.N. Kirpal, UnionMinister ofLawandJusticeK.JanaKrishnamurthi, thechiefministerofMadhyaPradesh,DigvijayaSingh,andsixformerchiefjusticesofIndia.DrKalamappearedtobecarryinghispainfromwitnessingtheeffectsoftheGujaratcarnage.Hevoicedhis concern over the growing intolerance and contempt in some quarters forthoseofotherreligions,andspokeoutagainst theall-too-commonjustificationof lawless violence. Describing the judiciary as the ‘angel and marshal’ thatensuresthesurvivalofdemocracy,PresidentKalamsaidthatitshouldnotbeamutewitnesstothedevaluationofhumanlifeinsociety:‘Allofushavetoworkhardanddoeverythingtomakeourbehaviourcivilizedandtoprotecttherightsofeveryindividual.’6

Certainforcesweremeanwhileconspiringtosubvert thetenuouscommunal

peace that remained in the state ofGujarat after the rioting.On24September2002,twoheavilyarmedgunmenkilledatleastthirty-twopeopleinanattackonAkshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, before army commandosrecaptured the temple andkilled the terrorists. Itwas yet another internationaltragedy in which terrorists had taken the lives of innocent men, women andchildren – pilgrims quietly going about their worship – in a senseless act ofviolence.Theiractofterrorwasevenmoreacutelyfelt,sinceitwasperpetratedin themidstof theveryplace that servesasan inspiration forpeace,harmonyand tolerance. Dr Kalam would always remember Pramukh Swamiji’scompassionandspiritualleadershipinthefaceofthishorror:

The attack was meant to stir communal riots and tear apart the fabric of society. But PramukhSwamijidefeatedthesenefariousdesignsoftheterrorists…Swamijiencouragedhisfollowerstopray,notpunish…IbelievethathisspiritualcalmnessandsaintlinessnotonlyrestoredpeaceinGujarat,butalsoprovidedafinalsealontheperpetuatingcycleofcommunalviolenceinthestate.7

DrKalamhadalwaysavoidedhisbirthdaycelebration.Butnowthathewasapublicfigure,thiswasgoingtobedifficult.Hefoundasolutionbybeingawayfrom the capital. There was an invitation to attend the Buddha MahotsavafestivalfromtheUniontourismministryinTawangon15October2002,andhedecidedtogothere.HehadheardalotaboutthesacredBuddhistmonasteryatTawang inArunachalPradeshand felt thathisprayers forcommunalharmonyandpeaceinthenationwouldsurelybeansweredthere.

IAF helicopters flew the presidential entourage,which includedme, acrossthe mighty 4,200 meters-high Sela Mountain. We were given oxygen maskswhile flying over the peaks. The pass had hardly any vegetation and wascompletelycoveredunderthesnow.

Soonafterourarrival,PresidentKalamproceededto themonasterysituatedatanaltitudeofover11,000feet.ThismonasteryisknownasGaldenNamgyelLhatse. It is one of the largest lamaseries of the Mahayana sect in Asia. DrKalamofferedprayersandmettheRimpoche(thelocaltermfortheheadlama).EveryonewassurprisedtoseeaninstantrapportbetweenPresidentKalamandtheRimpoche.Theirdiscussionbecameveryfamousin thecourseof the time,andwasnotableforitssuccincthonesty:

Kalam:WhatadvicecanItakebackforthepeopleofIndia?Rimpoche:Putasidetheviolence.Kalam:AndhowcanIdothat?Rimpoche:Bysublimatingyourego.It’segothatisthecoreofselfishness

andfromitstemsallviolence.Kalam:Buthowcanthisbedone?Howcanwecontrolouregos?Rimpoche:Learntoforgetthe‘I’and‘Me’.

Dr Kalam was taken aback by this simple, stark and short answer. ThedimnesswasilluminatedbyRimpoche’swords,andDrKalamcouldseetherootofalltroubleinhumanrelations.PresidentKalam,asthesupremecommanderofthedefenceforces,metarmypersonneldeployedintheareaandlaidflowersatthe war memorial of martyrs of the 1962 Sino-Indian War. In the evening,GovernorArvindDaveandChiefMinisterMukutMithihosteddinner.Astherewasno largebuilding to accommodatemore than200guests, a large tentwaserectedandtensofbonfiresweremadetokeepeverybodywarm.

DrKalamknewGovernorDavewellfromthetimeofPokhran-II,whenhewas the director of the Research and Analysis Wing. They spoke about thedynamicsofsecurityintheregion.Havingunderstoodtherootofviolencein‘I’and‘me’earlierintheday,DrKalamperhapswantedtounderstandnowfromamilitaryintelligenceveteran,howarmedconflictsdevelopedandpersistedoversuchlongperiodsoftime.Theterritorialdisputesinthisregionhavehelpednoonebuthavedeprivedtheentireregionofdevelopment.MukutMithiandsomeofusjoinedthediscussionwithDrKalam.

The roots of territorial disputation in this region reach back to the lattercolonialtimes.Inthesixteenthcentury,whentheTawangMonasterywasbuilt,the Indian and the Tibetan rulers were in harmony, and no border was everdrawnorenforced.Butthingswouldchange.In1914,Tibetwasanindependentcountry.BritishIndianegotiatedwithTibettoacceptthattheregionofTawangand thearea southof it belonged to India.EveryonewashappyexceptChina.Chinese representatives in the meeting withdrew, and since then China hasrefusedtoaccepttheaccordarisingfromthemeeting.

MostofthestateofAssamhadlivedwithastrongIndianculturalinfluencefrom ancient times, and in 1914 theTibetan government signed an agreement

acknowledgingtheregionaspartofIndia.Whenin1950ChinaannexedTibet,the TawangMonastery remained the last bastion of Tibetan culture. In 1962,China warred over the region. But the geography clearly favoured India, andChina pulled back from Tawang. Since then, India has established completecontrolovertheregion.ItisnowasIndianasanyotherpartofthecountry.

The holymonth of Ramadan began on 5November 2002.At this time, inaccordance with a long-standing Delhi tradition, the president, the primeminister, political leaders, ambassadors, businessmen – anyone of any note orpublicprofile–wouldhostIftarparties,servingtheeveningmealwhenMuslimsend theirdailyRamadan fast at sunset.People fromall religionswouldattendtheseparties.The Iftarpartieshadbecomesomethingof a talkingpoint in thegossippress:notonlywhoattendedaparty,butwhoskippeditwouldbetreatedasnews.Moreover,theparties,overtheyears,hadbecomeeventsaroundwhichpoliticalanalystsconstructedconspiracytheories,forecastalliances–andmuchmore.But noone could ever argue that the foodwasn’t delectable at the Iftarparties.

A grand Iftar party from President Kalam was much anticipated. It was aregular practice for the president of India to host one; and Dr Kalam was aMuslim. Dr Kalam, though, asked Nair sahib why he should host a feast forpeoplewhowerealreadywellfed.Heaskedhimtofindoutthecostinvolvedinholding an Iftar party. It was estimated at rupees twenty-two lakh. Dr KalamaskedNairsahibtodonatethatamounttoafewselectorphanagesintheformoffood, clothing and blankets. He left the selection of orphanages to a team inRashtrapatiBhavanandhadnoroleindecidingwherethemoneywouldgoandinwhatproportion.

Aftertheselectionsforthebequestwasmade,DrKalamaskedNairsahibtocome into his room. He placed a cheque for rupees one lakh in Nair sahib’shand.DrKalamsaidthathewasgivingthisamountfromhispersonalsavings,andthisshouldnotbedisclosedtoanyone.P.M.Nairspokeofhisgift,however,ashe felt thatpeople shouldknow thatherewasamanwhonotonlydonatedwhatheshouldhavespent,butwasgivinghisownmoneyalso.ThoughhewasadevoutMuslim,DrKalamdidnothost Iftarparties inanyofhis fiveyears inRashtrapatiBhavan.Withtypicalself-denial,heabstainedfromthisindulgenceso thatpoorchildren inorphanagescould feast for at least thatoneday in the

year.NairsahibandthestaffatRashtrapatiBhavanquicklyunderstoodDrKalam’s

ascetic tendencies; but it was perhaps difficult for others, more used to theceremonialoftheofficeofpresident,tocometotermswithhisstyle.Attheveryleast, his staffwouldhave toprevail uponDrKalam to changehismannerofdress, ifnothingelse.Histrademarkpaleblueshirtandsportsshoes,whichheworefortheirpracticalityandcomfort,weresimplynotbefittinghisnewstation.Fromnow,bandhgalasuitswouldbethenewmodeofdress,andoneofthemostrenowned tailors inDelhiwas summoned tomakeDrKalam several of thesesuits.

Thetailorwasproudofhisrecordformakingfinesuitsforallthepresidentsofthepreviousfewdecades,andhewasnaturallyverypleasedtobeoutfittingthelatestpresidentinthecostumeofhisoffice.Hearrivedandcarefullytookallof Dr Kalam’s measurements. A few days later, the tailor and his assistantsarrived,beaming,withfourbeautifullycraftedbandhgalasuits.DrKalamtriedonhisnewuniform.ThedarksuitwasaperfectcutforDrKalam’sphysique;thelength and dropwere exact, and the coat was square on his shoulders. I wastakenabackatwitnessingthesomewhatunkempt,brilliantmanIhadknownfortwodecadestransformingintoastatesmaninfrontofme.Thecharmofabosswithtousledhair,runnersandalabcoatthathadendearedagenerationofstafftothisgreatmanwasgone,andinitsplacewasthebearingofaworldleader.Acombovertheuntamedsilverlocks,andthetransformationwascomplete.

Themanhimself, though,wasfarfromhappy.‘I’mfeelingstrangledinthisthing.HowcanIbreathe?Youhavetoremakeit.’Thetailorandhisstafflookedquitebemusedandmorethanalittledisappointed;fortheirpart,theyhaddonetheirjobperfectly,andtotheirtrainedeyesthesuitwasasublimefit.Buttheirfamous client was having none of it. He had been in the business ofmakingthingsforhiswholeworkinglife–tobegranted,nothingintheworldofcouture–andheknewexactlywhatneededtobedone.‘Cutitattheneck,’hesaid.Andthetailorcomplied.Thereafter,DrKalammostlyworewhatcametobeknownasa‘Kalamsuit’:abandhgalasuitwithanopenneck–whichwas,ofcourse,acontradictioninterms.

Thenewpresidentwould alsobaulk atwearinga tie.He felt chokedwhilewearing ties, just as he did by the closed round-neck collar, which he would

insistonthetailorscallingan‘Indiancollar’afterNehru,ratherthana‘Chinesecollar’ according to tailoring jargon. ‘Be patriotic,’ he would say. He would,though,wear ties under sufferance.Once, I found him cleaning his spectacleswithhistie,andItoldhimheshouldn’tdothis.Aneminentlypracticalman,hesaid,‘Thisisanabsolutelypurposelessgarment.Letmeat leastput it tosomeuse!’

Further than the Kalam suits and the occasional tie, Dr Kalam would notburnishhis imageoralterhisstyle,assomeareapt todowhentheyassumeanew role.His trademark unruly silver hair,which he hadworn long since hisyouth,wouldneedtoberegularlytamed.Buthishumbledemeanourstayed,andhewasjustasapproachabletoallandsundryashehadeverbeen.Hisstaffcouldnot effect amakeover on their charge; and he didn’t need one. That he cut adistinguished figure in his suits and formal wear was more of his naturalcharisma;that,andhishallmarksilverlockswithanappealing,boyishfacethathadenduredintohissenioryears.DrKalamhadnotbeenchangedbybecomingpresident,buttheofficeofpresidentwouldbechangedbyhim.

P

3.6

ThinkingIsGrowth

Isolationisthesumtotalofwretchednesstoaman.

–ThomasCarlyleScottishphilosopherandteacher

residentKalamvisitedTripuraon4October2002.Hehadbeenthereearliertwice. In 1998, he had attended a Tripura State Planning Board meeting.

Later, he visited Tripura to attend the Tripura University convocation on 31January2001.DrKalamestablishedastrongrapportwithChiefMinisterManikSarkar.Thesonofatailor,ManikwasborninEastPakistanandhisfatherlatermigratedtoTripura.Manikandhiswifelivedaverysimplelife.In1998,attheageofforty-nine,hebecameamemberofthepolitburooftheCommunistPartyof India (Marxist), better known asCPI(M). In the same year, he became thechiefministerofthestateofTripura.

DrKalamsentmetomeethiminpreparationforhisvisit.Hesaid,‘Youwillmeetatruerevolutionary.HeistheonlychiefministerinIndiawhodoesn’thaveahouseorcar.IknowyouspeakwellbutwheninfrontofManikSarkar,keepyourmouthshut.Listencarefullytowhathewantsforhispeople.’

IwassurprisedattheintensityexpressedbyDrKalamtodosomethingreallygoodforTripura.Itwaspublicknowledgethatintherun-uptothepresidentialelection, the CPI(M), which had been ruling Tripura for a long time, hadsupportedLakshmiSahgal for thepresidencyagainstDrKalam.OnlyafterDrKalam’s passing, the truth came out that Manik Sarkar was indeed a greatadmirerofDrKalam.ButhehadfollowedthedisciplineofthepartyinvotingagainstDrKalam;andDrKalamunderstoodthiswell.DrKalamallalongknewtheextentofpartydiscipline’sroleinthematter,whichwasonlyacknowledged

intheprintmediainthedaysfollowingDrKalam’sdeath:‘TheCPMpolitburo’sdecisionhadnotgonedownwellwiththestateCPM,whichunanimouslycalledfor a reversal of the politburo’s decision and support toKalam.The politburoremainedunfazedand“martiallawwithintheparty”ensuredcompliance.’1

ThechiefsecretaryofTripura,V.Thulasidas, reciprocatedfullyDrKalam’swarmth.HesuggestedatelemedicinelinkbetweenKailashaharandAgartalaandfromtheretoHyderabad.HeensuredthesupportofBSNLonawarfootinganddespatchedme to Kailashahar with a senior health official in the governmentwithanarmedescort.

KailashaharistheheadquartersoftheUnakotidistrictalongtheBangladeshborder.ItwastheancientcapitaloftheTripurikingdom.AfterPartition,theroadlinkwithAgartalawaslosttotheothersideoftheinternationalborder,andwhatformerly was a pleasant three hours’ drive on a plain roadwas now taking atortuoussixtoeighthoursthroughinsurgency-affectedhighlands.

PresidentKalam’sday-longvisitwasmost fruitfulandwidelyfollowed.Heopened a telemedicine centre at the state’sGBHospital and interactedwith afourteen-year-old boy in Kailashahar, who was suffering from a heart valvediseaseandneededimmediatesurgery.WhenDrKalamaskedhimhisname,theboyanswered ‘AbdulKalam’.Thepresident said thatwashisnameandagainasked him his name.When the boy answered that his name was also AbdulKalam,everybodyburstintolaughter.Later,thatboywasshiftedtoHyderabadandwasoperatedonbythecardiothoracicsurgeonDrG.RamasubramanyamatCareHospital,Hyderabad.Theboyisnowahealthyyoungmanapproachinghisthirties.

In deference to President Kalam’s wishes, two interactive sessions withstudents hadbeen arranged inAgartala. ItwasvintageKalam: radiatinghope,vibrancyandpositivity,whilereplyingtothestudents’queriesandencouraginglearnerswithwordsofwisdom.PresidentKalamalso laid thefoundationforafactory at theBodhjungnagar industrial hub tomanufacturemedicatedpowderfrom the state’s abundant pineapple production. But it did not develop asexpected, and farmers in Tripura continue to see their bumper crops rottingwithoutsale.Later,Tripuraartisansbuiltabamboo-canehutwithathatchedroofinRashtrapatiBhavanforthePresident.

President Kalamwent toManipur the following day. Hewas shown black

flagsandtheManipurPeoplesLiberationFrontobservedatwelve-hourgeneralstrike. They were protesting against the failure of the authorities to providesecurityalong the Imphal–DimapurNH39and Imphal–JiribamNH53,wherelootingsandcrimeshadbeenrifeformanyyears.DrKalamtooktheblackflagsin his stridewith his usual calm aplomb, acknowledging that the peopleweresimplytryingtoraiseanissuethatwascausingsufferingtothem,andheshouldnot take this personally. The president then went to Leimakhong, about 28kilometresnorthofImphaltoinauguratea38MWheavyfuelplantbuiltbytheBharatHeavyElectricalsLtd.

After thefunction,DrKalamraised the issuewithBHELengineers that thecost of the project was higher than hydro and thermal projects. Further,cognizantthattheheavyoilusedinthefurnacesofthegeneratorswassuchanexpensivecommodity,heaskedwhythiscostlyoptionwasselected.Noneoftheengineers could adequately address these critical and ineluctable issues. Itappeared to be a regular case of distant planning, where the person does notknow for whom he is planning. Dr Kalam was a technologist as much as ascientistandhadanuncanny,almostpsychicabilitytoselectthebesttechnologyforagivenpurpose.Butinthisinstance,anyonewithcommonsensecouldseetheproject’sshortcomings.Manyyearslater,theapprehensionsPresidentKalamhad about the project openly erupted in a public scandal. An article in TheTelegraph in July2010 reported that aprominent statepoliticiandescribed theplantas

…a‘uselesssleepinglion’anddemandedintheAssemblytodaytodismantletheproject.ThepriceofthefuelhasgoneuptoRs35.95perlitre,makingitimpossibleforthegovernmenttooperatetheplant.Whoever formulated theprojectdid so to ruinManipurand responsibility shouldbe fixed.‘Whatkindofprojectisthis?’2

Dr Kalam had been keenly aware for some time of the need for greaterintegrationofthenorth-eastwiththerestofIndia.Hefeltthatthepeopleofthisgeographicallyandpoliticallyisolatedregionneededmoreofavoiceinthehallsofpower;further,thattheirpotentialhadbeenroutinelyoverlooked.Withthisinmind,heinvitedAnilMangotraofthe1978IASbatchfromtheManipur-Tripuracadre to the presidential secretariat. Mangotra had a sound understanding ofproblemsofthenorth-easternstates,andprovidedthepresidentwithworthwhile

insights.Hewasverycandidinproposingthat thedataandinformationontheregionwerenotsufficientlyanalysedandcommunicatedbetweentheregionandthe Centre, contributing to further misinformation, mismanagement andalienation.

ThehistoryofthesereachesofthesubcontinenthadbeencharacterizedbyadividebetweentheCentralgovernmentanditspeople.Thecolonialrulerstooknearlyacenturytoannextheentireregion,andadministeredthehillsasaloose‘frontier area’. The result was that large parts of the north-eastern hill areasnever became acquainted with the principle of a central administration. Theallegiance to the newly formed Indian nation state that was somewhat half-hearted from the beginning was further diminished by the creation of EastPakistan,whichengenderedthelossofamajorchunkofthephysicalconnectionbetweenmainlandIndiaandnorth-eastIndia.Mangotrapointedoutthat99percentofthenorth-east’sboundariesisinternationalborders.

DrKalamfelt thatalthoughtheconflict intheregionisostensiblybasedoncomplex political and economic issues such as the struggle over naturalresources,migration-relatedissues,displacement,socialexclusionandsoforth,thepoliticsofidentityshouldnotbeoverlooked.Hesawidentityitselfaslyingat the heart of the problems of the north-east, and believed that this must beaddressedalongwiththeotherextantissues.Hesaidthatourleadersmustreachout to thedifferentethnicgroups thereandhold thehandsof their leaders likebrothersandsisters,nottreatthemascolonialsubjects.

Unfortunately,theapproachoftheCentrehasbeennotdissimilartothatofabewilderedcolonialruler.Withwidespreadignoranceoftheregion,theofficialmodusoperandi fordealingwith its ills seems tohavebeeneither topump inmoneyorsendinthearmy.TheprevailingthoughtinNewDelhiisthatifthereis economic development, all problems will disappear. But the genericchallenges of governance in India – weak institutions, rampant graft andwastefulcentralizedplanning–havemadedevelopmentelusiveinManipur.

On the longreturnflight fromImphal toDelhi,DrKalamtoldmewewerenot created to live our lives by ourselves. We were not given a sentence ofsolitary confinement andplaced in aworldof isolation.From themomentweenterthishumanexperience,itisclearthereisaworldwaitingtobediscovered– people, creatures and experiences that are there for our interaction.And the

sparkinsideusoftenhastobespokento,tobetouchedbythesoulofanother.He felt that in abroad sense, theproblemsof thenorth-east relate to isolationandadearthofmeaningful interaction– thecauseofmanyofman’sconflicts.Thenorth-eastpolicyoftheCentrewasnotjustunfocused;itlackedanyvisionorunderstanding.

DrKalamreturnedtothenorth-eastsoonafterwardstoaddresstheNationalSymposium on Biodiversity at Shillong on 25 October 2002. Armed with asoundunderstandingoftheregionbynow,andhavingdevelopedthecontourofhisvisionfortheregion,DrKalamgaveapowerfulmantratothelargegatheringofscientistswhoarrivedfromalloverthecountry.Hecouldjustaseasilyhavearticulated this at Anna University as professor of technology and societaltransformation:

Technologyisthemostnon-lineartoolthatcaneffectthemostfundamentalchangesinthegroundrules of economic competitiveness. Science is linked to technology through applications.Technology is linked to theeconomyandenvironment throughmanufacturing.Theeconomyandenvironment link technology to society. So there is an integrated relationship between science,technology,environment,manufacturingandsociety.3

DrKalampointedout thatIndiarankedamongthetopfewnationsintermsofhaving a rich biodiversity. Particularly in the herbal area, therewere potentialapplications for developing amyriad of products for nutrition, and preventionand cure of diseases.Of the global herbal productmarket ofUSD 61 billion,ChinahadashareofaroundUSD3billion,whereasIndia’ssharewasnotevenUSD0.1billion.DrKalampointedout that therewas tremendousopportunityforgrowthinthisarea.Itcouldonlybeachieved,however,ifpeacereturnedtothe region, if scientists could comeandwork in thenorth-eastwithout fear, ifindustriescouldsetuptheirfactories–andifinvestorsbringintheirmoney.Ithadtobedonebytheprivatesector,withfullparticipationofthepeoplelivinghere. Setting up a furnace oil plant to generate power or installing a MRI(magnetic resonance imaging)machine in ahospitalwhere theX-raymachinedoes not work to ‘utilize’ the budget can’t be termed development. Suchpracticesareindeedaninsulttothesensibilitiesofthepeopleofthisregion.

After his lecture in Shillong, President Kalam visited Nagaland. He firstlanded in Tuensang and then went to Kohima to attend a civic reception at

KhuzamaPublicGround.Beforeaddressingthemassivecrowdthere,DrKalammetKhuzamaVillageCouncilmembers. Soon after the programme ended, hechosetowalkthroughthemillingcrowd,avoidingtheVVIPcarwaitingforhimin front of the rostrum, interactingwith the schoolchildren eagerlywaiting forhimacrosstheroadattheirsmallschoolcompound.

GovernorShyamalDattaandChiefMinisterS.C.Jamirwerethepresident’sconstantcompanionson thisvisit.While interactingwith the schoolchildrenatKhuzama, he urged them to do their part to turn India into a developed andpowerfulnation.Inthisway,hewasignitingtheirwillfortransformation,justashehadintendedtodoinhisdutiesatAnnaUniversity.Assumingthemantleofpresident of the country had onlymade his campus of students immeasurablylarger.Andhere, he became a rolemodel tomanyyoungNaga students,whowerethrilledtofreelyandfranklytalkwithhim,sittinglittlemorethananarm’slengthawayfromhim.ItwasthisunassumingmannerofDrKalamthatwouldendearhimtothepeopleofthecountryingeneralandchildrenandstudentsinparticular. Chief Minister Jamir would recall this in his reminiscences yearslater:

We reached the village and he went straight to the school. He interacted with the students andteachers for hours. He had questions, some plain and simple, and some really peculiar, whichseemedordinarilyextraordinary.Inthebeginning,thestudentswereoverawedbytheenormityoftheoccasion.However,assecondsrolledintominutesandminutesintohours,thestudents,youngerandolder,weresomehowtrappedintobelievingthattheywereNOTinteractingwiththePresidentofIndia,rathertheywerewithafriend,averyintimateandlearnedone!Duringthesession,ideaswereexchanged,intricatequestionsraisedandanswered.4

DrKalamexpressedhisthoroughsatisfactionthatthevillagecouncilcomprisedateachers’representative,aparents’representative,avillagerepresentativeandagovernmentofficial.Itwasasortofcheck-and-balancewayofensuringstudentattendance, teachers’ presence, quality work for infrastructure and overallimprovement. It was this kind of self-empowered approach that Dr Kalamfavoured as a model for the nation’s growth, and it relied on participation,forward thinking, a common purpose and thewillingness to believe in humanpotential.

Atacivic reception in theevening,averypleasedJamirwarmlyaddressedPresident Kalam as the ‘Father of Nagaland’. Everybody gave a standing

ovation,andittookawhilefortheapplausetosubside.WhenDrKalam’sturncame to speak, he said, ‘We all are the children ofMother India,’ and calledJamirhisbelovedbrother.Thiswaswhatwasneeded;and itwashere that theCentrehadbeenfailing.

UponhisreturntoDelhi,PresidentKalamsharedthisexperiencewithPrimeMinisterVajpayee.He told that him thatneitherSmt. IndiraGandhinorRajivGandhi had ever visited Kohima as prime minister and urged him to visitNagaland,whichhedidon28October2003.DuringPrimeMinisterVajpayee’svisit,henotonlyrecognizedthe‘uniquehistory’oftheNagas,butalsoadmittedthat mistakes had beenmade by the government.Moreover, he expressed hissorrowfortheneedlessspillingofbloodinthestate.

InNovember 2002, PresidentKalam participated in the celebrations of the1950thanniversaryofthearrivalofStThomasandthe450thdeathanniversaryofStFrancisXavieratKochi inKerala.Helaterspokeofhisaffinitywiththedivineinallworldreligions:

Celebrationsconnectedwithanyreligiontomymindhaveaspecialsignificance.Thisisbasicallybecauseallreligionsintheirtrueformareoneandthesame.Allarebasedontruth,fellowfeeling,humility and the greatness of life in any form. It is people like us who have made religionsubservienttoourownselfishends,corruptingreligionsfromtheirpristinepureformtothosethatsuitus,forourownspecificpurposes.5

StThomaswasoneofthetwelvedisciplesofJesus.AfterJesusChristrosefromthedeadandcametotheotherdisciples,StThomaswasnotthere.AndhedidnotbelievetheotherswhentheysaidthattheyhadseenJesusChrist.StThomassaidhewantedtoseeJesusforhimselfbeforehewouldbelievethegoodnews.So JesusChrist appeared to him and showed St Thomas his hands and sides,which had holes in them from his crucifixion. St Thomas is said to haveexclaimedaloud,‘MyLordandMyGod’,andspenttherestofhislifetellingthegoodnewstoallinfarawaypartsoftheworld.

StThomasisbelievedtohavebroughtChristianitytoIndiamorethan1950yearsago,whichinduecoursebecameoneofseveralmajorreligionsfollowedbyIndians.StFrancisXavier,bornin1506intheSpanishkingdomofNavarre,cametoGoain1542andwentonfromtheretoKanyakumari.Accordingtothelegend,StFrancisspentthreeyearsworkingamongthepearlfishersorParavas.

He broughtwith him nothing but his all-consuming love forGod and for thesoulsofhisfellowmen.

Dr Kalam never took any interest in the quibbling and controversies thatmight cloud the perception of any religion.He always celebrated the positivecontribution that the believers of all religions had made to Indian society,particularlyinthefieldsofeducationandmedicine.Hisownteachershadbeenan eclectic mix of Hindus of various beliefs, Muslims of his own creed andChristiansofseveraldenominations,andhefeltallthemoreprivilegedforthis.DrKalamheldthatforanationlikeIndia,whichisrichinitsunityofdiversity,thecontributionsmadebyeachreligionaretobelookeduponwithgratitudeandreverence.

CommunalharmonyandpeacehasbeenthemainstayofKerala’ssocietyand,without exaggeration, the progressive state has been the envy ofmany on thesubcontinent. For millennia, the region was the gateway to India for foreignseafarers,whobroughtnewideasandreligionshere.Perhapsthishasfacilitateda more pluralist society. Unlike many other parts of India, schools and otherinstitutions here have catered for all those who resided in a particular area,irrespective of their caste or religion. This contrasts with the tradition ofeducation in north India, where religious denominations founded exclusiveschools and other institutions.The state ofKerala has given to the rest of thecountryagreat lesson in toleranceand respect fordiversity.DrKalampraisedKerala’sexcellenceinuniversaleducation,andexhorteditspeopletocontinuetoshow leadership to the rest of India in this area: ‘I appeal to the enlightenedpeopleofKeralatosustainandreinforcethatgreattradition,builtassiduouslyonthesevaluesfromtimeimmemorialandcontinuetobeabeaconfortherestofthecountry tofollow.Ihavenodoubt thatwithsuchahighlevelofeducationandliteracyinthestate,myappealwillnotfallondeafears.IamsureIshallnotbedisappointedinmyexpectations.’

DrKalamspenttwentyyearsofhislifeinKerala.Duringthisfirstvisithereas president of India, it was only natural that he opened up his heart andcelebratedtheuniquenessofKerala’ssociety.Tohim,thestatewasamodelofharmonyandaspiration,withthepeoplestrivingforabetterfuturethroughhardworkandeducation.ThosefromKeralamaythusbeseenpursuingcareersinallthestatesofIndiaandindeed,manycountriesoftheworld.

On 18 November 2002, President Kalam launched a ‘bridging the digitaldivide’ campaign called Akshaya. He also used this occasion to unveil hisknowledgesocietyandnationaldevelopmentvisions,whichhewouldexpoundfor the restofhis life.DrKalamalwaysbelieved in thepowerof informationandcommunicationtechnology.Hesawthatitcouldgeneratemassiveeconomicgrowth, creating direct employment opportunities and transforming the entiresocio-politicaleconomyofIndia.

The Akshaya mission was aimed at making at least one person in everyfamilyfunctionally IT literate, therebymakingKerala thefirst100percent ITliterate state in the world. Under this project, the government would developmultipurpose information technology centres within a 2-km radius of anyhousehold through private sector participation. This was a groundbreakingendeavour.Itlatertranspiredthatthesecentrescontributedtotheemploymentofmorethan50,000youthsandattractedRs500croreofinvestmenttothestate.

PresidentKalamdeclaredthatdaythatbecomingaknowledgepowerwithinadecadewasaveryimportantmissionforthenation.Whileaknowledgesocietyhas a two-dimensional objective of societal transformation and wealthgeneration, a third dimension emerges when India has to transform into aknowledge power. That day alsomarked the birth of an idea thatwould laterbecometheAadhaarcard.Sevenyearslater,theUniqueIdentificationAuthorityofIndia(UIDAI)wassetupbytheGovernmentofIndia.DrKalamwasanearlyproponentoftheconcept:

WeneedtotakeonamissionforbringingoutanationalcitizencardforusageasavoterIDcard,arationcard,tooperateabankaccountandmanyotherapplications.Thenationalcitizencard/smartcardhastobeanintegratedapproachfrommultipledepartmentsandindustries.6

DrKalamspokeat lengthoncompetitivenessandcited the reportpreparedbythe World Economic Forum that defined competitiveness as the ability of anational economy to achieve sustained high rates of economic growth.As perthisdefinition,different countrieswere rankedasofApril2001.UnitedStatesranked first, Singapore second, Australia eleventh, Taiwan eighteenth, Chinathirty-third and India forty-first. As world competitiveness was decided by atriangular combination of progressiveness of industry, technologicaladvancement and judicious governmental deregulation, an integrated approach

assimilatingandadaptingtechnologytolocalneedsmustbeanationalmission.‘India must evolve such systems to improve its competitiveness in a globalmarketplaceandtobeinthefirsttencountriesintheglobalizedworld,’declaredthegreatvisionarypresident.Hewasunequivocal inadvocating India’syoungmindstoeffectthisimprovement:

Thinking is growth. Non-thinking is destruction of the individual or organization or the nation.Indiahastohaveasecondvision.SeventypercentofIndia’spopulationisyoung.Onlythevisionofthenationcanigniteitsyoungminds.Theignitedmindempoweredwithknowledgeisthemostpowerfulresourceontheearthtobringaboutthistransformation.7

ThefirstthreemonthsofDrKalam’spresidencyhadbroughtinthefreshairofhopeandbelief.Hehadsuccessfullydispelledthegloomofcommunalviolence,not by preaching religious harmony but instead by providing a vision for thecountry,toacquireknowledgeandbecomeaneconomicpowerintheglobalizedworld. Through his extensive travel in different parts of the country and bymeetingmorethan100,000peopleintheprocess,DrKalamhaddevelopedhisown insights into the challenges facing the country. He identified the root ofmanyof thenation’s ills as thepeople’sprimordial identities, coupledwith aninsecuremindsetofholdingontoone’sturf.Hepostulatedthatthesehadbeenconditionedbycenturiesofinvasionsandcolonialrule.

T

3.7

BirthofaHumanist

ThereisnothingIfearmorethanwakingupwithoutaprogrammethatwillhelpmebringalittle happiness to thosewith no resources, thosewho are poor, illiterate, and riddenwithterminaldisease.

–NelsonMandelaAnti-apartheidrevolutionaryandNobellaureate

he2001IndiraGandhiPrizeforPeace,DisarmamentandDevelopmentwasconferred upon Prof. Sadako Ogata of Japan, for her outstanding

contributioninalleviatingthepainofmillionsofrefugeesallovertheworld.ShehadbeencloselyassociatedwiththeUnitedNations,intheareaofhumanrightsandrefugees.ProfessorOgataprotectedandassistedmillionsofpeoplewhohadtoleavetheircountriesbecauseofwar,conflictandpersecution.

DrKalamwantedtopreparewellforthislecture.Hecalledmeforassistance.WesatinsidethebamboohuterectedbytheartisansfromTripura.Whyhadthehistoryoftheworldbeenconstantlyriddenwithconflict?Nosinglecenturyhadpassedsofarwithoutamajorwarhappeningsomewherebetweentwoormoregroups of people. How did the imaginary lines of religion and nationalboundariescometobedrawn?

DrKalamrecalledhisdiscussionwithGovernorDaveinArunachalPradesh.TherewasnoboundarybetweenIndiaandTibet.Theywere living togetherastwocolours ina rainbow–differentbutnot separatedbyany line.ThensomeBritishofficialdrewalineonthemap.Butoutside,noneoftheselinestendtoexist.As soon as you rise a kilometre into the skies and look down upon theearth,therearenonationalboundaries.DrKalamwouldsayheneverceasedtobe confounded by the proclivity of these imaginary lines to draw blood fromyoungsoldiers.Furthermore,peopleareturnedintorefugeessimplyforbeingon

the wrong side of these lines. Dr Kalamwanted to start his lecture with thisthought but abandoned the idea after Nair sahib found it too radical for aninternationalforum.

PresidentKalaminsteadstartedhislecturewithaquotefromoneofProfessorOgata’sspeeches:

‘The sources of security threats have emanatedmostly from internal conflicts,most of the timecausedbyhistoricalrivalriesandanimositiesamongdifferentethnic,religiousandsocialgroups.’Theoriginatorsoftheseconflictsaremostlykings,priestsandzealousideologues.Butthevictimsareprimarilythecivilians–ordinarymen,womenandchildren.

A sea change in basic humanitarian and developmental thinking and action isclearlycalledfor.ArealizationwasbynowdawningonDrKalamthatmakingpoliciesandensuringbudgetsforschemeswasnotgoingtochangemuch.Itwasseven years since India 2020 was published, and he could see hardly anyprogress. Dr Kalam saw this ceremony as a golden opportunity for a coursecorrection, andwas, true to habit, quite candid in expressingwhat he felt thecountryneeded:

Whatwegetfrom(ProfessorOgata’s)messageis:Weshouldshedthedifferencesinthenameofreligionandcasteandinthenameofhavesandhave-nots.Thenonlythemissionoftransformingournationintoadevelopednationby2020willsucceed.1

Wheredoessocio-economicinequalityhurtthepoormost?DrKalambelongedtothatrarebreedofmenwhowillinglyengageinhard,solidthinking.Hestoodapart from the fraternity of people that are found in the corridors of power,peddlingquickfixes,easyanswersandhalf-bakedsolutions.Nothingpainssomepeoplemorethanhavingtothink;buthereDrKalamwasthinkingandcaringfortheanswers toalleviate thesufferinghesawaroundhim.Twoevents towhichDrKalamhadbeeninvitedwerelikedivineinspiration.Itwasalmostasiftheyhadbeenpreordainedtosatiatehisthirstforanswers.

First,PresidentKalamwasinvitedtotheconvocationoftheNizam’sInstituteofMedicalSciences(NIMS)atHyderabadon26November2002.Prof.KakarlaSubbaraowasthedirectorandvicechancellorofthisdeemedmedicaluniversity.Prof.Subbaraohadplayedaleadingroleincompilingareporton‘HealthcareinIndia’inDrKalam’sdaysasprincipalscientificadviser.Thereportunderscored

the typical health problems facing Indian people and suggested possiblesolutions. The expert team proposed the eradication of threemajor diseases –tuberculosis, HIV and waterborne diseases – within the next decade. It alsohighlighted the threats posed by cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatricdisorders, renal diseases and hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, eyedisorders,geneticdiseasesandaccidentsandtrauma.

DrKalamsawthatthereweretwomajorstreamsofdevelopmentinvolvedinaddressing India’s health care deficiencies. First, we would have to greatlyaugment our primary health care system, empower our secondary health caresystemandintegratebothwiththetertiarycarecentres.Second,weshouldseehow the advancement in technology could be put to use to improve thehealthcare system of the country. These two efforts would make modernmedicine available and accessible. This would contribute to the nation’sprogress, as strong bodies and sound minds of its citizens are essential forprogress.

Dr Kalam said in this convocation address that the vision of providingaffordable and effective health care to the entire Indian populationwasmuchbeyond the capability of any individual, institution or organization. Massiveresources,both financialand in termsofhumanskillswouldbe required.Thisvision needs to be developed intomulti-organizationalmissions leading to thegenerationofthousandsofgoal-orientedprojects.Theseprojectswouldhavetobesupportedandnurturednotonlybythegovernment,butalsobyourindustryandphilanthropicorganizations.Themostimportantingredientofsuchamulti-organizationalmissionwouldbeitsleadership,whichmustbedecentralizedyetinterlinked. Institutions which undertake research on various technologicalsystemsthatarethetoolsformedicalcare,havetobefedwiththelatestclinicalknowledge.DrKalammade it abundantly clear, by giving a tangible instancewhereindigenousmedicaltechnologyhadbeensuccessful,thatthiswasnoidletalk:

I have just seen the indigenously developed digital Cath. Lab2 at the CARE hospital. Itdemonstrates the success of multidisciplinary partnerships and technology integration … themedico-technicalknowledgemustthengototheindustries,whichnotonlyproducecosteffectivemedicalproductsbutalsoprofitsharetomakethemavailabletothepoorestofthepooratnocost.3

Dr Kalam enjoyed the rare distinction of having initiated numerous majorprojects that relied on bringing a diverse selection of people in differentorganizations together. It was thought impossible earlier that governmentorganizations, academic institutions and industry could cooperate. Dr Kalampioneered this approachduring themissileprogrammeand thenat theSocietyfor Biomedical Technology. He was now advocating this as the means ofeffectingahealthcarerevolutioninIndia.

The rewards for these collaborations could be rich. The interface betweenmedical science, electronics, material science and engineering was facilitatingthedevelopmentofnewtechniques,both investigativeandcurative.Thesehadprovidedtheresearchworkerwithnumeroustoolstoapplyintotheworkingofvarious physiological functions, right down to the molecular levels.Developmentsinbiotechnologyandmolecularbiologyhadmadeitpossiblenotonly to design drugs with specific properties, but also to deliver them to thespecificsitesinthebodywheretheyaremostrequired.Newimagingtechniqueshadnowmadeitpossible toobtainreal-timeimagesof thevariousorgansataphysiological and biological level. This would henceforth providecomprehensivedata,invaluableforselectingthemostappropriatetreatmentforapatient.

ThesecondsignificantconvocationforDrKalamwasheldafewdaysafterthatoftheNizam’sInstituteofMedicalSciences.InDecember2002,ICRISAT(The InternationalCropsResearch Institute for theSemi-AridTropics) invitedPresidentKalamforitsthirtiethanniversarycelebrations.PresidentKalamwas,bythistime,nolongerseenasjustamissileman.Hewasnowseenmoreasascientist who was committed to using knowledge for advancing society,particularly themarginalizedpoor.Andhis experiments indeveloping sociallyusefulspin-offsofdefencetechnologyhad,atleastinsomesense,compensatedfor his building of weapons. DrWilliamDar, the Filipino director general ofICRISAT, aptly expressed the enthusiasm that the public felt for their genialscientist,socialactivistpresident:‘Sir,wearedoublygracedbythisvisit–notonlyareyou theheadofstateof thisgreatcountry,youarealsooneofus–ascientist!WeatICRISATshareandsupportyourdreamofafood-secureIndia.’4

PresidentKalamwasgivenatouroftheSatVenture,whichexhibitssamplesof the institute’s many facets. Dr Kalam showed great interest in ICRISAT’s

geneticresourcescollectionandwasfascinatedbythepyramidofinstitutecrops,displaying from bottom to top the wild relatives, the farmer’s landraces, theimproved varieties and the hybrids.Another displaywhich attracted PresidentKalam’s attention was of photographs from the earthquake-affected areas ofKachchh,where ICRISAT gave relief aid, chiefly in the form of seed to helprebuildthearea’sagriculture.

President Kalam said that every Indian must have the physical, economic,social and environmental access to a balanceddiet that includes the necessarymacro- and micronutrients and safe drinking water. He moreover stated thateveryone must have proper sanitation, environmental hygiene, primary healthcare and education so as to lead a healthy and productive life. The presidenthighlighted the three interdependent dimensions: national ormacro-level foodsecurity, essentially amounting to the domestic availability of food; householdfoodsecurityandindividualfoodsecurity.HesaidthatwhileIndiahadachievednational food security, there is the unfinished agenda of ensuring the physicalandeconomicaccesstotheavailablefoodbyhalfofIndia’spopulation.

India produces and stocks more than enough food to feed its entirepopulation.Yetabout500millionpeoplearefoodinsecure.PresidentKalamwasatpainstopointoutthatdespitethegreenrevolutionlaunchedinthelate1960s,the country was home to one-fourth of the world’s population of hungry andpoor. In a manner that was consistent over many decades, he saw thedevelopment of technology for empowering the poor as a means of socialupliftment:

AnotherquestionIwantedtosharewithyou,wherevertherearepeoplebelowthepovertylinethereis also the problem of the availability of water. It costs energy and money to bring water forspecialized agriculture to such dry areas. What are the agricultural technologies and waterconservationmethodologiesthatcanhelpupliftthepeoplewhoarebelowthepovertyline?5

AblyassistedbyP.M.Nair,PresidentKalamwascarefullychoosingtoconnectwiththebestorganizationsthatweretrulyworkingforthebenefitofpoorpeopleand themarginalized sectors of society.When India gained Independence, thegeneral perceptionwas that developmental efforts and social service activitieswere purely the concern of the government. But as time passed, thegovernment’s rolegraduallydiminished forvarious reasons and, appropriately,

came to be regarded as more or less regulatory. It was important that non-governmentalorganizations(NGOs)cameforwardtoweaveasocialsafetynet.On 30 November 2002, President Kalam visited Wagholi Educational andRehabilitation Centre in Pune, an NGO that was indeed a harbinger of thiswholesomeandwelcomechangeinthephilosophyofdevelopment.

Dr Kalam was instantly drawn to the sagacious Shantilalji GulabchandjiMuttha, the chairman of Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, Pune. When Dr KalamaskedMrMutthahowhebecameinvolvedinthismission,hesaidthatin1993,after the Latur earthquake, he initiated a programme to rehabilitateschoolchildren in the area. This gave birth to the Wagholi Educational andRehabilitationCentre.He shifted 1,200 orphaned children of the fifth to tenthstandardfromLaturtothisschool-cum-hostel,wheretheywerenurturedthroughto graduation. The same centre also accommodated schoolchildren from the1997Jabalpurearthquake.DrKalamlikedhismodelofsocialservice,disastermanagement and permanent rehabilitation through quality education. Hecongratulatedthechairman,saying,‘Mutthaji,youareadivineperson.’

DrKalamhadalwaysmaintainedthatforthesuccessofanysuchventure,thewholehearted cooperation and participation of the people affected wereabsolutely essential. His happiness derived from his observation that theBharatiya Jain Sanghatana had helped the needy young children with fullparticipationoftheircommunityandotherpeopleinsocietywhomattered.NotonlydidDrKalamthereafterhelpprovidethemanesttosecuretheirchildhoods,he empowered them with wings to soar high in their lives. He was mostemphaticinhisbeliefthattheyoungwouldbringgreatnesstotheircountry:

Ihavenodoubtthatthefutureofthenationisinthehandsoftheyoungergeneration…Theyhavetheir dreams, their aspirations, their vision, their expectations and hopes of a prosperous anddevelopedIndia…Developingthemintocitizenswhowouldbecapableoftranslatingsuchdreams…isthenoblesttaskthatcanbeundertakeninnationbuilding.6

PresidentKalampresentedtheNationalAwardfor theWelfareofPersonswithDisabilities at Vigyan Bhavan on 3 December 2002. The ceremony was heldnext to thebuildingwherehehadhisoffice asprincipal scientific adviser.Hewanted to spend some timewith his successorDrR.Chidambaram in his oldoffice,butpresidentialprotocolwouldnotallowthis.

Inhis lecture,PresidentKalamrecalled thatwhenhewasworking inAnnaUniversity, he guided a doctoral research project to find a software–hardwareintegratedsolution toachievenear-normal functioningof thebrainofmentallychallengedchildren.Hesaidthatwhenhesawsomeofthementallychallengedchildren performing certain activities like singing and painting, he becameconvinced that one day the convergence of information and communicationtechnology, medical electronics, biotechnology and mathematical simulationcouldfindasolutionfortheirproblems.Hesawthepotentialofthedisabledforahappy,productivelife,justashesawpotentialinthenormallyabledinsociety:

Ihavebeenvisitingvariousstatesandmeetingchildren,peopleofallwalksoflife,includingthosewhoareinhospitalswithpain,disabledpersonsinspecialschoolsandorganizationsandmentallychallengedpeople.Peoplewithdisabilitieswoulddefinitelyliketohavealifelikeanyothercitizenandparticipateinallsocialactivitiesandemployment.7

PresidentKalampredictedonthisoccasionthattheInternetwouldplayamajorrole in rehabilitation measures for the disabled. He visualized a scenario inwhichalldisabledpeoplebecomepartoftheInternetculture.Theywouldhaveaccess to information.Lackofaccess to the right informationat the right timehasbeenabarrierforthedisabledintheirgrowth.TheInternetwouldprovideasolution to these types of problems. He saw that online shopping and onlinetransactionstopayvariousgovernmentservicedepartmentswouldgreatlyhelpthedisabledtoordertheirownlives.

Furthermore,DrKalamsaidtheInternetwouldassistthedisabledinhavingvirtual interactionswith people. In theirworking lives, thiswould obviate thenecessity forphysicalmobility,whichwouldbeminimizedor eveneliminatedbyvirtualofficeconcepts.Peoplewouldbeallowed towork fromtheirhomesthroughcomputersanddelivertheirworkoutputtotheirofficesonline.ItisnowclearthatDrKalam’sgraspofthepotentialoftheInternettobetterpeople’sliveswas uncannily accurate. One of his key strengths was, without question, tovisualizepeopleandtechnologyinalltheirpotential.

WorldHumanRightsDay,10December, isnormallymarkedbothbyhigh-levelpoliticalconferencesandmeetingsandbyculturaleventsandexhibitionsdealing with human rights issues across the globe. The Nobel Peace Prize isawarded every year on this day and on that day in 2002, Jimmy Carter, the

thirty-ninthpresidentoftheUnitedStates,wontheprize.PresidentKalamchose theoccasion to rollouthisEmpoweredHumanLife

VisioninthefunctionorganizedbytheNationalHumanRightsCommission.Hesaid thathehadvisitednumerousstatesandmetpeoplefromallwalksof life,including those who had been affected by communal clashes, poverty andunemployment. He raised the question: Is the perception of human beingsdifferent when viewed from an individual, national or global perspective? Hepredicted that future wars were rarely going to occur between nations; theywould mostly involve smaller groups, often fighting proxy wars. Dr Kalamassertedthathumanrightsinthisnewscenariowouldsuffergrievously,almostbeyondhumanitariancomprehension.Wecannowseehissadprophecycomingtopassinvariouspartsoftheworld,particularlyintheMiddleEast.

He further said that the world in the twenty-first century was beset byinternationalterrorism,andthiswasworseinsomesensesthantheKalingawarand the two world wars. It threatened the entire human community; peopleeverywhere lived with constant fear and insecurity. He said that we hadrepeatedly witnessed human rights violations in terrorist strikes: during theWorld Trade Center attack, the attack on the Indian parliament, the Moscowtheatresiege,theBalihotelbombinginIndonesiaandseveralplanehijacks.Andever more regularly, he stated, we saw mighty countries declaring warunilaterally, ignoring theUnitedNations. In an emotionally charged voice, hesaid,

Whatarewedoing,thegreatcreationsofGod?Isitanymorepossibletorealizeasocietyinwhicha standard human being is a reality? Unlike in conventional wars, where war ethics have beendefinedintheGenevaConventions,inproxywarstherearenocodesofconduct.Innocentlivesgetcaughtinthecrossfireandpeoplearekilled.Willtheplanetearthatanytimeseeano-warsituation,at least in the future? It is indeed a big question…With this background, can we evolve thecreationofastandardhumanbeing?8

I was sitting near the press block and could hear the hushed voices ofastonishment from the journalists. They were frantically scribbling on theirnotepads.Later Iheardonesenior journalistdeclaring thathehadneverheardsuchapassionatespeech:‘Thismanisreallydifferent!’

Dr Kalam spoke for around an hour, which gave the captivated audience

plentyoffoodforthought.Noonepresentcouldharbouranyillusionthathehadassumedhisloftypositiontosavouritsfruits.Thiswasnoborn-to-ruledenizenof elevated company and sumptuous banquets, given to platitudes and self-congratulation. His dissertation on the evolution of human society from anagriculturaltoanindustrial,informationandthepresent-dayknowledgesocietyenlightened those present, and astounded them in equalmeasure.His deliverywas a refreshing mix of one from a seer, university professor, scientist andstatesman,thelikesofwhichhadneverbeenseeninhighofficeinthecountry.

PresidentKalamhadnowbestowedonhispresidencyanauraofidealismandvision, and his principles were reminiscent of those of Abraham Lincoln. Hedeclared, ‘Every citizen in the country has a right to live with dignity; everycitizen has a right to aspire for distinction. Availability of a large number ofopportunities to resort to justandfairmeans inorder toattain thatdignityanddistinction iswhat democracy is all about.That iswhat our constitution is allabout.And that iswhatmakes lifewholesome andworth living in a true andvibrantdemocracy.’

ThehumanistKalamwasbornthatevening.

P

3.8

GemintheLotus

Theheaviestpenaltyfordecliningtoruleistoberuledbysomeoneinferiortoyourself.

–PlatoFounderofWesternphilosophyandscience

residentKalamwasinvitedinJanuary2002totheninetiethIndianScienceCongressatBangalore.HehadbeenattendingtheIndianScienceCongress

formore thanadecadeby this time.TheIndianScienceCongressAssociationowes its origin to the foresight and initiative of twoBritish chemists, namely,Prof. J.L. Simonsen and Prof. P.S. MacMahon, who thought that scientificresearchinIndiamightbestimulatedifanannualmeetingofresearchworkers,somewhat on the lines of the British Association for the Advancement ofScience, could be arranged. The first meeting of the Congress was held inJanuary1914inCalcutta.OnehundredandfivescientistsfromdifferentpartsofIndiaandabroadattended.

In1976,itwasdecidedbytheIndianScienceCongresstohaveafocalthemeof national relevance and discuss it in every section, committee and forumduring the annual session. In2003, the focal themewas ‘FrontierScience andCutting-EdgeTechnologies’.PrimeMinisterVajpayeebynowhadembracedtheideaofIndiabecomingadevelopedcountrybytheyear2020.HewaslaunchingthenewScienceandTechnologyPolicy2003withanunderstandingthatscienceand technology, inall its true spirit,mustbeembraced to realize thedreamofmakingIndiaadevelopednation.

The space summitwas a unique event of the Indian ScienceCongress thatyear. President Kalam used the summit address to outline his vision for theglobal space community for a prosperous, happy and secure planet earth. He

attendedtheCongresswithhisentireteamofthoroughlypreparedadvisorsthatcomprisedProf.P.V.Indiresan,Y.S.Rajan,A.SivathanuPillai,R.Swaminathan,D.Narayanamoorthy,KotaHarinarayana,DrB.SomaRaju,DrTaraPrasadDasandthenewlyinductedV.Ponraj.IwasDrKalam’sconstantcompanionattheIndianScienceCongressmeetingssincehecalledmetoassisthiminwritingthehistoric ‘LetMyBrainRemoveYour Pain’ speech,which he delivered in theninety-fourthIndianScienceCongressatJaipur.

PresidentKalam emphasized the need forGDP growth of 8 per cent as animportantgoalforIndia.In thiscontext,hehighlightedtheroleof technology;itsrelationshipwiththedevelopmentandwell-beingofsocietyandtheneedtotransformIndiansocietyintoaknowledgesociety:

Inthetwenty-firstcentury,anewsocietyisemergingwhereknowledgeistheprimaryproductionresource instead of capital and labour. Efficient utilization of this existing knowledge can createcomprehensivewealthforthenationintheformofbetterhealth,education,infrastructureandothersocialindicators.Suchaknowledgesocietyhastwoveryimportantcomponentsdrivenbysocietaltransformation and wealth generation. The societal transformation has to be through large-scaledevelopment in education, healthcare, agriculture and governance. These in turn will lead toemploymentgeneration,highproductivityandruralprosperity.1

Inhisaddress,PresidentKalamsharpenedhisfocusonpoverty.Heassertedthatglobal terrorism sprang from historical isolation, poverty, illiteracy andwidespreadunemployment,and that theserelate toadearthofbasic resources,suchaswater.Heunderscoredtherolespacecanplayinsolvingtheproblemofwater scarcity and thus in integrated and sustainable development. Isolatedwater-deficient regions could benefit from mainstream growth and prosperitywithajudiciousapplicationof this technology,andthefactorsthatgiverisetoterrorismwoulddiminish.Moreover,DrKalamsawaroleforenergyfromspaceasagrowingpossibilityinthetwenty-firstcentury.

President Kalam envisioned international cooperation as a means ofaddressing common issues, including the cost of access to space and costreductionstrategies.Healsooutlinedtheneedforstrategies tocombatdangersfrom asteroids and other space objects, which can threaten the existence ofmankind itself. He even suggested there may be a requirement for aninternational space force for safeguarding assets in space, an idea that baffledalmosteveryoneandwasconsideredalittlefar-fetched.DrKalam,though,was

reviving thedreamsofhis teacherDrVikramSarabhai,whowasa trueglobalscientist who drew the best of the world’s expertise in space science andtechnologytoIndia.PresidentKalamfeltitwastimeforIndiatolead.

PresidentKalamhostedthegovernorsfromallstatesandlieutenantgovernorsof the Union territories at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 11 January 2003. It was abright winter morning. Besides all the twenty-eight governors and threelieutenantgovernors in thetwo-daymeet, theprimeminister, thedeputyprimeminister and other senior ministers, as well as the cabinet secretary and theUnion home secretary, were also invited. At the outset, President Kalampresentedsomeaspectsofnationaldevelopmentandsomethoughtsonhisvisitstovariousstates.Heraisedtheissueoftaskteamformationonrivernetworking,andtheneedforprogressingtowardsIT-enabledadministrationandmanagementin governance. President Kalam called upon the governors to provide sageadvice,beyondanypoliticalconsiderations,tothepeopleandthegovernment:

InthelastfivemonthsIhavevisitedfifteenstates.IneachstateIcouldvisitremotedistrictsandvillages and was able to interact with common people and the younger generation. From thispersonal experience, I was convinced of the need for the governors of the states to reach thegrassroots to understand problems and convey them to the concerned state government, andsometimescentralgovernment,forfastactiontoremovethesufferingsofthecommonpeople.2

Theburdenofhisexhortationwasthatwithoutbecomingarivalcentreofpowerorauthority,thegovernorscouldstillbemorethanornamentalfiguresconfinedtotheRajBhavans.Whetheritbetheissuesofinsurgency,communaltensionornetworking of rivers, the governors could play a salutary role in creating aclimate of consensus among the states and the people. Additionally, thegovernors shouldplay akey role in creatingharmonybetween theCentre andthestates.

Afterthepresident’sspiritedspeech,thegovernorssettleddownforworkingsessions.Thefirstsessionwasdevotedtotheissueofmilitancyandinsurgency.ThegovernorofChhattisgarh,DineshNandanSahay,thegovernorofJharkhand,JusticeM. Rama Jois, and the newly appointed governor of Andhra Pradesh,SurjitSinghBarnala, talkedofNaxalite-relatedviolence.Thishadbecome thebane of these states, and coordinating across state boundaries when facing amotivated,geographicallywidespreadmovementhadprovedextremelydifficult.

Theperseveranceof theNaxalite insurgency indeedposed thegreatest internalsecuritythreattoIndia.

The Jammu and Kashmir governor, Girish Chandra Saxena said that theJammuandKashmir assemblyelections in2002were seenasavictoryof theballotover thebullet.Electronicvotingmachineswereusedfor first time,andtheinternationalcommunityrecognizedthecredibilityoftheelectionsandtheirresults.The election sawpower shift fromone party to another after fifty-oneyears.Saxenasaidthatpeoplehadparticipatedintheelectionsinlargenumbersbecause theywerekeen tosecuregovernance inkeydevelopmentalareas.Thenew government was earnestly addressing the problems of education andhousing,andthis‘healing-touchpolicy’wasworking.

IntheconcludingsessionoftheconferencePrimeMinisterVajpayeeraisedavital issue. He said that all governorsmust play a proactive role with a totalsense of partnership and become full-fledged participants in the developmentprocess.Afewdaysaftertheconference,DrKalamtoldmeinareflectivemood,‘When I met all the governor sahibs, I felt the time has come to review oursystem of governance afresh if India has to become functionally efficient,politically transparent and competitive in today’s globalized environment.Distortionsarevisibletomeinthewaygovernorsfunction.’

Thegovernmentdecidedto invite thepresidentofIran,SeyyedMohammadKhatami,as thechiefguestat theRepublicDaycelebration.This isanhonourcustomarily accorded only to India’s closest friends, and was one of the firststepsinrecentyearstobuildwarmerrelationswithIran,whichisoneofIndia’smore influential neighbours. Seyyed Mohammad Khatami had enjoyed adistinguishedcareerasascholarbeforehisappointmentaspresidentofIran.In1993, the influential American conservative political scientist SamuelHuntingtonprovokedgreatdebateamongthetheoristsofinternationalrelationswith his interrogatively titled article ‘The Clash of Civilizations?’ In thiscontroversial piece, he attempted to legitimize the American-led WesternaggressionagainstChinaand theworld’s Islamiccultures.SeyyedMohammadKhatamirespondedwiththetheoryof‘DialogueAmongCivilizations’.3Indeed,his term of office was punctuated by numerous meetings with high-profileinternationalfigures.

IndiaandIranhadhistoricties.TheIslamicArabsinvadedPersiaandended

theSasanianEmpire in the seventh century.The local populationunwilling toconvert to Islam or accept dhimmi (‘protected person’ in Arabic) status waspersecutedandfledtodifferentregionsoftheworld.ThelargestnumberofthesepeoplearrivedinwesternIndia.Sincethistime,Indiahasremainedhometothelargest Zoroastrian population of the world. In the modern era, the Parsicommunityhavecontributedsignificantly to IndiaandPakistan in theareasofpolitics, industry, science and culture. Prominent Indian Parsis includedDadabhai Naoroji, the three-time president of the Indian National Congress,FieldMarshalSamManekshaw,nuclearenergyscientistHomiBhabhaandtheTata familyof J.R.D.Tata.Furthermore,Lucknow inUttarPradeshhadbeenamajorcentreofShiacultureandPersianstudy in the Indiansubcontinent.TheancestorsofRuhollahMoosaviKhomeini,latertheIranianAyatollah,stayedforseveralgenerationsthere.

DrKalamspentmanydays studying the interactionsbetween thepeopleoftwo of the greatest civilizations of theworld.Hewas struck by somemarkedsimilaritiesbetweentheircultures.Thereareunmistakeablesimilaritiesbetweenthe Vedas and the Iranian Avesta. Sanskrit and Avesta languages share somelikenessinrespectoftheirterminologyandphonetics.Therhythmandstyleoftheir poems were so similar that the Avesta language could be translated toVedas using phonetic rules. God and the myths in Rig Veda and Avestacorrespondclosely.Infact,itcouldbearguedthattheMitrainRigVedawasaMisra of Avesta. The Indian and Iranian people both shared the practice ofworshipping the sun, and beliefs in the holiness of fire and sacredness of thecow.

OntheeveoftheRepublicDay,PresidentKalamgavehisfirstaddresstothenation,whichwaseagerlywatchedbymillionsonthetelevision.Beginningwiththe theme of developing India by creating a knowledge society, he spoke ofusheringinasecondgreenrevolution,bringingurbanamenitiestovillagesandimplementing electronic governance to weed out corruption and delays inservicing the citizens.Hedisappointed thosewhowere expecting ahomilyonsecularism,socialismandmoralvalues.

PresidentKalamexplainedeloquentlythatduringthelastcentury,theworldhadundergoneachangefromanagriculturesociety,wheremanual labourwasthe most critical factor, to an industrial society where the management of

technology, capital and labour provided the competitive advantage. He statedthat we are now in the information era, where connectivity and softwareproducts have driven a sector of the economy of some nations, including ourown.Inthetwenty-firstcentury,anewsocietyisemergingwhereknowledgeistheprimaryproductionresourceinsteadofcapitalandlabour.

PresidentKalamgaveaclarioncallforIndiatoembarkuponasecondgreenrevolution,whichwouldenableittoincreaseitsproductivityintheagriculturalsector to meet the requirements of a growing population. The production ofcerealsneedstoincreasefromthepresent200milliontonnestoover300milliontonnesby2020.Buttherequirementoflandfortheincreasingpopulationaswellas for greater afforestation and environmental preservation activities woulddemand that the present 170 million hectares of arable land will have to bebroughtdownto100millionhectaresby2020.

Thenet result of this is that all our agricultural scientists and technologistshavetoworkfordoublingtheproductivityofthelandavailableforcultivation.Thetypeoftechnologiesneededwouldbeintheareasofbiotechnology,propertraining to farmers and additional modern equipment for preservation andstorage. The president respectfully remembered C. Subramaniam. As theministerforfoodandagricultureintheearly1970s,SubramaniamledtheIndiangreenrevolutionalongwithDrM.S.Swaminathan.DrKalamevokedhisvisionof graduating from grain production to food processing andmarketing as thenextstageoftheagriculturalrevolution.

PresidentKalamused thisoccasion to sharehisconceptofprovidingurbanamenitiesinruralareas(PURA).Hesaidthatmorethantwo-thirdsofabillionpeople live in the rural parts of India. The vision of transformation to adevelopedIndiacouldonlyberealizedifatremendousmissionforempoweringtheruralpeopleislaunched.Hesawthesolutionintermsofconnectivity:

MyvisitstotheruralpartsofIndiahaveconfirmedthattheproblemofruralIndiadependsontheextentofconnectivityavailablethere.Theconnectivityhasfourcomponents:Physicalconnectivityofroads;electronicconnectivityofareliablecommunicationsnetwork;knowledgeconnectivityofvocationaltrainingcentresandschools,andfinancialconnectivitywiththebanksandthemarkets.All the four types of connectivity need to be pursued in an integratedmanner so that economicconnectivitywillemerge,leadingtoaself-actuatingpeopleandeconomy.4

The president cautioned that PURAhad to be a business proposition thatwaseconomicallyviable.Itwouldneedtobemanagedbyentrepreneurs,localpeopleandsmall-scaleindustrialists,asitinvolveseducation,health,powergeneration,transport and management. Government support should be in the form ofempoweringsuchmanagementagencies,providinginitialeconomicsupportandfinding the right type of management structure and leaders to manage andmaintaintheprogramme.

PresidentKalamsaidcandidlythatIndiacannotbecomeadevelopednationifonlythepresidentortheprimeministerdesiresitortheparliamentmakesalaw.Indiacanonlybecomeadevelopednationifeveryonecontributestothebestofhisorherabilitiesandcapacity.Forexample,thestudentcommunitycantakeupthetaskduringholidaystomakeacertainnumberofpeopleliterateintheareawheretheirschoolsorhousesaresituated.Teachersandparentscanassisttheminthistask.Onlyaburningcandlecanlightanother.

DrKalamsawall sectorsashavinga role indevelopment,andcooperationwas key here. Research laboratories can provide technological support to oursmall-scale industriesso thatproductioncanbecomemorecompetitive.Large-scale industries have to increase their contribution to economic growth,particularlyforthegrowthoftheGDP.Theycanaimatbecomingmultinationalcompanies in the areas of sugar and agricultural products, power, cement,manufacturingandknowledge-basedindustries.Thefarmingcommunityhastoincrease itsproductivitywithadvancedwaterconservationandinnovative landmanagementmethods.

Dr Kalam’s call for development unquestionably involved all of Indiansociety.Heexpressedhisviewthatthemediashouldbecomeapartner,promoterand critic for national development.He stated that the fostering of a dynamicenvironment withmotivation is the foundation for our vision of transformingIndiaintoadevelopednationby2020.TheTelegraphon26January2003laudedPresident Kalam’s address to the nation as a mix of ‘politics, science andeconomics’:

Praiseforthepeople,patforgovernments,awordaboutthosewhoworkedthelabs,andacallforanothergreenrevolution–PresidentA.P.J.AbdulKalam’sRepublicDay-eveaddresstothenationwasamixofpolitics,scienceandeconomics…ThePresidentdweltonthedarkerside,too.Duringthelastsixmonths,hehadvisitedseventeenstates…‘Ihadtheoccasiontovisitalargenumberof

rural and drought-affected areas and I could share their concerns, grief and their aspirations,’ hesaid.5

The next day, President Kalam and President Khatami took the salute at thegrand Republic Day parade. President Khatami and PrimeMinister VajpayeesignedthehistoricNewDelhiDeclaration,whichboldlysetforththevisionofastrategicpartnershipbetweenthetwocountries.Thetwoleadersalsopledgedtocollaborate on energy, trade and other economic issues, to strengthen theircooperationoncounterterrorism,and tobroaden theirstrategiccollaboration inthirdcountries,whichmostanalyststooktomeanAfghanistan.6

ApartfromthealwaysvocalpressandNewDelhi’slivelythinktanks,Indiaand its leaders had hitherto shown little interest inmilitary or strategic issues.StrategicdefencereviewslikethosethattakeplaceroutinelyinAmerica,BritainandFrance,informedbyservingofficersandcivilservantsbutledbypoliticians,were unknown in India. Two visionary leaders, President Kalam and PrimeMinisterVajpayee,werechanging that trend.Their aspirationwas fora strongrepublic,wellpreparedmilitarilyandstrategicallyforcontingencieswithinandbeyonditsborders.Tothesamedegree,theyconcurredthatthecountryshouldremaincompassionateandresponsivetoitspeople.

ForDrKalam, emphasizing twoparallel, somewhat incongruous aspects ofthe nation’s security was perhaps merely encompassing the nation’srequirements inonecomprehensivevision. Itcouldbeviewed justaseasilyashisperceiving the inherentneedforsymmetry, forequilibrium– in themanasmuchasthenation.Hehaddedicatedmostofhisillustriouscareertobetteringthenation’sdefencecapabilities, andhadbeenpersonally involved inbuildingthemostlethalweaponsthenationhadseen.Buthehadadvancedsocialcauseswithunparalleledzeal andvisionat a timeofhis lifewheremost seek leisureandpersonalcomfort.

TherewasbalanceintheseemingparadoxthatwasDrA.P.J.AbdulKalam:apeace-loving missile man, a doyen of military hardware championing theupliftment of the poor, an Indian of ardent patriotism who believed in theconfluenceofcultures,andwhosereverenceamonghisownpeoplewasmatchedbyhisesteemabroad.DrKalamknewwell thecapabilitiesofhisweapons;hehaddesignedandwitnessedtheirdestructivepowershimself.Helikewiseknewthattheywerebestkeptinthebarracks;buttheywere,atanyrate,necessaryfor

the order of the nation. As he would famously declare in a speech to theEuropeanparliamentattheendofhispresidency,‘Whenthereisharmonyinthehome, there isorder in theNation.When there isorder in theNation, there ispeaceintheWorld.’

PARTFOUR

EXPANSION

Amanwhodarestowasteonehouroftimehasnotdiscoveredthevalueoflife.

–CharlesDarwinFounderofthescientifictheoryofevolution

D

4.1

TamasoMaJyotirgamaya

Indiaoftheagesisnotdeadnorhasshespokenherlastcreativeword;shelivesandhasstillsomethingtodoforherselfandthehumanpeoples.

–SriAurobindo

r Kalam first met Dr Govindappa Venkataswamy, a pioneer inmass eyecare, inMadurai in 1990,whenDrKalam’sbrother,A.P.J.M.Maracayer,

required treatment for his eye. Dr Kalam had advised the apprehensiveMaracayertotakethetraintoMadurai,andtoldhimhewouldmeethimtheretoaccompany him to the clinic. He had heard many good things about DrVenkataswamyandthoughtitfittoattendwithhisbrotherpersonally.Thatway,he would providemoral support to his elder brother and alsomeet the nobledoctor.

AtDrVenkataswamy’sAravindEyeHospital,DrKalamwasastonishedbythemeticulouswayinwhichthedoctorsattendedtothepatients.Moreover,heobserved the impeccable courtesy and kindness shown to the patients by thehospitalstaff,andsensedanuncommondepthofconcernfortheirwelfare.Mostsignificant, and doubtless the inspiration for this excellence, was DrVenkataswamy himself. Everyone called him Dr V, an endearment whichconveyed respect and love in equal measure. Dr Kalam felt that this elderlygentlemanwithanengaging smile radiateddivinity, and foundhimevenmoreimpressiveattheirmeetingthanhisillustriousreputationwouldsuggest.Agreatfriendshipwould develop between the pair. In spite of their different fields ofendeavour,theywerekindredspirits.

DrVwas taken aback that a renowned scientist such asDrKalam shouldcome tomeethim for sucha smallmatter.DrKalamexplained itwasDrV’s

eminencethatdrewhimthere.DrVinsistedthatDrKalamandMaracayershareteawithhiminhishousebeforeleaving,andtogethertheywalkedtothesmallone-roomcottageby thesideof thehospitalwhereDrVlived.DrVunfoldedsteelchairsandmade tea forDrKalamandMaracayerwhile they talked. Inasense,DrKalamandDrVwerequitealike: theywerebothabsorbedby theirduty,andhadlittleenergyforsophistication.DrV’ssimplefurnitureremindedDrKalamofthewayhisfatherhadlived:

OnthecoastofCoromandelWheretheearthyshellsblow,InthemiddleofthesandsLivedsomereallyrichsouls.

Onecottonlungiandhalfacandle–OneoldjugwithoutahandleTherewerealltheworthypossessionsOfthesekingswithoutascandal.1

DrKalamaskedDrVhowhebecamesuchagreateyedoctor.DrVsaidthathe neverwanted to be an eye doctor, but itwas simplyGod’swill, and so hebecameone.Aftermedicalcollege,hejoinedthemilitary,butwasbedriddenfortwo years with severe rheumatoid arthritis.With almost preternatural will, hemanagedtoreturntomedicaltraining,battlingtheseverepainthatwastobehiscompanionforlife.Buthisdreamofbecomingagynaecologistandobstetricianwasdashed.Arthritishaddeformedhishandsandfingers;hecouldonlyperformfine,delicatemovementssuchasthoseforeyesurgery.

DrVcontinuedhisstory.Heretiredfromgovernmentservicein1976,agedfifty-eight.Hewasentitledtoasmallpensionandcouldhaveretiredinpeace,asmostpeopleofthateradid.DrV,however,conceivedaprojectthathebelievedin.Heopenedaneleven-bedeyeclinicinamodest,rentedhouseinMadurai.Hehad no business plan and meagre financial resources; but he had a powerfulsense of duty and a vision perfectly aligned. He rejected business prudence,preferring to relyonSriAurobindoand theMother for spiritualguidance,andnamedthehospitalAravindEyeHospitalafterhisguru.Fromthissmallbase,hewould venture to remote villages with his team, to perform vital ocularproceduresforthemostunderprivilegedinsociety.

At first, some derided him for his efforts. He was ridiculed for trying topopularizewhatcolleaguesdisparaginglyreferred toas ‘roadsidesurgery’.Buthesteadfastlypersistedwithhisworkintheareasofgreatestneed.‘Iidentifiedmyselfwiththepooranddestitute,sufferingdarknessintheirlives.SowhatifIdidnothaveahospital?Ihadmyskills,andsobeit,’hetoldDrKalam.DrVdescribedhiseye-cliniccamps:‘MyteamandIwouldbeginoperatingatfiveinthemorningandworkwithoutrestuntilsevenoreightintheevening.Onlythenwouldweeat.Andallofthemwouldsittogether–thedoctors,thenurses,thecleaningstaffandthevillagers.Therewasnosegregationbetween“low-caste”menialworkersfrom“upper-caste”professionals.Weweredoingrugged,bare-bonesoperations.Weconvertedschoolsintooperatingtheatresandsterilizedtheclassroom. Themore operationswe did, themore the demand grew. The eyecampstaughtmethelessonthatwhenyoubegindoingtheworkyouaredestinedtodo,unexpectedresourceswillfindyou.Slowly,apowerfulrippleofgoodwillspread.’

Ahumblemandespitehisaccoladesandsuccess,DrVthankedDrKalamforleavinghisimportantworkforthenationandcomingallthewaytoMaduraitomeethim.

Dr Kalam and Dr V corresponded over the years, and they developed apowerful bond of friendship. Each of these great men possessed a humanitybalanced between innate simplicity and a refined spiritual awareness, whichunitedthemwithaconcernforthewelfareofothers.Itcameasnosurprise,then,that when a letter came from Dr Venkataswamy inviting President Kalam toopentheAravindEyeHospitalinPondicherry,hepromptlyaccepted.Thedatewascarefullychosen tomark the125thanniversaryof theMother’sbirth.Theevent,PresidentKalamtoldhispersonalsecretarySheridon,wouldallowhimtofulfil his long-standing wish to visit Pondicherry. He had studied about thisformer French colony in Schwartz High School at Ramanathapuram, but hadneverhadachancetovisitthere.

I received a call from President Kalam sometime in mid-February, and heaskedmetojoinhim‘onapilgrimage’on21February2003.ItwasonlyafterreachingDelhifromHyderabadthatIrealizedthathewastakingmesouthagainto Pondicherry. There, wewould visit the Sri AurobindoAshram, and that iswhyhehadcalleditapilgrimage.ButIlaterunderstoodthatmyassumptionwas

basedonanincompletepicture:thistourwasapilgrimageforDrKalamontwocounts.Hedeeply reveredDrVenkataswamy,andhesawhisopeningAravindEyeHospitalasworkforthedivine.

Thedivinegrace is infinitelymorepowerful than anyworldly force, and ithadguidedDrV’shumanitarianendeavoursfromtheir inception.TheAravindEyeCareSystemfloutedtheusualrulesofbusinesstorestoresighttotheblind.It has, however, grown into a network of eye hospitals that has had a majorimpact in eradicating cataract-related blindness in India. As of 2015, Aravindhas treated nearly thirty-six million patients and performed five millionsurgeries.Thevastmajorityofthesehavebeenlow-costorevenfree,whichhashelped make Aravind the world’s largest and most prolific eye-care servicegroup.

ThemodelofAravindEyeCarehospitalshasbeenwidelyacclaimedandhasbecome the subject of numerous case studies across the world. It has alsobecomeamodern-daytestimonytoasociallyresponsiblebusinessmodelthatisat once feasible, viable and competitive. Its success demonstrates that choiceswhichseemnaiveorunworkable–whenexecutedwithwisdomandintegrity–canyieldbafflinglyextraordinaryresults.

DrVhadavisionlargerthanotherenterprisesinthefield:Toseeallasone;togivesightforall,andtoeliminatecurableblindness.ThereweresometwelvemillioncasesofblindnessinIndiasusceptibletoreversalbymedicaltreatment.TheradicalessenceofDrV’sstrategywastoprovidefreeeyecaretothoseleastabletopay.TheAravindEyeCareSystemhasthustreatedmorethanathirdofitspatients,numbering in themillions, freeofcost.Patientschoosewhether topay.Thosewhocouldpaywillinglypaid.Thosewhocouldnotpaygratefullyreceivedtreatmentwithoutcharge.Therewerenofavoursshownorobligationselicited.ThatAravind’snovelapproach to itsaccountshasprovedworkable isalmost asmuch a testament to the Indian people’s integrity, as it is toDrV’sgenerosity.

Anapproach tomassmedicine thatappearednaivewas in factunderpinnedbyeminentlypracticalgoals.DrV,akeeninnovatorandproponentofinclusiveprogress, always recognized good health, especially good vision, as a majorcontributor to economicwell-being.He authored three books in Tamil on eyediseasesanddiabetes.EffortstoduplicatetheAravindmodelhavefoundsuccess

inmanydevelopingcountries,andDrV’svisionwastostartatleastahundredhospitalsacrossthecountry.

ToreachDrV’shospitalinauguration,weboardedaspecialaircraftinDelhifor the flight toChennai, and took ahelicopter a further 150kilometres southfromtheretoPondicherry.Thereisacertainmajestyinapproachingacityinahelicopter.Theformsof thebuildings inPondicherry,whitewashedagainst thegreeneryofitsboulevards,nowremainasadream-likeimprintonmymemory.ThechiefministerofPondicherry,N.Rangasamy,thelieutenantgovernor,K.R.Malkani,theFrenchconsulgeneral,HisExcellencyMichelSeguryandthevicechancellor of Pondicherry University, Prof. V.T. Patil, accompanied PresidentKalam.WhenDrVgreetedhimwithtraditionalfoldedhands,PresidentKalamrespondedwithawarmhug;araregesturefromaheadofstate.

President Kalam spoke in Tamil for a few minutes and then switched toEnglish. He said that 30 per cent of the country’s population lived below thepoverty line, and medical care had to be provided to this large sector of thepopulation.Asever,hewaslookingtothefuture:

We have the best doctors and technologists in India. We have core competence in design andsoftwareengineering.Emergingtechnologies invirtual realityandmicromachineswill transformthehealthcare scenario.This transformation should lead tohelping thepeoplewhocannotaffordmodernmedicalcare.Ifweremovetheirpain,Godwillblessus.2

Dr V had remained a bachelor like Dr Kalam, and he gave his entire life toservinghispatients,withoutworldlycomfortsorpleasures.AswithDrKalam,hisworkandservicetopeoplewasitsownreward.DrKalamhadaskedmetorecord six things thathe feltmadeDrVenkataswamy’sAravindEyeHospitalsoneofthebestsocialenterprisesintheworld.Therecouldbemanymorethansix,butImadementionofthosethatfirstcametomymind.

First, aspiration is always more consequential than resources. Dr V didn’thave any venture capital or funds to make his initial project a sizeableendeavour.Buthecreatedabusinessmodelthatallowedhimtobuild,dayafterday, a sustainable social enterprise. When there were insufficient beds, hepromptly addednewones.When therewas not enough space, he simply builtnew floors. When the hospital could not cater to the increasing numbers ofpatients, he just built other hospitals.Andwhen therewere calls for hospitals

outside India, he built them in seven different countries. This was his greataspiration – and it was so powerful, it transcended the usual imperative ofbusinessplans,capitalbackingandsoforth.

Second,DrVhadtakencontrolofhislife,andhismissionwastochangetheworldashecould.Thisisadistinctcharacteristicofsocialentrepreneurs.Iftheyseesomethingthatiswrong,insteadofcomplaining,theydosomethingaboutit.Theychangetheprevailingreality.DrVhadanoverridingconvictionthattherewasaway tomake thingschange,despitehiswantofmaterial resources.Andobviously,hewas agreat leaderwhowas able to inspirepeople andconvincethemofhisvision.Inhishospital,hewantedtochangethelivesofblindpeoplewho could not afford their treatment, and he knew he could do this with agroundbreaking,commerciallysustainablebusiness.

Third,AravindEyeHospitalshadaninspirationalleader.Therearedifferentfacets of ability in a professional context. You can be a highly capableindividual, a contributing teammember, a competent executiveor an effectivemanager; but only leaders are able to change the world. Dr V built enduringgreatnessthroughaseeminglyparadoxicalcombinationofpersonalhumilityandwillpower.Hehadatremendousvisionofcombiningsocialresponsibilitywithinnovative marketing and a revolutionary delivery strategy, which appearsequallyparadoxicalbyany standardbusinesswisdom.He ledbyexample:hissimple lifestyle, his capacity for hardwork and his encouragement of others’potentialwereaninspirationtohisstaff,nottomentionhispatients.

Fourth,DrVhadgrownhisorganizationfromgoodtogreat.DrVknewthatanorganizationisindeedbuiltbyitspeople.Hethereforefocusedonpeopleandtheirdevelopment.Hefacedharshrealities,whichwouldhavediscouragedeventhe most optimist entrepreneur. Youth was no longer on his side, and neithercould he rely on family resources; he was fifty-eight and he didn’t have anywealth to speak of. But he faced his situation; he would weave his fabric ofsuccessfromtheattributesthatlifehadgivenhim–hisskills,hisvisionandhistenacity.Anothercrucialattributeinbuildinghisorganizationwashispatience.Heknewitwouldtakealotoftimetorealizehisdream,buthewasn’ttheleastdiscouragedbythis,inspiteofhisadvancingyears.

Fifth,soundorganizationalvalueswerethefoundationofthehospitalgroup.DrVwasguidedbytheprincipleoftreatingwhoevercametohisdoor.Evenif

patientsdidnothavemoney,hefoundawaytocurethem.That’showhiscross-subsidizingmodelthattakesmoneyfromonepersonoutofthreewasconceived.Healsopossessedthenecessarypersonalvaluestobringhisrathernovelvisiontobeing.Hispracticewashallmarkedbycompassion,whichtranslatedintoeyecare for all and sensitivity to patients’ needs, regardless of their status. Also,equity underpinned Aravind’s operation: Dr V devised an amazing system ofstandardization that mandated a consistent level of care for all patients.Moreover, the manner in which the hospitals conducted business wastransparent. Treatment was affordable, and the charges for those who couldaffordtopaywerefixedacrosstheorganizationforagivenservice.

ThesixthandthemostimportantaspectofDrV’sAravindEyeHospitalwashis ability to think like the big players. Dr V developed a franchise businessmodel, with its advantages in economies of scale and manifold ways ofoptimizingefficiency.Whenhebegan theenterprise, thecostofan intraocularlensforsurgerywasUSD200.Heappliedthefranchisemodelandmanagedtolower it to five dollars. Dr V followed the shift from sutured extra-capsularcataract surgery to small-incision cataract surgery. Phaco-emulsification withfoldablelensesbecamethesurgicalchoice.DrVworkedtirelesslytoelevatetheIndian intra-ocular lens industry.He firmly directed it away from cost-cuttingmanufacturingpractices, tomake itaquality-conscious, technology-drivenandvalue-priced industry, competitive in the globalmarket. This allowedAravindEyeCaretoexportlensestoeighty-fivecountries.

In any event, the foundation ofDrV’s life – andDrKalam’s life, for thatmatter–washisfaithinthedivine.DrVfollowedthevenerablepoetsageSriAurobindo. Dr Kalam was intrigued with the rather colourful life of SriAurobindo. Unlike other spiritual leaders who were born with a spiritualtemperament or renounced the world in their childhood or youth, SriAurobindo’searlypromisewasintheacademicfield.Farfrombeingraisedinayogictradition,hislargelyanglicizedfamilywassuccessfulineverysenseoftheworld,inhabitingtheupperechelonsofBengalicolonialsociety.

YoungAurobindoGhose’sfatherwasthecivilassistantofRangpurdistrictinBengal(nowinBangladesh)andraisedhischildrenspeakingEnglishathome.Aurobindoandhis twoeldersiblingsweresent to theEnglish-speakingLoretoHouseboardingschoolinDarjeeling,whichwasacentreofBritishlifeinIndia.

The school was run by Irish nuns, through which the boys would have beenexposedtoChristianreligiousteachingsandsymbolism.Aurobindostudiedforthe Indian Civil Service at King’s College, Cambridge, England, andsuccessfullycompleteditsrequiredexaminations.LifeasaservantoftheBritishRaj held no appeal to him though, and after returning to India, he took upvarious academic posts and civil service duties under the maharaja of theprincelystateofBaroda.Hethenbegantoinvolvehimselfinpolitics,forwhichhewastofindfameandnotoriety.

Aurobindo quickly became an ardent proponent of independence. Hiseloquent speech and scholarly articles brought him at odds with the Britishauthorities,whoaccusedhimofinvolvementinrevolutionaryactivities.HewasimprisonedbytheBritishcolonialgovernment,andheldinsolitaryconfinementforayear.ItwasduringthissolitaryconfinementthatAurobindohadaseriesofmystical and spiritual experiences that were to alter the course of his life.Despite being acquitted of all charges and released from prison, the colonialauthoritiescontinuedtheirpersecutionofhim,issuingwarrantsforhisarrestforseditiononaccountofarticleshehadpublished.In1910,toescapetheirwrath,hemovedtoPondicherry,abandoningpoliticsforspiritualwork.

At the beginning of Aurobindo’s stay at Pondicherry, there were fewfollowers and little material sustenance, but with time their numbers grew,resultingintheformationoftheSriAurobindoAshram.Afterafewyears,MirraRichard, later knownas ‘TheMother’, becameSriAurobindo’s close spiritualcollaborator.TheMotherwas aFrenchnational, born inParis on21February1878. After meeting Sri Aurobindo during a brief stay in Pondicherry in theshadowofWorldWarI,shereturnedandpermanentlysettledtherein1920.SriAurobindoconsideredtheMotherhisspiritualequal.

Whenheretiredtoalifeofrenunciationandseclusionon24November1926,SriAurobindoentrustedtheMotherwiththeday-to-dayrunningof theashramandcareoftheirdisciples.Fromthistimeuntilhisdeath,hecommunicatedwiththousandsofhisfollowersexclusivelythroughletters.SriAurobindodiedon5December 1950, and around 100,000 people attended his funeral. TheMothercontinuedtheirspiritualworkintheashram,guidingtheirmanyfollowersuntilshepassedawayattheripeageofninety-fivein1973.

Afterwehadattended theopeningofAravindEyeHospital inPondicherry,

wemadeourwayinthepresidentialmotorcadealongroadsclearedoftraffictotheashram.IwasprivilegedtositnexttoDrKalam.Itwas,asusual,anoisyandstatelyaffair.Thepresidentialcarwasthethirdinaregalprocessionoffifteentotwenty cars: a pilot police vehicle with a flashing red light andwailing sirenleading from the front, and an ambulance bringing up the rear. Police hadcarefully shepherded everyone to the sides of the roads, and saluted as wepassed. PresidentKalamwas not one for ceremonial; pomp and circumstanceheldlittleappealforhim.Butthiswaspartofthegovernmentmachinery,andheknewhehadtogoalongfortheride.

He was not entirely passive in cooperating with his minders, though. Hewouldwinddownhiswindowandwave to thechildrenwhowerestandingontheroadside,hopingtocatchaglimpseoftheirfavouriteIndianleader.Thiswasagainst usual protocol, and created panic in his aides for the danger an openwindowcouldposetohissafety–thepresidentwouldbeaneasytargetforanassassinwithouttheprotectionofbulletproofglass.Isaidtohim,‘Youshouldn’tdo that, it’s not safe for you.’He replied, ‘Funny guy, these aremy children.They’renotgoingtokillme,’andcontinuedwavingtothedelightedyoungsters.Andhewasright.

AtSriAurobindoAshram,themanagingtrustee,ManojDasGupta,receivedPresidentKalam.After going throughvarious rooms in the ashramand layingfloraltributesatthesamadhiofSriAurobindoandtheMother,DrKalamwentto the room where Sri Aurobindo had lived for twenty-four long years inseclusion. Is it really possible for a person to sentence himself to such a longsolitaryconfinement?ItisespeciallysignificantthathedidsoaftersufferingthebrutalityofsolitaryconfinementatthehandsofBritishcolonialmasters.Perhapsin this self-imposed imprisonment, he had found freedom. What would SriAurobindohavefelthere?PresidentKalamaskedtobeleftaloneforawhileinSri Aurobindo’s room and spent more than fifteen minutes there, deep incontemplation.

Whenheemergedfromhismeditations,asayingoftheMotherdisplayedonthewallcapturedhisgaze:‘SriAurobindocametotellus:OneneednotleavetheearthtofindtheTruth,oneneednotleavethelifetofindhissoul,oneneednotabandontheworldorhaveonlylimitedbeliefstoenterintorelationwiththeDivine. The Divine is everywhere, in everything and if He is hidden, it is

becausewedonottakethetroubletodiscoverHim.’WhenwereturnedtoDelhiitwaslateinthenight.PresidentKalamaskedme

if Iwas tiredandsleepy. Iwas.Butcuriousuponhis inquiry, Isaid, ‘No,sir’,and he invited me for a midnight walk in the Mughal Gardens. The waninggibbousmoon was a little more than a luminous crescent in the sky. I heardperhapsthelongestdissertationIhadheardfromDrKalamonthatnight.Itwasalmostasifhehadcomposedadidacticplay,andwasrecitingittohimselfandfeedingmemylines.

Kalam: Do you know, buddy, why it is that of all the greatcivilizationsthataroseonthisplanet5,000–7,000yearsago,itisperhapstheIndiancivilizationalonethathascontinuedunbrokendownthelongandtortuouscorridorsoftime?Arun:Sir,therewereothergreatcivilizationsthatwereevenolder,withmagnificent structures and ruins, but these civilizations havedisappeared.Kalam:ItisIndia–andtosomeextentChina–thathasmaintainedthiscontinuity.Doyouknowwhy?Arun:No,sir.Pleasetellme.Kalam:Therearetworeasons.Howmany?Arun:Two,sir.Kalam:First,therehasbeenaspiritualandphilosophicalfoundationforIndiancultureprovidedbythegreatscriptures.Noothercivilizationhasthiskindofvastliterature.ArabshadtheQuran,JewshadtheTorah,butthousandsofyearsbeforethesetwogreatbooks,IndiahadtheVedasandUpanishads. This literature sustained Indian culture even in the mostterribleandtragiccircumstances.Arun:Yes,sir.ThescripturesconstantlygaveIndianculturethecapacityforregenerationandrenewalovertime.Kalam:Second,aseriesofgreatmenandwomenhavearticulatedthesetruths.Thesephilosophical truthsarenotmerelyintellectualconstructs,but have been an inspiration for people in their daily lives. I haverealizedthistoday.Arun:InSriAurobindo’sroom?Kalam:Yes.Youknow,buddy,whenIwasthereintheroom,itsuddenly

occurred to me that three great souls were sailing in three differentdirections in 1893. Sri Aurobindo was sailing to India from England.Swami Vivekananda was sailing from Japan to Canada to attend theChicagoWorld Parliament of Religions.MahatmaGandhi was sailingfromLondontoDurbantostarthiscareer.Arun:Itisindeedtrue,sir.Itneveroccurredtome.Kalam:Youareafunnyguy.Youaregoodatseeing.Developtheskilloffeelingthatisnotvisible.ThehandofGodwasalreadymakingstrokesthat would create a new picture of India. Three great so uls werelaunched on to their respectivemissions that would converge decadeslaterintotheIndependenceofIndia.Arun:Sure,sir.WhatelsedidyoufeelinSriAurobindo’sroom?Kalam: I felt that thenation is not only apolitical construct; itwas infact a divinity. I realized the meaning of Bharat Mata today, MotherIndia.Arun: So it is a divinity into which one had to be prepared to offereverythingasasacrifice?Kalam: Yes. This is what Dr Venkataswamy has done. He gave hiseverythingforbringinglighttothemillionsofblindpeople.Arun: Perhaps it is for this reason he named his hospital after SriAurobindo.Kalam: Dr Venkataswamy was not working to make a hospital forhimself.Hewasdoingaservice.HesurrenderedhisserviceatthefeetofhisguruSriAurobindo.Arun:Sir,whatcanIputatyourfeet?Youaremyguru.Kalam:Iamnotyourguru.Iamnotanybody’sguru.AnotherpointthatI want to tell you today is that Sri Aurobindo always placed India’sfreedominthelargercontextofthedestinyofthehumanrace.Thisfactisveryremarkable,becauseallovertheworldrevolutionariestalkonlyabouttheirowncountry.Arun: But wasn’t Sri Aurobindo a nationalist? Hewanted India to befree.Kalam:SriAurobindohadadeepervisionofwhat Indiashoulddoforhumanity.ItisforthisreasonthatIndiahastobefree.OnlyafreeIndia

canplayitsroleintheemancipationofthehumanrace.Arun:Didithappen?Kalam: No. And that is my pain. That is what is not allowingme tosleep.ThemoreIseetheproblemsofmypeoplethemoreIfeelmyselfsmall,helplessandgoodfornothing.

Then, he suddenly turned away and started walking towards the mansion. Iquietlyfollowedhissteps.Hespokenofurther.Hedidnot turnevenonceandretiredforthenight.

F

4.2

Anjuman

Thereisacandleinyourheart,readytobekindled.Thereisavoidinyoursoul,readytobefilled.Youfeelit,don’tyou?

–Jalal-ud-dinRumiThirteenth-centuryPersianpoet

riday,28March2003,wasa specialday forHubli’sAnjuman-e-Islam, theoldestminorityeducationalinstitutioninthestateofKarnataka.Itcelebrated

its100thanniversaryonthatday.ThehistoricalbackgroundfortheAnjuman-e-Islam dated to 1857, when the first war for freedom was waged against thecountry’sBritishcolonialrulers.Afterthewar,Muslimsopenlyexpressedtheirresentment of foreign rule and most boycotted the English language, as theythought itwasalien to theircultureand tradition.AnirkedBritishgovernmentretaliated, launching a systematic campaign to exclude Muslims frommainstreamactivitiesandgovernmentjobs.

Predictably, the Muslim community began to fall behind in the race foremploymentandmoderneducation.AvisionaryMehboobAliKhan,thebrotherof the Nawab of Savanur, felt that Muslims desperately needed a moderneducation to progress economically. He not only exhorted the Muslimcommunitytotakestepstofurthertheirownlearning,butalsospearheadedtheeducation movement by founding the Anjuman-e-Islam. There are similarinstitutions in other parts of the country founded for the very purpose of theupliftingoftheMuslimcommunitythrougheducation.TheMuslimcommunityslowlystartedenteringthemainstream,butthedamagehadalreadybeendoneintheyearssince1857.Thecommunitylaggedbehind.Apartfromitscontributiontoeducation,Anjuman-e-Islamplayedaroleinmaintainingpeaceandharmony

intheconflict-riddenHubli–Dharwarregion.Hubli,alsoreferredtoasHubballi,flourishedundertheVijayanagaraEmpire.

Itbecameamajorcommercialcentredealingwiththetradeofsaltpetre,ironandcotton. The city later came under the rule of the Adilshahis, a Shia MuslimdynastythatruledtheSultanateofBijapur.TheAdilshahirulerswereforcedtoleaveHublibytheMughals,anditcameundertheruleoftheNawabofSavanur.ThencametheMarathasinthemid-1750s,followedbyHaiderAliandhissonTipu Sultan. This period saw a number of shifts of power between variouswarringrulers,untiltheBritishEastIndiaCompanyconqueredthecityin1817.The British had coveted this strategic centre for trade, and quite easilysupplantedthedisunitedlocalrulers.Theirascenttopowerbyexploitingdividedloyaltiesandenmitybetweenpeople followedacommonpattern thatoccurredthroughouttheIndiansubcontinentinthatera.

On 28 March 2003, President Kalam, accompanied by the governor ofKarnataka, T.N. Chaturvedi, and Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, arrived at theNehruArts,ScienceandCommerceCollegefor itscommemorativeevent.Thecollege is among themost renowned in northKarnataka, and it is run by theAnjuman-e-Islam trust. Jabbar Khan Honnalli, president of the trust, receivedthem. President Kalam told Jabbar Khan sahib that Najam means ‘star’ andAnjuman means ‘a group of stars’. ‘You are all stars of the great Indiancivilization,’hesaid.Headdressedthestudentswithoneeyeonthepastandtheotheronthefundamentalvaluesthatsustainthisgreatcivilization:

Dearyoungfriends,whenyouarehauntedwithculturalinvasionsthroughthemediaandelsewhere,think of yourselves as children of civilizational bliss.We (the Indian people)withstoodmultipleinvasions, and many dynasties have ruled us. Today, India is free from invasions and isindependent.Wecherishfamilyvaluesandspirituallife.Manydevelopednationsaredreamingforsuchafulllife.1

President Kalam evoked intense positive energy amongst the children by hissimple narration. He explained that India, a multi-religious, multilingual andmultiracial civilizationbasedon the essential unityof culture amidst diversity,had kept her people united. The Partition of the subcontinent at the time ofIndependence had created a deep sense of mistrust and the narrow religious,regional and communal feelings lingered for a long time. This is because the

politicians in the democratic framework that was adopted by the IndianConstitutionsawtheirvotebanksineverypossibleschism–betweenreligions,between sects in a religion, between castes, languages – and even inmythicalidentities.

Howcanafragmentedvesselholdwater?Howcanafamilyflourishunderaroofthatistornasunder?DrKalamwaspassionateaboutthisissue,andfirmlyexpressed that our unity, integrity and solidarity cannot be compromised.Communal and clannish sentiments hamper the growth of the nation at everystep. If the nation wishes to make sound progress in the socio-economic,political and scientific spheres, communal harmony has to be assured as apermanentfeatureoflife.Theforcestryingtodestroysocialharmonybysowingdissentandpromotingtheirvotebanksshouldbeisolatedandshowntheerroroftheirways.Itisourdutytospreadthemessageofcommunalharmonyandholdontothevaluesofourgreatcivilization.

A few days after his visit to Hubli, another opportunity appeared beforePresidentKalam to speakon this issue,whenhepresented theKabirPuraskar(communalharmonyawards in thenameof thesaintpoetKabir)on31March2003.PrimeMinisterVajpayeeandDeputyPrimeMinisterL.K.Advanicametothe Rashtrapati Bhavan to attend the award ceremony. The winners includedTontada Siddhaling Swamiji, Farid Mazahiri, Raj Kishore Pandey and SyedaNaseem Chishti. President Kalam exhorted the highly influential gathering ofsocialandpoliticalleaderstomaintainnationalunity:

We,anationofabillionpeople,shouldthinkasanationofabillionpeople.Indiansarenaturalbornleaders in critical situations and challenging environments for the reason they live in a multi-religious,multi-ethnic andmulticultural society. I consider no other nation has the civilizationalheritagetoliveanear-peacefullifelikeIndia.Indianmindshavebeencapableofabsorbingthebestfromnumerouscultures.Wehavealsoevolvedgreatqualitiesofleadershiptomanagethenationofabillionpeoplewithdemocraticsystemsandwithvariousdimensionsineveryaspectoflife.Now,weshouldnotallowanyreligionoranyindividualfanaticismtoendangerournation.Becausethenationismoreimportantthananyindividualorpartyorreligion.2

PresidentKalamwasinvitedtoaconventionontheevolutionofagoodhumanbeing organized by the Brahma Kumaris Academy at Gurgaon. He called R.Swaminathanandmetodiscusswhatagoodhumanbeingmeans.Wasthereadefinitive characterization? There has to be a clear-cut definition for this,

otherwiseanytypeofconductcouldbedeemedgoodandanyorganizationmaydeclare itself good and label others bad.DrKalam surprised us by opening abookrightatthebeginning.ItwasNecklacesofGems(Qada’idAl-jawahir):ABiography of Shaikh ‘AbdAl-Qadir Al-Jilani.3 PresidentKalam read from thebookthetwelvespecialqualitiesthatmustbefirmlyestablishedinthecharacterofagoodhumanbeing.

ThetwoqualitiescomefromGod,whoisalwaysreadytopardonandforgive.A personwho is endowedwith themwill always be ready to pardon (sattar),alwaysreadytoforgive(ghaffar).TwoqualitiescomefromProphetMuhammad;a person who is endowed with them will be sympathetic (shafiq) and kind(rafiq).Twoqualitiescomefromthefirstrighteous(rashidun)CaliphAbuBakr;apersonwhoisendowedwiththemwillbebothtruthful(sadiq)andcharitable(mutasaddiq).Twoqualities come from the second righteousCaliphUmar ibnal-Khattab;apersonwho isendowedwith themwillbeactive incommandingwhatisrightandfair(ammar)andactiveinforbiddingwhatiswrongandunfair(nahha).TwoqualitiescomefromthethirdrighteousCaliphUthmanibnAffan;apersonwhoisendowedwiththemwillbeanactiveprovideroffood(mit’am)andonewhoisdevotedtopraying(musalli)atnight,whentherestofthepeoplearesoundasleep.Finally, twoqualitiescomefromAli ibnAbiTalib;apersonwho is endowed with them will be both learned (alim) and courageous(shuja).Thesetwelvequalitiesmakeahumanbeinggood.Theabsenceofthesequalitiesleadstounwholesomeconduct.

Thethreeofushadaheartydiscussionthatconvergedonthepointthatitisman’sdutyonearth tosethimself thehighestattainablegoal,and tostriveforthis goalwith all the powers at his disposal.But itmust be done as a humanbeing;andthisisthechallenge:toriseabovematerialtemptations.Agoodmandoesnottroublehimselfmerelywithfoodanddrink;hedoesnotallowhimselftobedrivenbyhisbasicinstincts,likeananimal.Ifaman’sintellectstrivesonlyforworldlygreatnessorfamewithoutkeepinginviewthegeneralwelfareandadvancementofmankind,itcannotsustainagoodhumanbeing–regardlessofits prowess. Those with such consciousness have less value on earth thananimals.

On19April2003,PresidentKalaminauguratedtheOmShantiRetreatCentrewith Rajyogini Dadi Prakashmani, the global chief of Brahma Kumaris. The

centreisasprawling30-acrecomplexbuiltinpeacefulandverdantsurroundingsatPataudiRoadinGurgaon.ThegovernorofHaryana,BabuParmanand,andthechiefminister,OmPrakashChautala,were present.Addressing a gathering ofmorethan2,000people,PresidentKalammentionedhiscorebeliefinWahadat-e-Insaniyat–theunityofhumanity.Basically,weareallconnected.ItwasatthisfunctionthatDrKalamrecitedforthefirsttimeaparticularpoem,whichisanEnglishtranslationofaproverboftheChinesephilosopherConfucius.Itwouldlaterbecomehisanthem:

WherethereisrighteousnessintheheartThereisbeautyinthecharacter.Whenthereisbeautyinthecharacter,Thereisharmonyinthehome.Whenthereisharmonyinthehome,Thereisorderinthenation.Whenthereisorderinthenation,Thereispeaceintheworld.4

On 31 May 2003, President Kalam was in Bodhgaya in connection with afunctiontocelebratetheinclusionofMahabodhiTempleintheUNESCOlistofworld heritage sites. Itwas here thatGautamaBuddha attained enlightenmentunderwhatbecameknownastheBodhitree,amassivepeepultreewithheart-shapedleaves.Thetreenowat thisveryspotwasgrownfromasaplingof theMahabodhi tree in Sri Lanka, which itself was grown from a sapling of theoriginalBodhitree,whichhaddiedduetooldage.

A lover of children and a man with first-hand experience of poverty anddeprivation,DrKalamexpressedthedesiretobewiththeinmatesoftheGayaMuslim Orphanage at Cherki, about 15 km from Gaya town on the Gaya–SherghatiRoad.S.M.Khan,thepresident’spresssecretary,conveyedhiswishtothedistrict officials.As theorphanagevisitwasnot on thepresident’s officialitinerary,districtofficialsscupperedtheplan,pleadingthatthemassivesecurityarrangementsneeded for thepresidentialvisit couldnotbemadeat such shortnotice.TheyevenprofferedtheexcusethattheorphanagewaslocatedinanareawithadangerousMaoistpresence.

PresidentKalamwould not give up so easily and insisted that hemeet thechildren. In deference to the presidential wish, a group of children from the

CherkiorphanagewerehurriedlytransportedtoBodhgaya.DrFarasatHussain,the president of Cherki orphanage escorted the children and recounted hisexperience: ‘The President played perfect guardian to the orphans and spentquitesome timewith them,ensuring theoverawedorphans feltcomfortable inhiscompany.’5

S.M.Khan sahib briefed the president about the struggle ofEnayethKhan,whohadestablishedtheorphanageinOctober1917withhardlyanymoneyandamidst stern opposition. He had showed great patience, perseverance andbravery inestablishing thishome, savingmanychildren from thecruel fateoffendingforthemselvesbytheroadside.EnayethKhanwouldtellchildrentobebraveagainstthetormentor,butatthesametimehavefaithinGodandenduredifficultieswith patience. S.M.Khan recalled a couplet of EnayethKhan andexplainedtoDrKalamitsmeaning:

Bawaquarrahneko,BarqararrehnekoJungbhizaroorihai,sulahbhimunasibhai.

ToexistwithdignityandstabilityBattleiscompulsory,andsoiscompromise.

In 1897,whenSwamiVivekananda returned from theWest, the citizens ofMadras gave him a historic reception. Swamiji stayed at Castle Kernan, thehouseofadvocateBiligiriIyengar.Itwasathree-storeybuildingsituatedattheTriplicane seaside. Swami Vivekananda sent Ramakrishnananda to Madras,where he started an orphanage for destitute children in this house.Over time,throughtheselflessserviceofvolunteersandsupportfromwealthycitizens,theorphanagegrewintoalargeinstitutionatMylapore.On19June2003,PresidentKalamvisitedRamakrishnaMissionStudentsHome,Mylapore,Chennai.

President Kalam shared with the students that two teachings of SriRamakrishnaandSwamiVivekanandahadbeenhisguidinglight,rightfromhischildhood.SriRamakrishnasaid,‘Asalampdoesnotburnwithoutoil,soamancannot live without God.’ Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Imagination properlyemployedisourgreateststrength.Itgoesbeyondreasonanditisonlylightthatcantakeuseverywhere.’

President Kalam interacted with the children here in a relaxed manner,without the pressure of his other engagements, and hewas free to ignore the

proddingofhisstaff.HesaidthatwhentheBritishwererulingIndia,thousandsoforphansandunparentedchildrenexistedonthefringesofsociety,wheretheywereatoncemorepatheticandmoreofathreattosocialstabilitythanchildrenin even the poorest of families. Mothers in those times often died during orfollowing childbirth.Youngmen in the primeof life could be struck down aswell,especiallywhenepidemicssweptthroughtheovercrowdedandunsanitaryareassurroundingthefactoriesinthecities.Halfofallchildrenwouldhavelostoneparentbeforecompletingadolescence.Manyayoungchildwasleftwithoutany support at all. It was institutions like Sri Ramakrishna Mission andAnjuman-e-Islam–andtheindomitablespiritsofthelikesofEnayethKhan,DrVenkataswamyandShantilaljiGulabchandjiMuttha–whotookuptheircause.Greatandselflesshumanbeingshavesupported thousandsofsolitarypilgrimsandwaywardsouls.Helpingthemgrowtobecomegoodcitizensandproductivemembersofsocietyhasbeentheirmissionofthedivine.

DrKalam’s concern extended further than healthy young children.Hewasequallyinterestedinthewelfareofdisabledyoungsters,andhadhopedforsometimethattechnologywouldintervenetosignificantlyimprovetheirlot.ResearchsuchasthatwhichhehadsponsoredwithFatherGeorgeduringhisshorttenureat AnnaUniversity had shown promise. But there was still muchwork to bedone in the area. In themeantime, children with disabilities needed love andcare, and some of this would have to be specially tailored to their needs.Thankfully, there are souls who would dedicate their energies to this cause.ShyamaChonaisonesuchsoul.On19August2003,PresidentKalamattendedtheinaugurationofTheSchoolofHope,aresearch,trainingandtherapycentreforchildrenwithautismandmultipledisabilitiesinDelhi.Hebroughtsmilestothe facesof thegatheringof autistic children there,whenhemixedwith themandreadoutaninspiringpoem.

ShyamaChonahadbeenablessedwoman.BorninthefamilyofthefinancialcontrolleroftheGovernmentofIndiaandmarriedtoanarmyofficer,shewasateacherattheprestigiousDelhiPublicSchool.Thenshegavebirthtoagirlwithcerebralpalsy.ShyamanamedherdaughterTamana.Cerebralpalsy isamotordisabilityaffectingasmanyas four inevery1,000children.Tamanacouldnotwalk, talkoreven swallow.Shewas likeadollgivenbyGod toShyamaasahalf-finished job, as if she were to finish the rest. Shyama first experienced

denial,thensorrowcombinedwithanger;butthencameafeelingthatshecouldmakeapositivecontributiontoherdaughterandsociety.

WhenTamanagrewupandneededtogotoschool,noschoolwouldtakeher.Society had turned its back on disability. Perhaps this is a matter of peopleexpectingeveryonetobelikethemandhavingnopatiencewiththosewhoarenot.Atanyrate,aresoluteShyamaChonadecidedtocreateaspecialschoolforher daughter and hundreds of others like her. In 1984, she established aregisteredvoluntaryandnon-profitsocietyandnameditTamana.

Now therewere three schools:Taman aSpecial School,NaiDisha and theSchoolofHope,educatingapproximately500mentallychallengedandautisticchildren.Abouthalfofthehandicappedchildrenwouldcomefrompoorfamilieswhich would themselves need financial help. Shyama Chona would cater fortheir needs as best she could, and ensured the welfare of the handicappedchildren by providing them with special education, physiotherapy andoccupationaltherapy.Forthefirsttimeinthehistoryofspecialeducation,therewasaschoolprovidingintegratedfacilitiesforthedisabled.Butthishadbeennostraightforwardexerciseforher,andsheexplainedduringDrKalam’svisit thedifficultiesshefacedinmeetingtheneedsofmentallychallengedchildren:

In India, 10 per cent of the population is mentally challenged. The government has taken noinitiative to takecareof thespecialneedsof thesepeople.Wehavetorunfrompillar topostformanaging funds forour institutes.With thehelpof thegovernment,wecouldhavemadeahugedifferenceinthelivesofthesechildren.6

Asking special children to spread theirwings of imagination and soar high inlife,DrKalamsaid,‘Loveandcompassioncanmovemountains,crushthemorcarvevalleyswhereflowersofallcoloursbloom.Likeanyothernormalchild,ifwenurtureaspecialchildwithloveandempowerthemwitheducation,theycanbecomerisingstarsandsoarhighinlife.’

On 28 August 2003, President Kalam had a day out with politicallyempoweredwomen. He addressedwomen sarpanches from eight states at theinaugurationofacapacity-buildingworkshopon‘FromtheGramSabhatotheLok Sabha’, organized by the Guild of Service and the Public AffairsDepartmentoftheAmericanembassy.

President Kalam began his speech in Hindi for the convenience of the

audience,manyofwhomcamefromruralareas,andthenswitchedtoEnglish.He then invited them to speak. Impressed by the brief speeches of thesarpanches,PresidentKalam remarked that someof them spoke like Jhansi kiRani.HedeclaredthattheycouldallplayaroleinchangingthefaceofIndianvillages. ‘ThestrengthandwealthofIndia lives invillages.Andwhenwomenbecometheleaders,themissionneverfails,’hesaid.

Awomanhasthepowertoinspireawholesomelifeforthevillage,whichcanin turn improve thedistrict, state andnation.Referring tohis favouritePURAscheme, Dr Kalam said that if roads, electronic and knowledge connectivitywere given to villages, these would be transformed into cities. Righteousnesstoo, he said, was important for eliminating corruption, and was essential forprogress.

DrKalamevokedthememoryofhismotherAshiammaandsisterZohara.Hesaidthatwomen,whocomprisehalfofthetotalpopulation,musthaveaccesstoeducation, health, economic independence and political equality throughpanchayat. The progress of any nation would remain incomplete so long aswomenwerenotempowered,hesaid.Womenshouldbeprovidedtheirrightfulplaceinallspheres–beittheRajyaSabha,LokSabha,judiciaryorexecutive.Ifwomenwereempoweredthroughpanchayats,heaverred,theywouldbeabletorisetotheirplaceasleadersofthiscountry.

Bythistime,DrKalamcouldseehisprioritiesastheheadoftheIndianstate:promoting the unity ofminds by distilling the essence ofworld religions intouniversal spiritual tenets; reaching the marginalized poor and serving thedisabled by synergizing government schemes with private efforts, and theapplicationof technology for societal transformation.Hehadnot set out thesepriorities.Hetookthepainstoreachpeopleandexperiencetheirsituations–heheard their voices and felt their pain. Itwas this contact,which had not beeninitiated by any Indian leader after Mahatma Gandhi, that had defined thesepriorities.

I

4.3

Samagam

Greatthingsaredonebyaseriesofsmallthingsbroughttogether.

–VincentvanGoghDutchartist

n 2003, an order of Jain monks walked barefoot for more than 20 km toRashtrapatiBhavanandpresentedPresidentKalamwiththefirstcopyofthe

bookFindingYourSpiritualCentre.Thisisabookencapsulatingtheteachingsof AcharyaMahapragya, the tenth head of the Svetambar Terapanth order ofJainism. It was compiled by Ranjit Dugar, the former president and CEO ofRajasthan Spinning and Weaving Company. Ranjit Dugar had been aphilanthropist with a specific interest in helping underprivileged children.Expressing his surprise and admiration at themonks’ fortitude and endurance,PresidentKalamreceived themwithwarmthandhospitality.Whenhe realizedtheycouldnotacceptameal,heofferedthemaglassoflemonwater,whichwastheonlyrefreshmenttheywouldtake.

President Kalam inquired about Acharya Mahapragya, and after brieflyperusingthebook’scontents,declareditholyandbeautiful.Heaskedifitcouldbe officially launched at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Upon receiving the monks’consent, hemade arrangements to release thebookon23 June2003.Eminentleaders–L.K.Advani,DrManmohanSinghandL.M.Singhvi–participatedinthe event. President Kalam referred to the great influence of AcharyaMahapragyahadonhisthinkingandsharedwiththeaudiencehisfirstmeetingwiththeAcharya.

AccompaniedbyY.S.Rajan,DrKalamhadmetAcharyaMahapragyaforthefirsttimeon4November1999.AcharyaMahapragyahadtoldhimthen,‘Kalam

sahib, I bless you andyour team,youhavemade anuclear bomb todeter theenemies from attacking our country.Ahimsa paramo dharmah, dharma himsatathaiva cha. Non-violence is the greatest dharma, so too is all righteousviolence.ButIhaveasecondmissionforyou.Discoverasystembywhichthenuclearbombbecomesirrelevant,insignificantandineffective.’

TheseprofoundbutmanifestlyrealisticthoughtsofAcharyaMahapragyaledDr Kalam to ponder the ramifications of his work in developing militaryhardware. He considered the role of nuclear missiles in the scheme ofinternationalgeopoliticsand,paradoxicallyperhaps,worldpeace.

Given what we know about the horrific capabilities of thermonuclearweapons, even the thought of contemplating their role in a peaceful worldoffends our moral sensibilities – and it seems to defy common sense. Theworld’s nuclear arsenals hold a stupendousnumberof atomicbombs.There issomewhereinthevicinityof20,500nuclearwarheadsintheworldtoday.Iftheaverage power of these devices is 33,500 kilotons, there are enough of theseterrificdevicestoannihilatelifeasweknowitonourplanet,manytimesover.

DrKalamwasnoadvocateofviolence.Buthealsoknewthatonemustcometo terms with violence; and life cannot preclude death. Moreover, he wascognizant that the global nuclear challenge had changed dramatically over theprecedingtwodecades.ThebipolarityoftheUS–Sovietnuclearstand-offduringthe cold war has given way to a multilateral – and more unpredictable andperilous–structurecomprisingninestatesthatpossessnuclearweapons.Severalofthesearesituatedinregionswhereintensegeopoliticalrivalriesexist.

Onseveraloccasions,DrKalamhaddiscussedwithmehisunderstandingofthe changing threats to world peace. The dissolution of the Soviet Union, hesaid, foreshadowed thedevolutionofpower fromcentralized state authority toinstitutions and organizations in the following decades. In this new scenario,smallergroups,includingthoseoftheterroristvariety,couldwieldgreatpower.Thus,mostofthearmedconflictsinrecentdecadeshaveoccurredbetweensmallgroups,sometimesinvolvingnon-stateactorsthatareproxiesforlargerpowers.InthechaosfollowingthecollapseoftheSovietUnion, it isquiteconceivablethatnuclearweaponryofonesortoranotherhadfallenintothehandsofseveralofthesesmallergroups.

Theodds,therefore,ofanuclearweaponbeingdeployedtodayareindeedfar

greaterthanduringthecoldwar,evenastheprospectofanapocalypticnuclearexchangebetweentheUnitedStatesandRussiahasbeendrasticallyreduced.Inthe absence of a nuclear deterrent, India would have been vulnerable to allmannerofmilitarythreats–not justfrombelligerentstates,butfrompowerfulnon-state groups acting at their behest.With its full nuclear capability, India’smilitarystrengthisunquestionable;anybelligerentknowsfullwellthenation’smightbeforeitactsagainstournation’ssovereignty.ItisthuslikelythatIndia’shavingatomicweaponshasforestallednumerouswarsonthesubcontinent,eveninthelastdecade.Ourenemieshavebeenatpainstoconfinetheiraggressiontoisolatedborderskirmishing,inthefaceofDrKalam’steam’smissiles.

It can thus be seen that decades of tireless work by Dr Kalam and hiscolleagues – peaceful, well-educated and gentle scientists – have allowed ourcountry to come to terms with violence and live in peace. While a pacifistmissilemanseems,atfirstglance,acontradictioninterms,wecanseeintruththatitisnomoreaparadoxthansunlightandshade.

The Prophet of Islam (Peace Be Upon Him) said, ‘Paradise lies under theshadeofthesword.’DrKalam,inhislearning,knewthiswell;thosewhowouldhavepeacemust be ready forwar.But he equally understood that the nuclearbomb can become irrelevant, insignificant and ineffective, as AcharyaMahapragya had asked, when the violence inside the heart of a person iscleansed.HerememberedthestoryofJibreelcomingtotheMessengerofAllah(PeaceandBlessingsofAllahBeUponHim)whenhewasplayingwithotherboys.Hetookholdofhimandthrewhimtotheground,thenheopenedhischestandtookouthisheart, fromwhichhetookaclotofbloodandsaid,‘ThiswastheShaitan’sshareofyou.’

DrKalam realizedhis fellowshipwithAcharyaMahapragyawas similar tothe fellowship of Jain Muni Raichandbhai Ravajibhai Mehta with MahatmaGandhi.Like theothergreatseerandenlightenedleader,AcharyaMahapragyaand Dr Kalam believed in their spiritual principles finding expression ineveryday life; their spiritualitywas practical, and theywerewilling to engagewith the issues of the times. And there was a deeper and larger undertakingunfoldingbetweenthemthatwas,inessence,aconfluenceofvisions.PresidentKalam’s conception of a fully developed India with a more prosperous andharmoniouslifeforitscitizensresonatedwithAcharyaMahapragya.

TheAcharyaexpressedhisdesiretoinvitePresidentKalamtoSurat,Gujarat,on15October2003,DrKalam’sseventy-secondbirthday.AcharyaMahapragyaalsosuggestedthatspiritualleadersofdifferentfaithsbepresentatthisoccasionforaconclave,whichcouldfurther theirspiritualaimsbyestablishingabroadconsensusforinterfaithdialogueandcelebration;and,aboveall,cooperationandkinship.Thegatheringwouldevolveacoordinatedactionplanbasedonsharedspiritual principles, with the purpose of creating enlightened citizens andrealizingaunityofmindsamongIndia’sdiversepopulation.

India’s is perhaps the largest andmost diverse society in theworld. India’speoplespeakmorethan300languagesanddialects in twelvedistinct languagefamilies,whicharecodifiedinmorethantwentyscripts.Allthemajorreligions– Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism, Islam, Sikhism, Judaism andZoroastrianism–have followers in India,making it theworld’smost complexandcomprehensivelypluralisticsociety.Furthermore,itishometoavastvarietyof castes, tribes, communities, religions, languages, customs and lifestyles.Doubtless, oneof thebiggest challengesof the Indiannationhasbeenhow tolearn to live inproximitywithdifference–different religions,differentbeliefswithin a religion and within a belief, different ways of life. How do wepeacefully relate to and negotiate with people with whom we may bitterlydisagreeonsomekeyissues?

After many rounds of discussions and multiple meetings with prominentspiritual leaders in the country, fifteen leaders consented to attend this single-platform,interfaithevent.DrKalamhadmuchtobegratefulforintheeffortsofY.S. Rajan in successfully garnering support for the conclave across thespectrumofreligions.DrKalamhadanenduringsagacityconcerningmatchingthetalentsofthosearoundhimforaparticularduty,andhehadwiselyentrustedthis task to Y.S. Rajan. Rajan had tirelessly visited a significant number ofreligious leaders who were actively engaged in social work. His intellectualeminence and his Rabindranath Tagore – like appearance – his flowing steel-greyhairandbeardandpenetratingeyes–lenthimthegravitastobreaktheicewith the numerous leaders. The inspiringmessage fromAcharyaMahapragyaandDrKalamdidtherest.

The assortment of religious leaderswho had agreed to attend the conclavemay have appeared diverse in appearance and beliefs, but they had much in

common. All shared a commitment to universal spiritual values; they werewillingtolookbeyondtheirownfaith’steachingstoacknowledgethetruthsinotherfaiths.Eachofthemwaslearned.Moreover,theyallwerewillingtoreachouttotheirfellowIndiansofotherreligiouspersuasionsforthecommongood.AllsawtheinherentsenseinAcharyaMahapragya’sandDrKalam’sendeavourofbuildinginter-religiouspartnershipsforthebettermentoftheIndianpeople.

Hinduism in the conclave was represented by Sri Balaganga-dharanathaSwamiji, the seer of Sri Adichunchanagiri Math, in Mandya, Karnataka;Jagadguru Shivaratri DesikendraMahaswami, the twenty-fourth pontiff of SriSuttur Math, Karnataka; and Swami Jitatmananda Maharaj, one of the mostrenownedmonksoftheRamakrishnaMission.

Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji had provided humanitarian services –includingcatering to thebasicnecessities likefood,educationandhealth–forlakhsofpeopleovertheprecedingthreedecades.Agraduateinscience,hehadchosen thespiritualwayof lifeat theageofnineteen.Swamijihadunerringlyfocusedonpracticalservicetothecommunityasaspiritualduty;hesawdutytothe people as the greatest means of attaining spiritual fulfilment. Swamji’sconcept of ‘Service Before the Self’ had won him the hearts of millions,including those of people belonging to different faiths. At the time of theconclave, he was working as the president of the highly respected JSSMahavidyapeethEducationalandCulturalInstitutions.

Like Balagangadharanatha Swamiji, Swami Jitatmananda Maharaj was ascience graduate before receiving his religious calling. Swami JitatmanandaMaharaj receivedhisdegree insciencefromPresidencyCollege,Calcutta,andpostgraduatedegreeinEnglishfromJadavpurUniversity.Swamijihadbeentheeditorof thePrabuddhaBharat journal started by SwamiVivekananda beforebecomingamonkintheRamakrishnaorder.

Shiekh-e-Tarigat Hadrat Syed Muhammad Jilani Ashraf, the twenty-eighthdescendent of Hadrat Ghuthe-Azan Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, MaulanaWahiduddin Khan, Islamic scholar and peace activist, and Prince HuzaifaMohyuddin of theDawoodiBohra, a sect of Shia Islam as propagated by theFatimidImamateinmedievalEgypt,representedtheIslamicreligion.

Syed Muhammad Jilani preached human, moral and spiritual values andpromoted peace and unity of faith and international brotherhood. He had

establishedaspiritualcomplexinDargahKichhachuviSharifinFaizabad,UttarPradesh.MaulanaWahiduddinKhanhad translated theQuran into simple andcontemporary English and written a commentary on the Quran. In thiscommentary,hepresentedtotheworldtherealfaceofIslam–basedonpeace,tolerance and coexistence. He established the Islamic Centre in New Delhi.Prince Huzaifa Mohyuddin is the son of H.H. Dr Sydena MuhammadBarhanuddin,thefifty-secondincumbentoftheaugustofficeofDā’īal-Mutlaq–theunrestrictedmissionary.Theprinceisanaccomplishedscholar,anillustriousphilanthropistandheaddesignateoftheDawoodiBohracommunity,whichhasfollowersallovertheworld.

BishopDrThomasDabre, theSecretaryGeneralof theCouncilofCatholicBishopsofIndiaandArchbishopStanislausFernandes,S.J., theArchbishopofGandhinagar, represented theChristian religion.BishopDrThomasDabrehadbeenappointedauxiliarybishopofBombayin1990.In1998,hebecamethefirstbishop of the newly created diocese of Vasai. Bishop Dabre did his doctoralthesis on the God experience of Sant Tukaram and a study in religioussymbolism. Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes, S.J., was ordained a Catholicpriest in 1968 and professed in the Society of Jesus inAugust 1973.Hewasappointed Bishop of Ahmedabad in 1990 and Archbishop of Gandhinagar in2002.

Dr Homi B. Dhalla represented Zoroastrianism, the pre-Islamic religion ofPersia. He had been the founder of the Zoroastrian Cultural Foundation inMumbai. He represented the Parsi community in various national andinternational forums. He had done his master’s in oriental languages andliteratureatHarvardUniversityandhisPhDatBombayUniversity.

Yuvacharya Mahashraman Muni Mudit Kumar and Sadhvi PramukhaKanakprabha represented Jainism. Yuvacharya Mahashraman Muni MuditKumar,thedesignatedsuccessorofAcharyaMahapragya,hadguidedtheyouthwings of the Terapanth order since 1997. Sadhvi PramukhaKanakprabha hadbeen declared the ninth Sadhvipramukha (head of nuns) in 1972 andMahashramani(headofshramanis)oftheTerapanthorderin1979.ShehadbeenaneditorandauthorintheSanskrit,PrakritandHindilanguages.

Rev.EzekielIsaacMalekaroftheJudahHymnSynagogue,NewDelhi,hadbeen a distinguished scholar, a human right activists and a priest. He had

represented the Jewish community in India and also written for national andinternational journals.Hehas authoredmany articles andbooksonmeditationand national integration through education, his book Education for GlobalSociety–InterfaithDiscussionsbeingthelatest.

Ven. Rahul Bodhi represented Buddhism. Hewas the founder president ofBhikku Sangha United Buddhist Mission-Sarvodaya Maha Buddha Vihar,Mumbai. This organization operates throughout India and is spreading themessage of brotherhood, love, kindness and compassion for the service ofhumanity.

Brahma Kumari Sudesh Didi had been a teacher and administrator withBrahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. She has actively promoted andencouragedwomentoplayaleadingroleinthesocialandspiritualdevelopmentofhumanity.CurrentlythedirectorofsixtycentresintheUnitedKingdomandGermany, she has been an outstanding lecturer and broadcaster on humandevelopment,mediationandthecreativeabilitiesofthemind.

DrJaswantSinghNeki,anoutstandingSikhtheologian,wasdecoratedwiththeOrder ofKhalsaAward on the three-hundredth anniversary of theKhalsa,celebrated inAnandpurSahibon13April 2000.HehadbeendirectorofPostGraduateInstitute(PGI),ChandigarhandheadofthePsychiatryDepartmentatthe All-India Institute ofMedical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. Perceptive criticshave described his book Ardas as an all-time classic. An outstandingmetaphysical poet in the Punjabi language, he received the Sahitya AkademiAwardin1980.

TheconclavewasamanifestationoftheinnatesenseofonenessthatIndianspossess,evenamongsttheobviousdiversityofthecountry’spopulation.Indiansretain their particular Indian quality, in tandemwith their astounding range ofbeliefs. It is this very quality that has sustained the nation through the tryingearlyyears of Independence.Even after the country’sPartition along religiouslines, Indiachose to remaina staunchlysecularcountry. Its secularismdidnotengender any absence of religion, or irreligiousness, however. Indians areperhapsamongthemostreligiousofallnationalities.Rather,itmeantthenationwouldremainfaithfultoanillustrioushistoryofmulti-religiousness.

Theconclaveitselfwasanunqualifiedsuccess.Iwasprivilegedtoattendit,andhaveneveryetexperiencedsuchahighlychargedspiritualatmosphere.For

morethanthreehours,ideasanddialogueflowedlikeariverofgrace.PresidentKalam’spatronageoftheeventdemonstratedhisfar-sightednessintheneedforinter-religious dialogue. As he arrived, he greeted his eminent spiritualcolleagues as he always did: his eyes looking directly into theirs, his handspressed togetherandwithagentlesmile.A‘namaste’ fromhimwasnoemptygesture–ittrulyembodiedthehumilityoftheworditself.DrKalaminteractedfreelywith the gurus and scholars, and chaired themeeting at the end of theconclave.

DrKalamhadchaired literally thousandsofmeetings inhisunusually longprofessional career. He was a master at crystallizing ideas and areas ofagreement – that might otherwise float into the ether unrealized – into aworkableconsensus.ForDrKalam,theunityofmindsthattheconclavesoughtto establish should never rely on tolerance and compromise. Unquestionably,theseareworthymodesofhumanbehaviour,andhavetheirplaceinmanyareasofhumanrelations.ButDrKalamfelttheyarenotthecorrectbasisforinterfaithdialogue and the peaceful coexistence of religions.What really is needed, hewould tell me, is respect – for others and their beliefs, and for the truth thatothersholdtheirbeliefsinsimilaresteemtothatinwhichweholdours.

It was this essential understanding that had allowed Dr Kalam’s fatherJainulabdeen,adevoutMuslim,tohelpHinduvisitorstoRameswaramontheirpilgrimage and assist them in their devotionswhenever the need arose. It hadallowedhimtositforhoursdiscussingphilosophywithhisclosefriend,PanditPakshiLakshmanaShastrigal.AndithadallowedhimtotalkwithFatherBodalabout the concerns of the fishermen of their island. Dr Kalam had beenthoroughly tutored in harmonious interfaith dialogue; he was amply qualifiedfromhischildhoodexperiencealone.

Theinter-religiousharmonyofRameswaramthatDrKalamknewasachildwas quintessentially Indian. Sadly, there are forces at work in India in thesetimesthatwouldcarveoursocietyintofractioussegmentsofreligionandethnicidentity. In our country, certain regions are presently being subjected to thetremendousstressofviolence–thatofthephysicalandmoresubtlekinds.IfwestudyIndia’shistoryoveraperiodof3,000years,wewill inevitablyconcludethat thecountryhasalwaysstoodforpeace. Itworkedforpeace; itprayedforpeacetoliveinpeace.Butinthesetimes,peaceseemstobeendangereddueto

thefomentingofcommunalandregionalsentimentsforpoliticalgain.So,howdoesonebringbackpeace?

Paradoxically,the‘I’inuswantspeace.Nevertheless,toattainpeaceonehastofirsttranscendthe‘I’and‘me’inaccordancewithourscriptures.Thismaybeatoughproposition.For,virtuallyeverysentence,everythoughtisdictatedby‘I’and‘me’.As it issaid–andasDrKalamwas toregularlyremindme– ifweremove‘I’and‘me’, theegowillvanish.When theegovanishes,hatredfadesaway. When hatred fades away, any violence in the mind and body willdisappear.Therefore,peaceprevailswhenyouforsake‘I’and‘me’.Thespiritualgoalofeveryreligionisindeedfortheindividualtobefreeofviolence–inmindandbody–therebyallowingthecreationofapeacefulsociety.Furthermore,itisaxiomaticthatwiththerenunciationof‘I’,‘me’andviolence,povertyloosensitsgriponsociety.

Werealizethatthe300millionyoungcitizenswhoarebelowtwentyyearsofageinIndiawantpeace,prosperity,happinessandsafety.Itisourresponsibilityasreligiousandspiritualleaderstocarryoutamissionofconqueringpovertyforour people. Fortunately, there is a roadmap to use – India2020, our nationaldream. That entails working intensively on five important areas. These areagriculture and food processing, education and health care, information andcommunicationtechnology,infrastructuredevelopment(includingnetworkingofrivers)andprovidingurbanamenitiesinruralareas.

The fundamental truth that Dr Kalam told me is this: If the individualprospers, the villages prosper; if the villages prosper, the states prosper; if thestates prosper, India canprosper.Acknowledging this networkof prosperity isextremely important in realizing the vision of the nation. Defeating povertyentailsaddressingseveralrelatedelements,liketacklingilliteracyandprovidinggoodgovernance.Thelatterisvitaltoensurethatfundsallottedforthepoorandthe earnings of the poor people are not frittered away in various forms ofcorruption.This iswhere themakingof an enlightenedcitizen is crucial.Thisacquiresamoral,ethicalandspiritualdimension,anditwasPramukhSwamiji’sunofficial contribution to Dr Kalam’s vision for India. Therefore, anothercomponent for prosperity is ineluctably religious and spiritual partnership.Wehaveconsideredhowthispartnershipcanbedeveloped.

Religions are exquisite places of refuge for the soul, places of surpassing

beautyandtranquillity.Theyprovidecomfortforthesoulandthespirit;buttheyareislandsnevertheless.Ifwecanconnectalltheseislandswithbridgesofloveand compassion, we will have a peaceful, happy and prosperous India. TheconclaveatSuratdemonstratedthatthereareuniversaltruthsembodiedineachreligionthatcanbeagreedbyopen-mindedreligiousleaders.Thesewouldhelpto form bridges between religions, thus reinforcing our basic unity as humanbeings.Further,therewasunanimityinsupportforvalue-basededucation,whichwould help to disseminate the universal truths common to allworld religions.The representativeswere equally resolved that value-based educationmust beinstitutedinschools.

Value-basededucationinschoolchildrenprovidesthespiritualfoundationfortheproperuseofknowledge-basededucation.Andeducationitselfmustextendbeyond schoolchildren. A significant impediment for progress is the yawningintellectualgapbetweentheopinion-makingclassandthemasses.Thisgapmayonlybeclosedbyincreasingtheknowledgebaseofeverycitizeninvitalaspectsoftheirlives.Asthenumberofenlightenedcitizensincreases,theabilitytocopewithandtransformtheirlivesalsoincreases.

Inordertoachievethis, inadditiontoconcentratingontheeducationofthecountry’syouth,thereisalsoapressingneedforthecontinualeducationoftheadult population. Education and intellectual activities are vital for all citizens,not just schoolchildren.Education can extend to values and understanding thebasicspiritualunityofallreligions.Additionally,valuesneedtobesponsoredbyreligiousandcommunityleaders,throughspecificinter-religiousprojects.Thesewouldbringpeopletogether,irrespectiveoftheirsocialbackgroundorreligiousbeliefs.

Religious and community leaders would also need to open to change. Theconclavewasunanimous that there ismuch to reform in themanner inwhichreligiouseducation isconducted.DrKalamlatermadementionof thespiritualleaders’ deep concern for promoting a spiritual education, beyond the all-too-familiarindoctrinationthatisfoistedonmostschoolchildren:

Imetfifteenspiritualleaders…theybelongedtovariousreligionsincludingHinduism,Buddhism,Christianity,IslamandSikhism.Thereligiousleaderswereconcernedthateducationinthemajorityoftheschools,particularlyinthesmalltowns,istamingtheyoungmindswithdogmaandobsoleteconcepts rather than empowering them with freedom of enquiry… The idea of ‘to shape’ the

student to the ‘template’ by the time his or her formal education concludes is indeed ominous.Spiritualityinsteadmustformavisionofthatwhichstandsbeyond,behindandwithinthepassingflux of immediate things. Can we define spirituality to a young student without introducingreligiousterms?1

The leaders at Surat were able to share a vision, and agreed on several keyissues.A significant outcome of the conclavewas the envisioning of the FiveGarland Projects. This was ratified in what came to be known as the SuratSpiritualDeclaration. Itproposed, interalia, inter-religious festivalsandmulti-religiousprojects.

EverymonthinallpartsofIndia therecanbeamulti-religiousgatheringtoconveythecoremessageofreligion inaprayerofpeaceanddiscuss thebasictruths contained in various religions. Such a prayer should be preceded byprayers from all religions practised in that part of the country by respectivereligiousandspiritualleadersinthepresenceofthepeople.Eachmonththedayselected couldbe aholyday fromone religion: Islam,Hinduism,Christianity,Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Buddhism, etc. Regular conduct of suchmeetingsbyall religious leadersandpeoplefromdifferentreligionsrespectingholydaysofotherreligionswillsendapowerfulmessage.

Ifpossible,suchgatheringscan takeplaceat thereligiouscentreswhereallpeople from other religions can also gather on that day. People should alsoexchange pleasantries and sweets during these meetings, as is the practice insomepartsofthecountrywhereunityofmindsprevails.Additionally,inordertospread the message of equality to everybody on that day, langar (communitykitchenandeating)canbearrangedsothatallpeopleeatcommonfood,sittingsidebyside.

So far, religious groups have made many efforts towards the removal ofpoverty and its associated misery, in large or small-scale undertakings; butalwaysinisolation.ItwasdecidedatSurattolaunchanumberofmulti-religiousprojects in education, health care and water supply as well as for generatingentrepreneurshipandemployment, tohelp thepoor.Peoplewould thus see forthemselves that religions are working together for the common good. Theseefforts will elevate religions in the minds of the people and the nation willbenefit.

All religious educational institutions operating in different parts of the

countryshouldenrolchildrenfromotherreligions,innumbersbeyondtokenism.Therealpurposeandtheunityofreligionsshouldbeimbuedinthemindsofthestudents.Children are thepillars of tomorrow;given careful guidance early intheir lives, theywill help foster peace and amity between communities in thenext generation. To this end, value-based educational material should bedisseminatedthroughvariousformsofmedia.

In addition to theprojectsdirectlybenefiting the commonpeople, it is alsonecessary to maintain continual interfaith dialogue between the religious andspiritualheads,aswellasreligiousscholars.Thisdialoguecanaddressamyriadofissuesifitisapproachedcorrectly.PresidentKalamhadseenveryearlyinhislife the manner in which religious leaders in society can cooperate throughregulardiscussionforthecommongood.HisfatherJainulabdeen,PanditPakshiLakshmanaShastrigalandFatherBodalwouldneverhavethoughttotermtheirdiscussions about the welfare of Rameswaram’s people ‘inter-religiousdialogue’.Buttheircommunicationwasnolesseffectiveforthis.

Thedialoguemayneedtobemoreformalinthesetimes,andtheInternetmaybeaworthyvenuefordisseminatingoutcomesofsuchdiscussions.Furthermore,theexistingmodelsforinterreligiousdialoguesthatareavailableinsomeothercountries could be explored and adapted for our own unique circumstances.Aproposhisownpersonalfaith,DrKalamwouldremindmeofthepracticesofProphetMuhammad(PeaceBeUponHim),whocouldtrulybecalledoneoftheearly proponents of interfaith dialogue. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)regularlymetwithleadersofotherfaiths,andmadenumerousagreementswithChristiancitizensoflandsunderMuslimrule.Heevensealedpactsguaranteeingtheir freedom to worship according to their customs, which the Christiansgratefullyaccepted,givenhisimpeccablereputationforintegrity.

Finally, the religious and spiritual leaders at Surat came to the unanimousconclusionthatanational-levelautonomousorganizationshouldbesetup.Thisorganization was named Foundation for Unity of Religious and EnlightenedCitizenship(FUREC).PresidentKalamlaterlaunchedFURECon14June2004,the eighty-fourth birthdayofAcharyaMahapragya, at theRashtrapatiBhavan.FUREC combined the objectives of the Surat SpiritualDeclaration andVision2020.

P

4.4

TheWorldMachine

Aftertwoworldwars,thecollapseoffascism,nazism,communismandcolonialismandtheendofthecoldwar,humanityhasenteredanewphaseofitshistory.

–HansKungSwissCatholicpriestandauthor

residentKalam’s firstofficial foreign tourbeganon19October2003.Theseven-day tour took him to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sudan and

Bulgaria.Vice-PresidentBhaironSinghShekhawatandDeputyPrimeMinisterL.K.Advanicametotheairporttoseehimoff.ArunShourie,theUnionministerofdisinvestment,communicationsandinformationtechnology,andmembersofparliamentSureshPrabhuandSarlaMaheshwari,bothmembersofparliament,accompaniedthepresident.DrKalam’sstatevisittotheUAEwasthefirstofanIndianpresidentinovertwo-and-a-halfdecades,sincePresidentFakhruddinAliAhmed’striptherein1976.

TheUAEwas home at this time tomore than amillion Indian expatriates.TheUAEconsistsofsevenemiratesandwas founded in1971asa federation.Indianworkershaveplayedacrucialroleinitsnationbuilding.Mostlyhailingfrom the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Indians in the UAEcompriseinexcessof30percentofthetotalpopulationofthefederation.Today,theUAEisamodern,oil-exportingcountrywithahighlydiversifiedeconomy.Dubai in particular has been developed into a global hub for travel, tourism,retail,andfinance;anditishometotheworld’stallestbuilding,thelargestman-madeseaportandthebusiestinternationalairport.Overtheprecedingfewyears,therehadbeenaphenomenal rise in ITexports fromIndia to theMiddleEast,withtheUAE,SaudiArabiaandOmantoppingthemarketsforIndiansoftwaresolutions.

InDubai,PresidentKalamvisitedGITEX2003,theMiddleEast’slargestandmostimportantinformationtechnologyevent–muchtothedelightoforganizersDubaiWorldTradeCentre.DrKalamwasimpressedbythesizeandscaleoftheevent and the number of exhibitors who participated at the event from India.There were representatives from the Indian hardware industry, software andservices sector, with over forty companies participating in the show. SheikhAhmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the son of the former ruler of Dubai,accompaniedPresidentKalam.

DrKalam took the time to address a large group of Indian students at theIndian High School’s Shaikh Rashid Auditorium and at the Birla Institute ofTechnologyandSciences(BITS)attheKnowledgeVillage.DrKalamsaidthatthe twentymillion non-resident Indians living in various countries around theworldcancontribute to igniting theyouthfulmindsof the300million IndiansbelowtheageoftwentyinIndia.Further,theycanbecomeapowerfulresourcein achieving the great vision of development of India, and also help in theemancipationoftheir260millioncompatriotsfromthegripofpoverty.Forthis,theirmindsweretheirgreatestattribute:‘Isuggest,thinkingshouldbecomeyourcapitalasset,whateverupsanddownsyoucomeacrossinyourlife.Thinkingisprogress andnon-thinking is stagnation to the individual, organization and thecountry.’1

ThestudentshailedthevisitoftheIndianpresident,someofwhomclaimeditwasanunforgettablemomentoftheirlives.

President Kalam’s visit to Sudan was a landmark event in the history ofSudanese–Indianrelations.HewasthefirstIndianpresidentevertovisitSudan.Sudanisestimatedtohavesomeof thelargestoilreservesintheworld,anditcould prove to be amajor source for energy-starved India,which depends onimportsfor70percentofitspetroleumrequirements.Forseveralmonths,Indiahad been pursuing diplomatic initiatives. It achieved a major success in June2003,whenONGCVidesh,thearmoftheOilandNaturalGasCorporationforactivities outside India, bought 25 per cent equity from Canada’s TalismanEnergy, Inc., in Sudan’s Greater Nile Project. Later, India acquired stakes inSudaneseprojectsfromtheAustrianoilandgasgroup,OMV.

Sudanwashometonumerousancientcivilizations,mostofwhichflourishedalong thefertile riparianplainsof thegreatNile.FormuchofSudan’shistory,

thenationhassufferedfromrampantethnicstrife,descendingintothechaosofcivil wars in more recent times. For much of Sudan’s history, its fate wasinextricablefromthatofEgypt,andwiththeopeningoftheSuezCanalin1869,Egypt and Sudan’s economic and strategic importance increased enormously.Sudan attracted the imperial attentions of the great powers, particularly theBritish,whogoverned thecountryas a colony from1899.AfterSudan finallywon its independence in 1956, a civil war erupted between the northern andsouthernpartsofthecountry.Thefightinglastedforseventeenyears,resultinginthe death of somewhere in the order of half amillion people.Civilwar againbroke out in 1982 and raged formore than two decades, only ceasing a littlemorethanayearafterthetimeofPresidentKalam’svisit.

ThecivilwarinSudanhadbeenthemostviciouskindofwar,polarizingthecountry into north vs south, Muslim vs Christian and Arab vs sub-SaharanAfrican.Yet, beneath theobvious religious, cultural and racial differences thathad inpart fuelled thewar–andmanifested inbrutalethniccleansing– therehad been a bitter struggle over control of Sudan’s rich oil reserves, and thewealththatthiscontrolentailed.

Addressing the parliament of Sudan on 22October 2003, President Kalamsaid,‘Thetimehascomeforourtwonationstoconsolidatethesedevelopmentssince independence and forge stronger bonds between creating public andprivate institutions and businesses to bring prosperity, happiness and freedomfrom insecurity to the people.’2DrKalamwasmost optimistic for amutuallybeneficialrelationshipbetweenIndiaandSudan:

Oneamong thekey resourcesofSudan is thehydrocarbon.Witha largepartof the country stillunexplored,hydrocarboncontributiontothenationaleconomyislikelytoincreasesignificantlyinfuture.ThenationaloilcompaniesofIndiaandothercountriesareparticipatinginthediscoveriesofoilandgasinSudan.IndiaandSudancanworktogetherinbuildingcapabilityforoilexploration,refining,marketing and value added oil based products.Exploitation of natural hydrocarbon andothernaturalresourcesbySudanwiththeassistanceofIndiacouldfueleconomicgrowthofSudanthroughmanymissionmodeprojectsliketheVision2020ofIndia.3

Sadly,theendofthecivilwarinJanuary2005andtheformationofSouthSudaninJuly2011didnotquell theviolenceinthecountry.InDecember2013,civilwaragainbrokeout,thistimeinSouthSudan.India,oneofthefirstcountriestorecognizethenewstateofSouthSudan,hascontinuedtopledgeitssupportfor

the country. It has offered assistance in developing infrastructure, trainingofficials inhealth,educationand ruraldevelopment in return foroil resources.Muchcanbeaccomplishedthroughcooperation,andultimately,littlefromwar.

Thankfully, thecountryofDrKalam’snextvisit hadenjoyedamuchmorepeacefulrecenthistory.Butthetripitselfwastobechallengingforhim.WhenPresident Kalam landed in Sofia, the historic capital city of Bulgaria, on 23October2003,hewasrunningafeverandsufferingseverebodypain.Hisbackwasburningwithinflammationoftheskin.Nevertheless,hecarriedonwithhisengagements;DrKalamwasneveronetoletpersonaldiscomfortkeephimfromwork.SofiawelcomedIndia’spresidentwithatwenty-one-gunsalute.BulgarianPresident Georgi Parvanov presided over a special ceremony at the square infrontofSofia’sgrandStAlexanderNevskiCathedral.

TheSofiaUniversity, calledStKlimentOhridsk,was founded in 1888, tenyearsaftertheliberationofBulgariafromtheTurkishOttomanEmpire,toserveas Bulgaria’s primary institution of higher education. Sofia University had anIndologysection,whichsince1983hasbeenconductingcoursesatgraduateandpostgraduate levels. A sizeable crowd of students at the university greetedPresident Kalam. He was told that Indian culture has enjoyed considerablepopularity in Bulgaria in modern times, right from the days of RabindranathTagore’svisittoBulgariain1926.Yoga,Ayurveda,IndiantelevisionserialsandthespiritualheritageofIndiaareincreasinglygainingcurrencyinBulgaria.TheIndianexpatriatecommunity,though,wasverysmall,numberingaround250.Aportion of this number were students studying medicine in the medicaluniversities of Sofia, Pleven, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora. They all, however,turnedouttogreetDrKalam.AlongwithadiscussionofcommoneconomicandculturalinterestsbetweentheIndianandBulgarianpeoples,DrKalamspokeofamorespiritualendeavour:

I feel that education systems around the world will have to work to generate enlightenedinternational citizenswhowould then be able towork together as citizens of the planet earth tosolvesuchproblemstogether.Howdoesoneproduceanenlightenedinternationalcitizen?Ifeelthiscan be done through a combination of education with a value system. The second importantcomponent will be religions graduating into a spiritual movement. Third and the most vitalcomponent is poverty eradication by attainment of economic prosperity by the developingcountries.Thiswill result in raising the living standards andwill result in bringing peace to theindividual,tothefamily,tothenationandwouldtherebyresultinpeaceontheplanetearth.4

Bulgaria’spopulationofoversevenmillionpeopleispredominantlyurbanized.Most commercial and cultural activities are centred on the capital and largestcity, Sofia. The strongest sectors of the economy are heavy industry, powerengineering and agriculture, all of which rely on local natural resources.PresidentKalamwasfamiliarwithBulgaria’sprovenstrengthsinmathematics,physics, computerhardwareandprecisionmanufacturing fromhisyears at theDRDO.Indo-Bulgariancooperationinmanyofthesefieldshadbeencontinuoussince the Soviet era. President Kalam and President Parvanov proposedcooperationincomputersoftwareandhardware.IndianexpertiseinsoftwareandBulgarian strength in hardware production infrastructure could make a greatcombination outside theWestern bloc.But it never happened.Bulgaria joinedNATOinMarch2004andtheEuropeanUnioninApril2005.

President Kalam returned with cherished memories of his visit to the Rilamonastery.HehadmuchtotellfromhisinteractionwithBishopJohnaboutitshistory, religious and cultural heritage and its contribution to spiritual life inBulgaria.BishopJohninformedPresidentKalamthatintheninthcentury,TsarBoris I converted to Christianity and appointed an archbishop fromConstantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and that is howChristianity came to Bulgaria. For nearly five centuries, Bulgaria was underTurkishdomination,andthepatriarchofConstantinopleadministeredthechurchthroughaGreekclergy.

ThehermitStIvanofRilafoundedthemonastery.Thehermitactuallylivedin a cave, without any material possessions, not far from the monastery’slocation.Hisstudents,whocametothemountainstoreceiveeducationfromStIvan,builtthegreatcomplex.Theyprayedtogetherthatallreligionscouldcometogethertospreadgoodness,mercyandcharity.

Along with other church properties, the monastery fell under the directcontrol of the post-war communist regimes.Unlikemost other religious sites,however, Rila was granted protected status in 1961 by the Bulgariangovernment. In 1983, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Social andCultural Organization) declared the monastery a World Heritage site. TheBulgarianOrthodoxChurchregaineditstitletoRilasubsequenttothefallofthecommunist government in 1989, and the succeeding government formallyreinstatedthecomplexasamonasteryin1991.

BythetimePresidentKalamreturnedfromhisweek-longtrip,itwasobviousthat he was in poor health. He attended the Army Research and ReferralHospital,NewDelhi, theapexmedical institutionof the IndianArmyMedicalCorps,foranexamination.Testsrevealedthathehadcontractedaviralinfection,probablywhiletravelling;anditwasnowfullyaggravated.DrB.SomaRaju,DrM.A.SaleemandDrJ.M.K.MurthyfromCareHospital,Hyderabad,joinedtheteamofdoctorsattendinghim.

Even afterDrKalamwas discharged from the hospital after three days, hecontinuedtosufferwithseverepain.Hedescribedthepaintomeasburningandstinging, and told me it was almost unrelenting. He did not sleep for manynights.Oneofthosedays,DrKalamsharedwithmethathecriedalone,askingwhy his pain was unending and his wounds grievous and incurable. Then heheardProphetAramaya5speakingtohim.

Aramaya:OKalamYourpainisacryFromyoursoul,Donotbecomeaprophet.

Kalam:OProphetAramaya!MyProphetisMuhammad.Iamonlyateacher,andmythroatisparched.

Aramaya:WhyteachtheignorantWorshippingfalsegods,Toiling,procreating.Stopteachingthem!

Kalam:No.Mypeopleareinnocent.Gullibletheymaybe,Butchildrenwilllisten.Ilovemypeopletoomuch.

Aramaya:Thensufferyourlove.

Kalam:SoIshall.OProphetAramaya!TellGodAlmightythatIamsufferingfortheloveofmypeople.

It took about a week for President Kalam to fully recover. He resumed hisnormal schedule, but something had drastically changed in his innerworld. ItwouldsoonappearinhisspeechontheoccasionoftheawardceremonyfortheIndiraGandhiPrizeforPeace,DisarmamentandDevelopment,on19November2003.

AftermorethanayearinRashtrapatiBhavan,meetingsomebrilliantmindsfrom across the world – scholars, political leaders, social workers,philanthropistsandbusinessleaders–DrKalamhaddevelopedinsightsintothedynamics of power in world politics. During the intense pain and sleeplessnightsofhisillness,thoseinsightsgavewaytorevelations.

Heexplainedtomethatthereisaglobalelitethatdoesn’tjustpossessgreatwealth,butbasicallycontrolseverymajorbankandeverymajorcorporationontheentireplanet.Thiselitehascreatedthecentralbanksoftheworld,andthenused thosecentralbanks toensnare thegovernments inendlesscyclesofdebt,fromwhichthereisnoescape.Theultra-wealthyhavealsoplayedamajorrolein establishing other important international institutions, treaties, conventionsandsanctions;andamyriadofotherinstrumentsofcontrol.Withtheirinfluence,people-to-peopleserviceshavebecomejobs,transactionshavebecomebusiness,companies have become corporations – andmultinational conglomerates havegrownbiggerthanmanygovernmentsandmorepowerful.

Giant corporations own television networks, cable channels,movie studios,newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, music labels, telecommunicationscompanies and drug and food companies. They control most of what peoplewatch,hearandread,talk,writeandconsumeeverydayoftheirlives.Theyhaveconditionedpeople’smindstoconsumption,recreationandprocreation.

Warsarecreatedtosellarmamentsandmanufacturedinthemassivemilitary-industrial complexes owned by the global elite. To fund war efforts, to quellrevoltsand insurgencies, topoliceandcontrol their indulgentmoneyedclasses

andthedeprivedandangrypoor,governmentsborrowmassivesumsofmoneyfromthebanks.Bysupplyingcredittothoseofwhomtheyapproveanddenyingit to thoseofwhom theydisapprove, internationalbankerscannotonlycreateboomsorbusts tosupportorunderminegovernments, theycanalsodetermineoutcomesinacountry’seconomy.

Corporate interests expanded their power and wealth exponentially, afteracquiring government and national assets by privatization. Drives to increaseexportsofvariouscommoditieshave led towholesaledeforestation inpartsoftheworld.Timber companies have razed old forests, leaving semi-barren landuselessformuchbutraisingcattletosupplybeeftotherichnations.Similarly,prime agricultural land has been exploited for the growing of cash crops forconsumption inwealthycountries.Thishas reducedstaple foodproductionforlocalconsumption.Theresultispriceimbalancesandpeoplebeingforcedoutoftheruraleconomyintourbanmoneymachines,creatingcrimeandslums.Canitallbesaid?Wouldanyonelisten?

President Kalam conferred the 2002 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,DisarmamentandDevelopmentuponSirShridathRamphal.SirShridathwastheformer foreignminister of Guyana and the Commonwealth SecretaryGeneralfrom 1975 to 1990, an unprecedented decade-and-a-half tenure. He had alsobeenchancellorof threeuniversities–UniversityofGuyana,Universityof theWest Indies and the University of Warwick. While the Commonwealth ofNationscanbeperceivedasan insulting reminderofBritain’scolonialpast, ithas gone some way towards ameliorating the excesses of those times by itsefforts in the last half-century. Sir Shridath Ramphal passionately used thisinstitutiontosupportself-governanceinnewlyindependentnations.

Before the gathering of international diplomats, President Kalamunequivocally said that violent conflicts were indeed the outcome of thedynamics of greed. Further, a lack of development in large parts of theworldwas the outcome of overdevelopment and excessive consumption of resourcesbyasmallminorityofnations.Healludedtothechallengesglobalizationposedtodevelopingcountriesandtheenvironment,andexpressedtheneedforamoreequitable,peacefulglobalorder:

Fromourancienttimeswe(theIndians)havecelebratedthecauseofpeace.Itisonlyinconditionsof peace and security that people and countries can effectively pursue development. Violent

conflictsareanenemyofdevelopment.Wetooasanationfirmlybelievethatforabettertomorrow,interaction amongst nations must be based on coexistence not conflict, cooperation notconfrontationandconcordnotcoercion.6

PresidentKalamarrivedinTirupation20November2003toparticipate in thegolden jubilee celebrations of Sri Venkateswara University. In his extemporeaddress lastingnearly thirtyminutes, thepresident dwelt at lengthonwhat heenvisioned as his ‘law of development’ tomake developing nations like Indiajoin theeliteclubofdevelopednations.Outliningastrategy toaccomplish thetask,hesuggestedathree-dimensionalapproach–cost-effectiveness,qualityandin-time supply – to make Indian products competitive in the internationalmarket. He said each university should have on its agenda a developmentcomponent; one for its own regionandanother for the entirenation.Later, headdressedtheAllIndiaViceChancellorsconferenceatsenatehall.

Intheafternoon,PresidentKalamreachedSriVenkateswaraSwamyTempleatop the Tirumala hills, accompanied by Governor Surjit Singh Barnala andChiefMinisterN.ChandrababuNaidu.Uponarrivalatthemainentranceofthetemplecomplex,theywerereceivedwithtraditionalIstiKapaltemplehonours.This,withtheaccompanimentoftraditionalmusic,amidthemelodiouschantingofVedichymnsbythetemplepriests.

Later,priestsescortedthepresidenttothesanctumsanctorumofthetemple,wherehestood in frontof thedeity forabout tenminutesandpaidobeisance.The templepriests,whopresented all the threedignitaries – thepresident, thegovernor and the chief minister – with the Sesha Vastrams of the Lord, alsoexplainedtothepresidentthesignificanceofthetempleanditshistory.

Dr Kalam also deposited offerings into the sacred temple Hundi, as is thegeneral practice.While dropping some folded currency into theHundi he toldme,‘Godknowsthatmyhundred-rupeenoteisa thousand timemorevaluablethanthehundred-rupeenotecomingfromarichman’spocket.’Noticing that Idid not offer anymoney, he said, ‘Funny guy,whatever you offer toGod, headdsmanyzerostothatamountandreturnsit tothetruedevoteewheneverheneedsit.Donotloseachancetomultiplyyourmoney.’

Later,attheRanganayakulaMandapam,situatedinsidethetemplecomplex,Dr Kalam was given Vedasirvachanam, a recited blessing from the temple’spriests.Much to the surprise of the priests, DrKalam asked them to conduct

Asirvachanamfor thewelfareof thenationand itspeople.Hesaton the floorandatetheprasadamservedinabowlmadeofplantainleaf.Icouldseetearsofjoywelling in theeyesof thepriestwhoservedhimtheprasad. Itwasagreatlessonformeinhumility.

Humility is indeed the truekey to success.Successfulpeoplecan lose theirway at times. They are apt to embrace and overindulge the fruits of success.Humilitynullifiestheallureofthisarroganceandself-indulgencetrap.Humblepeople share the credit for their triumphs and wealth, remaining focused andhungry to continue the journeyof success. In all the time IknewDrKalam–extendingthirty-threeyearsandthroughouthismeteoriccareerinthepubliceye–Ineveroncewitnessedoverindulgenceorarrogance.Thisisnottosaythathewaswithout faults. But overindulgence and arrogancewere simply not in hismake-up, and this allowed him to serve his country impeccably. He wasunerringly focused on the greater good; his gratification was his country’sprogressandtheprofoundconnectionhemaintainedwithitspeople.

Our president was, though, prepared to be stern, and he could even be sowhenthemoodwasfestive.On7December2003,PresidentKalamaddressedamega peace festival and grand assembly on ‘World Peace through SpiritualPower’.ThefestivalwasorganizedbythePrajapatiBrahmaKumarisIshwariyaVishwaVidyalaya.VicePresidentBhaironSinghShekhawatandRajyoginiDadiPrakashmani, the chief of Brahma Kumaris, were present. Singer MahendraKapoorenthralledtheaudiencewithhissoul-elevatingdevotionalsongs.

DrKalamwasnotdeterredby thispleasantambience,however.Despitehispenchant for diplomacy, hewould saywhat he felt needed to be said; and insome ways, he was becoming more resolute in doing so. President Kalamsurprised almost everyone at the festival with his very plain words about theperilsofindulgingincorruptionandcrueltyintheaffairsoftheworld.Andhewas not advising any more – he was warning: ‘People who are in high andresponsible positions, if they go against righteousness, the righteousness itselfwill be transformed into a destroyer. Whoever deviates from righteousness,whether they are individuals or states, they are responsible for their ownactions.’7

I

4.5

TheDesertedVillage

Illfarestheland,tohasteningillsaprey,Wherewealthaccumulates,andmendecay:Princesandlordsmayflourish,ormayfade–Abreathcanmakethem,asabreathhasmade:Butaboldpeasantry,theircountry’spride,Whenoncedestroyed,canneverbesupplied.

–OliverSmithEighteenth-centuryEnglishPoet

n spite of its burgeoning metropolitan cities, India is still overwhelminglyrural.SevenoutofeverytenIndiansliveinvillages,andeveryfifthpersonin

India lives in a village of 2,000–5,000 people. In the country as awhole, theproportion of villages with less than 1,000 people might have fallen, but theproportioninlargervillageshasrisencommensurately.Andthispatternchangesfrom state to state.Nonetheless,what remains is Indians’ enduring bondwiththeir ruralheartland.Theirconnection to the landof their forefathers ismostlystrongerthattheallureofthenation’scentres.

Thevillagedemographicstoo,fromstatetostate,tellastory,anditisoneofcomparative development. In Bihar, it’s villageswithmore than 2,000 peoplewherethechangehasoccurred.InJharkhandandOrissa,villageswithmorethan500peoplearestillgrowing.InTamilNadu,thenumberoflargevillages,withmorethan5,000people,isgrowingstill.AndinKerala,it’samega-villagestory.We often read of the country’s rapid urbanization. A concrete jungle ofmultilevelapartmentsandshoppingcomplexestoweringovercrowdedstreetsisdoubtlesstheorderofthedayinIndia’ssprawlingmetropolises.TherealIndia,however,willcontinuetopersistmoreorlessinitscurrentformfornearlyfifty

more years, according toUN estimates.DrKalam’sPURAmission –with itsgoalof linkingvillagesandconnectingthemwithservicesandtechnology–isconsequentlythemostrelevantvisionforthenation.

Details of the UN report entitled ‘2007 Revision of World UrbanizationProspects’weregivensomementioninIndia’smedia:

Breaking the urbanization myth … the UN said that though most countries would see rapidurbanization,Indiawouldcontinuetohavethelargestruralpopulationintheworlduntil2050…55percentofIndia’spopulationwillbelivinginurbanareas,amountingto900millionpeopleonlyby2050.1

On24December2003,PresidentKalamwasscheduledtovisitSaifai.Saifaiisthe village ofMulayam SinghYadav, the chiefminister of Uttar Pradesh, hisformerbossinthedefenceministryandsincethenaclosefriend.SaifaivillageisintheBundelkhandregion.Spreadover70,000squarekilometresinthirteendistricts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the Bundelkhand region isconsidered the least favourable area of the country for agriculture. Facedwiththechoiceof continuing todependonerratic rainfall for their regular summercrops or invest in irrigation infrastructure, the farmers of Bundelkhand havemostlyoptedforthelatter.

The issues for water conservation in Bundelkhand reflect a modern trendthroughout the world. The basic principle that large-scale extraction of waterfrom aquifers must allow for their replenishment has been ignored in recentyears. Along with overfishing of our oceans and wholesale harvesting ofprecious rainforests, technological advancement has allowed the abuse of ourmost vital resource. The situation in India, though, has the potential forparticularly grave consequences, given our population and reliance onagriculture to feed our ballooning population. Moreover, with the arrival ofhighly efficientwater pumps and tubewells, traditionalmaintenance ofwatersourceshasfallenbythewayside.

Tank systems–whichhadbeenpreserved for centuries asmodelsofwatermanagement most suitable for this region – have been neglected, encroachedupon, eroded and destroyed. At the same time, canal networks have becomedilapidated; canals remain silt laden, chokedwithweeds and broken inmanyplaces. Worse still, distribution of water is anything but equitable. Irrigation

needsoftail-endvillageshavebeenlargelyignoredintheBundelkhandregion.Influential and prosperous farmers in upper areas have employed guns andmusclepowertogrowevenwater-intensivecropsintimesofdrought.Inrecentyears, the demand for irrigated water has outstripped supply, with harvestsinadequate to cover even capital outlays. Farmers have sunk into a debt trap.Onceknownforthevalourofitspeople,Bundelkhandhasbecomedistinguishedbyitshungeranddesperation.

Thesewere the thoughtsDrKalam expressedwhen he askedme, anUttarPradeshguyinhis team,towriteapertinentspeechforhim.Hewantedmetocapture the issues of the people in this ailing hinterland. ‘The people ofBundelkhand were once famous for their role and sacrifices in the freedomstruggle – now they need help. What could be the way out?’ he asked. AnimpenetrablefogledtothecancellationofthetriptoSaifaiatthelastmoment,disappointing villagers, who had gathered en masse to interact with thepresident.Butthepresident,eagertovisithisfriend’svillage,wasperhapsevenmoredisappointed.

On5January2004,PresidentKalamaddressedtheninety-firstsessionoftheIndianScienceCongressatChandigarh,attendedbynearly4,000scientistsfromIndiaandabroad.DrKalambeganhisaddressbysayingthathe lovedvisitingChandigarh because he had a particular fondness for the city. While LeCorbusier’s crafted vision of modernity in his design of Chandigarh was theantithesisoftheIndiaheloved,DrKalamcouldappreciateitsbeauty.DrKalamtold thescientists that from1985 to1999,hewasa frequentvisitor to thecitydue tohisworkatastrategic laboratory there.During thosedays,hestayedatthePunjabUniversityGuestHouse.Someofthechaptersofhisfirstbookwerewrittenthere.

DrKalamhighlightedaboutadozenmajorprogrammeswhichhefeltshouldbe taken up on a priority basis by scientists and technologists. He stated thatthesewerenecessaryasstepstowardsIndiabecomingadevelopednationinlessthantwodecades.Thefirsttaskheidentifiedwasprovidingfoodandnutritionalsecurity for India’s population.DrKalam pointed out thatwhereas the ‘greenrevolution’hadtakenplaceinthe1960sandwasforthemostpartsuccessful,thetime had come to start working on the ‘second green revolution’. This wasneeded todouble thenation’sgrainproduction to400million tonnesby2020.

Thechallengebefore thescientificcommunitywas todevelop foodgrainseedsthatprovideagreateryieldinanarrayofsoiltypes.Thishadfirstbeenachieved,DrKalamsaid,underthevisionaryleadershipofDrM.S.Swaminathan.Therewasnowaneedtofurtherthisdevelopment.

Moreover,DrKalamwas fully aware thatwhile the first ‘green revolution’had indeedachievedadramatic increase in foodgrainproduction–particularlyin Punjab, Haryana andwesternUttar Pradesh – this was notwithout seriousramifications.Somecriticshadforewarnedofthegreenrevolution’sdangersatthe time of its launch; and many have been vindicated by events as theyunfolded.Inanycase, theilleffectsof therevolutionhaveevenbeenacceptedbytheprogramme’sproponentsinrecenttimes.

The green revolution focused almost exclusively on developing andpromotingthehigh-yieldingvarietiesofmostlywheatandlaterriceseeds,whichrequired intensive irrigation, chemical fertilizers and pesticides in order toguaranteetheexpectedyields.Thewidespreadadoptionofthesehasnotprovedto be sustainable. Soil fertility has declined with the overuse of inorganicfertilizers,andirrigationofareasbeyondprudentlevelshasledtowaterloggingand soil erosion. Furthermore, the lower-yielding but more hardy indigenousvarietiesofgrainhavebeenlost,andpesticideusehasspiralledlikeadrughabit.At the same time, capital-intensive farming and mechanization havedispossessedlargesectorsofagriculturalsociety.

Dr Kalam often cautioned against the notion that all problems can beovercome by technological solutions. Technology cannot alone be consideredindependent of societal or structural dimensions. He was adamant thattechnologyisonlyrelevantwhenitisproperlycontemplatedinrelationtothosewhowoulduseit:

Oneoftheproblemswithsomeofourlaboratoriesisthattheywillalwayssay,‘Ihavealreadydoneit.’ Iwouldcall this the laboratorysyndrome.This isbecausemanyunderestimate the ‘last-mile’problemsintakingthetechnologyfromthelaboratorytothefield.Thelastmileissosimplethatwethink thatweknowpreciselywhathas tobedone,yet sodifficultwhenweactuallygetdown todoing it. The technological development is complete only when the technology is transferred,absorbedandappliedtotheneedsofpeople.2

DrKalam freely interactedwith the scientists afterhis speechat thecongress.

Nootherleaderhadgeneratedsuchenthusiasmamongthescientificcommunity.Dr Kalam was quite frank in telling a group of biotechnologists that hisadvocacy for biotechnology as the answer to the problems of agriculture andhumanhealthwasnotblind.Hetoldthemthathewasworkingtoevolveproperchecksandbalances toregulatedevelopments in thebiotechnologysector.Thesituation that the top tenmultinational companies controlledmore than80percent of the pesticide market and had 53 per cent market share in the worldpharmaceuticalsmarketwas not a happy one, he told them. In the food retailbusiness, the top ten companies were controlling 57 per cent of the world’smarket.Heasked,‘Wherearewe?’

Clearly,scientificandtechnologicalsolutions toproblemsareneverunique;there are always multiple paths to choose from. Equally, there are nocomprehensivesolutions,asproblemsareneverone-dimensional;theyareoftenof a structuralor systemicnature.Temperinga scientist’sdreamswith realismmustbedonewithout losingheart, and it shouldbe remembered thatcriticismandopennesstoithasalwaysservedtoadvancescience.Asamanwhohadseenthehighsandlowsofascientificcareerinthepubliceye,DrKalamspokewithauthoritywhenhediscussedthevagariesoflifeinthelab:

Iwouldliketoconveysomeinformationbasedonmyexperiencewhileworkinginvariousscienceand technology laboratories fornearly fourdecades. Ihaveseenhappinessandpain. Ihave seenhappinesswhenyousucceed;alsoIhaveseenpainwhenyoudon’t.3

President Kalam also interacted with the children and shared with them his‘thinkingmantra’ thatwould later becomea regular feature of his speeches instudentforums:

Thinkingisprogress.Non-thinkingisstagnationtotheindividual,organizationandthecountry.Thinkingleadstoaction.Knowledgewithoutactionisuselessandirrelevant.Knowledgewithactionbringsprosperity.4

PresidentKalamaskedchildrentonotethatthehumanmindisauniquegift.Butonecanenter intomarvelsof theuniverseonlythroughcuriosityandthinking.He said that thinking should become one’s capital asset, regardless of the ups

and downs in life. He said to them, ‘Look at the sky.We are not alone. Thewholeuniverseisfriendlytousandconspiresonlytogivethebesttothosewhodreamandwork.’

India would have general elections in 2004. On the eve of Republic Day,PresidentKalamvirtuallysettheagendafortheLokSabhapoll.Hedidthisbyaskingallpoliticalparties toclearlystate in theirmanifestotheirvision,actionplan and approaches for making India a developed nation by 2020. PresidentKalam called upon the political parties tomove beyond blind criticism of thegovernment on the developmental front. He asked them to outlay theiralternative action plan and vision for development.And the least the politicalparties could do, he thought, is field candidates with a clean record in theensuingLokSabhaelection.

Referringtothefifty-four-crore-strongyouthofourcountry,PresidentKalamsaid India today isayouthfulcountry, adding that thecountry’syouthwant tolive in a developed and corruption-free India. He said that a developed Indiamustbebuiltinatimelymannertopreventinstabilityinsociety.DrKalamwasof the firm opinion that the manifestos of political parties should take intoaccounttheaspirationsofthecountry’syouth.Themanifestosshouldbedraftedinordertomeetthedreamsoftheyoungandresonatewiththeiraspirationsbyproposingcogentmissionsandanactionplan.

President Kalam made reference to the peace process that was gainingmomentumbetweenIndiaandPakistan.Hesaidthatnationshaverealizedthatlow-intensity proxy wars, deterrence-based build-ups and real wars areprohibitivelyexpensivedetractorsfromtruedevelopment.Hesaid,‘Thecountrywillbegratefultosuccessfulpeacemakers.’PresidentKalamquotedpoetry:

Whengunsaresilent,Flowersblossomontheearth;Fragranceengulfsgoodsouls,Whocreatedbeautifulsilence.

PresidentLuizInacioLuladaSilvaofBrazilwasinvitedasthechiefguestforthat year’s RepublicDay parade. PresidentKalam had heard anecdotes of hisguest’shumblebeginnings.Asachild,Lulaworkedasashoeshineboyanddidnot learn to read until hewas ten years old.As a teenager, Lulaworked as a

metal worker, and lost one of his fingers at work while operating a machinepress in an automobile parts factory.WhenPresidentKalamgreetedPresidentLula,henoticedhismissinglittlefingerofhislefthand.

WhenIaskedDrKalamwhathefounduniqueinPresidentLula,hisanswerwasquiterevealingoftheattributesheadmired:‘LuladaSilva’sperseveranceisoutstanding.IttookhimfourattemptsbeforehewaselectedpresidentofBrazilin 2002, and was re-elected for a second term in 2006. I see in him theembodiment of integrity. Lula came to power promisingmajor reforms to thecountry’s political and economic system. He vowed to eradicate hunger andcreate a self-confident, caring, outward-looking nation and lived up to hiswords.’

Dr Kalam called President Lula a leader with integrity. President Lulainspired Dr Kalam with his famous slogan, ‘I will work with integrity andsucceedwithintegrity.’HewasveryimpressedwiththewayPresidentLulahadraised Brazil’s profile on the international stage and presided over Brazil’slongest period of economic growth in three decades. Embraer, a Braziliancompany, had becomeone of the largest aeronautical companies in theworld.Therewereover5,000Embraeraircraftoperatingineightycountries,includingIndia. Embraer aircraft had become a preferred choice to connect small citieswithmetros,allovertheworld.Adevelopingcountryhasindeedjoinedthebigleague of aircraft manufacturing nations. Dr Kalam saw their rise in theinternational aeronautical fieldasworthyofemulationby the largerplayers intheIndianindustry.

With theAgni-II intermediaterangeballisticmissileon themobile launcherpassing in front of him at the parade,DrKalamwas beamingwith pride.Heconceived it at the beginning of themissile programme in 1983, successfullytesteditin1989;andnowthisnuclear-warhead-capablemissilewasapartoftheIndianArmyastheirmostcrediblestrategicdefenceasset.

After the parade, the visitingBrazilian president and other dignitarieswereinvited for the traditional ‘at home’ party at Rashtrapati Bhavan. PresidentKalam was a genial host as always. Despite having no appetite for the finermaterial things in life, he exuded a sincere charm that put everyone from thewaiterstothehighestofficialsofthelandatease.Aftertheguestsdepartedandherestedforawhile,PresidentKalamtookmeforalate-nightwalkaroundthe

sprawlingMughalGardenlawns.RashtrapatiBhavanwasdecoratedwithlightsthat etched its golden silhouette on the Delhi night sky. It felt to me like anambiencefromdreamsofsomefantasticparadise.DrKalamwasstillcaptivatedwith the personality of President Lula. His humble bearing, his fight, hisperseverance – and above all, his success in taking his countrymenout of thepoverty left behind by its colonial rulers – was the story that Dr Kalam hadscriptedinhismind.InPresidentLula,hesawtheheroofhisstoryintheflesh.IbrokethemagicalsilenceofthestillgardentopressDrKalamonhisthoughts:

Arun:Sir,whatdoyouseethatiscommonwithIndiaandBrazil?Kalam: First and foremost, both countries are peace-loving. ThoughBrazilhastenneighbouringcountries,ithasneverattackedanyone.Bothcountries suffered colonialism and both countries have beenpredominantlyagrarianeconomies.Ofcourse,Brazilbecamearepublicin1889,whichwasmuchearlierthanwemanaged.Duringthecoldwarbetween theUnitedStates and theSovietUnion,Brazilwas under theruleofmilitary leaders likemanyotherLatinAmerican countries.Buttoday,Brazil is a vibrant democracy. Brazil and India are in a similarstageofnewlyadvancedeconomicdevelopmentandaremembersoftheBRICsgroupofcountries,alongwithRussia,ChinaandSouthAfrica.Arun:WhatcanIndialearnfromBrazil?Kalam: India can learn a lot from Brazil in making developmentinclusive.TwosocialprogrammesofPresidentLulastandoutasworthyofreplication.IntheBolsaFamiliascheme,afamilyallowanceisgiventoverypoorpeopleandcashisprovidedtomeetcertaincontingencies.In the Fome Zero (zero hunger) scheme, access to basic food foreveryoneisensured.Ittakesanumberofforms,rangingfromfinancialaidtothepoorestfamiliestodiversestrategies,suchaswater,low-costrestaurants, free vitamins and iron supplements, family farming andmicrocredit. All this was accomplished not with aid or loans but bycreatingrealgrowthandabudgetsurplus.Arun:IsiteverpossibleinIndia?Kalam: I don’t know. The elections will now happen. The presentgovernmentistellingeveryonethatIndiaisshining;butIdonotseetheshinewhen I go to villages. The ongoing development in the country

lacksahumaneface.Arun:Sir,yousayIndiatodayisayouthfulcountry.Therearefifty-fourcroreyouthinourcountry.Kalam: That is my worry, buddy. The curse of unemployment is onegrave aspect of the problem. Today, more than eighteen crore youngpeopleareunemployed.Theyareata loss tounderstandhowtheycancontributetothenation’sregeneration.

I realized thatnight theprophet inDrKalam.Themost respected leaderofourtimeswashappytosay,‘Idon’tknow’.Ifaleaderhastheanswerstoallthequestions, that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is notspeakingthetruth.HeisusingthenameofGodforhimself.ThegreatleadersofthepeopleofGod–evenMoses–havealwaysleftroomfordoubt.WeneedtoleaveroomfortheLord,notforourcertainties;andwemustbehumble.

Around this time, Pramukh Swamiji invited Dr Kalam to the Suvarna BalMahotsavatAkshardham,Gandhinagar.Thecelebrationwasplannedasatributeto Yogiji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS Children’s Forum.When Dr KalamarrivedattheAkshardhamMandiron8February2004,orange,greenandwhiteballoons filled the sky, and children ecstatically cheered him. Spiritual vigourwasreflectedinthechildren’sfaces.Thepeacechantby20,000children,‘Om,dyoho shanti’, resonated in the air. Overwhelmed with joy, Dr Kalam toldPramukhSwamiji,‘Youknow,Swamiji,IhadagreatmeetingwithyouinDelhi,andthewordsofthatmeetingstillechoinmymind,andthereisalwaysdivineradiation,divinevibrationinme.Ifeelasifyouarealwaysnearme.’5

At this glorious function, President Kalam felicitated successfulentrepreneurs,socialworkers,policeofficers,pilots,soldiers,singers,sportsmenand scientistswho hadmade a difference as leaders at the international level.Each one of them had been inspired as a child attending BAPS children’sactivities.DrKalamreminiscedyearslater:‘Isawmydreamofignitingmindsmanifestingbeforeme.’6

AnotherfriendwaswaitingforhiminUttarPradesh.PresidentKalamvisitedSaifai on 16 February 2004, and paid tribute to the importance of villages inIndia:

TheheartofIndialiesinitsvillages,asthereare5,83,000villagesinourcountryandaround70per

centofourpopulation reside in thesevillages.Hence, thevillageshave tobecomeeconomicallydeveloped in the country. The next two decades or even less are very important for India fortransformingfroma‘developing’countrytoa‘developed’nation.Thedevelopmentofthevillagesisthefoundationforthenationalprogress.7

PresidentKalamlaidtheFoundationoftheEtawah–MainpuriraillineprojectinthepresenceofUnionMinisterNitishKumarinFebruary2004.OnceMainpuriis connected toEtawah, about 56 kmaway, a newworld of opportunities anddevelopmentwouldopenupforthepeoplelivinghere.8

He reminded the huge gathering of the intellectual leadership that UttarPradesh,thelargeststateofIndia,hadprovidedtothecountry:

UttarPradeshinspiredthecountrywithleadershipineducation.PanditMadanMohanMalaviya,SirSyed Ahmed Khan, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad were responsible for creating famouseducationalinstitutionsinthispartofthecountry.Theyinspiredmanysuchmovementselsewhereandprovidedknowledgeleadershipfor thenation.In theBhaktiMovement, luminaries likeTulsiDas,Vallabhacharya,Surdas,KabirDas,andRavidaswerebornhere;fromthemspiritualwisdomemanatedfortheentirecountry.9

Onourwayback toDelhi,wehadadiscussion thatwould laterappear inourbookSquaringtheCircle.10

I told Dr Kalam, ‘Youth are not interested in agriculture. The trend is tomigratetothecity.’ThefactthatagricultureisnotexpandingatthesamerateastherestoftheIndianeconomyistrulyworrisome.Itiswellacknowledgedthateveryrupeecontributedtothenation’sGDPfromfarmingistwiceaseffectiveasotherinterventionsinalleviatingruralpoverty.Agricultureisanindirectgrowthdriver,asagrowthrateof4percentinagriculturetranslatesintorobustdemandforothersectors.SamuelJohnsonwrote,‘Agriculturenotonlygivesrichestoanation,buttheonlyrichesshecancallherown.’

Dr Kalam said, ‘Building up the agricultural sector is central to the realgrowth of our economy. Almost half of India’s geographical area is used foragriculturalactivityandabout60percentofthecountry’sworkforcelaboursinfields,andyetagricultureandalliedsectorslikeforestryandfishingaccountfornot even one-fifth of the totalGDP.TheGDPwill rise beyond 8 per cent, itscurrentlevel,onlywhenagriculturalproductionrisestoabout25percentoftheGDP.’Healso identified lowyield rates in India as themain reason foryouth

shunning farming:‘Yields per hectare of foodgrains, fruits and vegetables inIndiaarefarbelowtheglobalaverage.Ourriceyieldisone-thirdofChina’s,andabouthalfofVietnam’sandIndonesia’s.EvenIndia’smostproductivestateslagbehindtheglobalaverage.Thenationneedsasecondagriculturalrevolution.’

P

4.6

NationBuilders

Wetalkfoolishlyagainstamaterialcivilization.Thegrapesaresour.Materialcivilization,nayevenluxury,isnecessarytocreateworkforthepoor.Bread!Bread!Idonotbelieveinagodwhocannotgivemebread.

–SwamiVivekananda

resident Kalam was invited to the seventy-fifth anniversary of harmonybetween the steel major and TataWorkers’ Union (TWU) at Jamshedpur,

Jharkhand.The storyofTataSteel is the storyof steel in India. Indiawas leftslightly dazzled and overwhelmed in thewake of the Industrial Revolution inEngland.Ourpeoplewereastoundedbythesuperiorityofthemachinesthatthecolonizersbroughthere. Indian intellectualsof thenineteenthcenturybelievedthat if India were to keep pace with the world it would have to master themodern scientific methods of theWest. Indians cannot be left looking at thegoodsofmoderncivilizationlikebeggarspeeringthroughtheglassatshopfrontwindowdisplays.

ItwasthisvisionofconstructivechangethatwouldleadJamsetjiNusserwanjiTatatoembarkonajourneyofgrowththatpavedthepathforindustrializationinIndia. Within his lifetime, Jamsetji was to witness the birth and rise of arevolutionaryIndiannationalism.ThiswouldonlyculminateintheemergenceofindependentIndia,though,morethanfourdecadesafterhisdeath.J.N.Tatawasspellboundanddrivenby threeguiding ambitions–building an iron and steelcompany,generatinghydroelectricpowerandcreatingan institution thatoffersthe finest education in science. Tatas issued shares in 1907, some three yearsafterJ.N.Tata’sdeath.Forthefirst timeinthefinancialhistoryofthecountry,theIndianpeople–themassesandtheaffluentalike–joinedhandstobackthis,the first truly Indianenterprise.TheTata familyheld11percentsharesof the

TataIronandSteelCompanyLimited.Thesteelcompanyobtaineditsfirstcollieryin1910,addingsixmoreinthe

courseof time.Severalmineswerespreadover thestatesofBihar,OrissaandKarnataka.TheTatasbecamethefirsttoownafullymechanizedironoremineinIndia.ThecoalbeneficiationplantatWestBokaroundertookbeneficiationoflow-gradecoal,thushelpingintheconservationofthefast-dwindlingreservesofhigh-quality coal. The collieries, the iron oremines and the quarries togetherfurnishedthebulkoftherawmaterialrequirementsoftheplant.

BytheSecondWorldWar,Tatas’productioncapacitieshadexpandedenoughtomaketheirpriceslowerthanthoseofsteelproducedinEngland,raisingthemtoacommandingpositioninthemarket.Post-Independence,theTatasdecidedtofocusontheHerculeantaskofnationbuilding.Themuch-requiredsteelforthenewly devised ‘Five-Year Plans’ came from the Tata factories. The companyundertook supplies of iron and steel to the Howrah Bridge in Calcutta, theBhakraNangalProjectandtheDamodarValleyCorporation,theportatKandla,thecityofChandigarhandmanyotherimportantprojects.

Speakingatafunction that tookplaceon13February2004,DrKalamsaidIndia is among the largest producers of iron ore in theworld.Asmuch as 30milliontonnesofironoreisexportedfromhereannually.Theneedofthehouristoproducemoresteel,becausesteelisthefoundationforthegrowthofanation.PresidentKalamsaidthatforIndia tobecomeadevelopednation, the industryhas to be cost-effective and quality-conscious, and must stick to just-in-timedelivery schedules. ‘Competitiveness is the final determinant between adeveloping nation and a developed one,’ he said, adding that the domesticindustry must be globally competitive to facilitate India’s transition from adevelopingcountrytoadevelopednationby2020.

PresidentKalam predicted that the basic fabric of Indian society, includingindustry,wouldundergoachangeinthenexttenyears.Managementwilldepend‘more on delegation rather than direction’. Workers’ skills will become ‘lessstructured and more flexible, more software-driven instead of just hardware-driven’.Theeconomywillbecomeknowledge-driveninsteadofindustrydriven,andsocietywillfocusonempowermentinsteadofmerelythefulfilmentofbasicneeds.

Describing seventy-five years of industrial harmony at Tata Steel as ‘an

importantmilestone’for theIndian industry,DrKalamsaid theachievement isthe result of a ‘combination of technology, leadership, knowledge and aninspired workforce’. He called upon the Tatas to create a cluster of ancillaryindustriesinandaroundJamshedpur,withaviewtogeneratingemploymentandsocialupliftmentofitsresidents.

ThegovernorofJharkhand,VedMarwah,thegovernorofWestBengal,VirenJ. Shah, the chiefminister of Jharkhand,MrArjunMunda, andDr J.J. Irani,director ofTataSons and a formermanagingdirector ofTataSteel,were alsopresent for the occasion. The event was called an ‘example before the entireworld’.

Upon our return to Delhi, I asked Dr Kalam whom he would pick as thegreatestnationbuilders.Thisledtoathree-hourdiscussionsittinginthebamboohutintheMughalGardens,theveryonegiftedbyTripuraChiefMinisterManikSarkarandnamed ‘SantKalamkiKutiya’ (StKalam’shut)byPrimeMinisterVajpayee.

DrKalamsaidofcourseGandhijiwasthefatherofIndiannationwhoignitedthe minds of Indians to achieve freedom. He picked from the spark alreadycreatedbySwamiVivekanandaandBalgangadharTilak.ManygreatleadersandhundredsofthousandsofpatriotsgavetheirlivestothecauseofIndianfreedom.Then our first primeminister built the foundation of India on humanism andscientific spirit. ‘Iwillput theTatas,particularly J.N.Tataand J.R.D.Tata, asnationbuildersofequalimportance,’DrKalamsaid.

Arun:Whydosomefamiliessucceed increating legacyandothersdonot?Kalam: It is all about transfer of personal excellence to the nextgenerationwithapurposeasafamilyvalue.JamsetjiTatawassuccessfulin enabling Dorabji Tata who in turn enabled J.R.D. Tata to createinstitutionsandnotmerelygeneratepersonalwealth.Arun:Sowheninstitutionbuildingbecomesthepurposeofabusiness,itmakesallthedifference.Kalam:Concernforsocietyisfundamentaltoagoodbusiness.WhiletheTatas were doing what they were doing they also made Asia’s firstcancer hospital, the Tata Memorial Centre for Cancer Research andTreatmentin1941;theTataInstituteofSocialSciences(TISS)in1936,

andtheTataInstituteofFundamentalResearch(TIFR)in1945.Arun:Whywedonotseemanymoresuchexamples?Kalam:Likestrength,respectstrength,goodnessattractsgoodness.TheexcellenceofTataMemorialCentreforCancerisrootedinthegeniusofDrErnestBorges.Iseeagapbetweengoodpeopleandwealthypeoplenow; it was not there earlier. Also, excellence has been sidelined forshort-termprofitability.Arun:Whatisresponsibleforthis?Kalam:Thecultureofgreed.Arun:Howdidithappen?ItwasnotoriginallyanIndiantrait.Kalam: Independent India had stumbled somewhere on itsdevelopmentalpath.Arun:Butyousaidgreed?Kalam: Greed is a very complex force. It does not confine to moneyalone.Itisaboutpowerandcontrol.Greedissodestructive.Itdestroyseverything.Arun:YoumeanthegreedforprofitandpowercameinthewayofnotmanyinstitutionslikeTataMemorialCentreforCancerbeingcreated?Kalam:Yes.WithIndia’shundredrichest,allbillionaires,withcombinedwealthof$346billion,whyaretherenotevenahundredinstitutionsliketheTataMemorialCentreforCancer?

DrKalamhadobviously takengreatpains to read India’shistory–alongwiththat of other countries – and he had learned its lessons well. He was alwayspassionate about bringing technology and progress to the people.And hewasmuchenamouredofmasseducation,whichiswhyhisresponsetoaninvitationfromafriendwassomethingofasurprise.Prof.N.Balakrishnan,aclosefriendof Dr Kalam’s, came to invite Dr Kalam to inaugurate the InternationalConferenceonDigitalLibraries (ICDL2004) inNewDelhi.DrKalambluntlyquestionedtherelevanceofadigitallibraryforthemillionsofpeoplewhohadyettobereachedbythe‘printedlibraryrevolution’initiatedbyGutenberg.

The response, at any rate, satisfied him of the merits of their project. DrKalamwasalwaysonetoseereason.HehappilyinauguratedICDL2004on24February 2004. Itwas the first such conference in India to be organized on a

truly international scale, and it attractedmore than 740 registered participantsfrom thirty-threecountries inAsia,Africa,Europe,AmericaandAustralia.Hegave a forty-minute well-informed discourse on the impact of digital librarydevelopments on the emerging Indian knowledge economy. President Kalamconvincinglyhighlightedtotheinternationaldelegatestheefforthiscountryofabillionpeoplewasputtingintotechnologicaldevelopment.

While interactingwithforeigndelegatesover tea,PresidentKalamcandidlytold them they needed to be patient regarding Internet connectivity. Internetconnectivity had been one of the subjects of discussion for several of thespeakers. Dr Kalam explained that there are things that most people in thedevelopedworldcouldtakeforgranted,likethewaterandelectricitysuppliestotheirhomes. India,he reminded them,stillhadmillionsofhouseholdswithoutthesefundamentals.Weareon the job though,heassured them.Hestated thatmajor telecommunicationsproblemsneededaddressingbefore truly egalitarianaccesstodigitallibraries,oranyotherapplicationsandservicesthatdependonareliable ICT (information and communication infrastructure), can be possible.Wecannowrecognizethatsomeoftheseissueshavebeendealtwith–atleasttosomeextent–intheinterveningyears.

Dr Kalam delivered an off-the-cuff dissertation on some of the interestingsocio-technicalprojectshehadbeen involvedwith, leaving thedelegatesmorethanalittleimpressedbyhisversatility.Theseincludedamobiledigitallibrarycompletewithsolarpower,asatellitedishInternetconnectionandasmall-scaleprinterandbookbinderthatcanbringachoiceofbooks-on-papertotheremotestvillage.Thesetechnologiescouldbringlearningtoasignificantproportionoftheworld’spopulationwhohaveyettomaketheirfirsttelephonecall.

On2April2004,PresidentKalambecamethefirst Indianpresident tovisittheSiachenGlacier,thehighestbattlefieldintheworld.TheSiachenGlacierislocatedintheeasternKarakoramRangeintheHimalayas,justwheretheLineofControlbetweenIndiaandPakistanends.At76km,it is thelongestglacier inthe Karakoram Range and the second longest in the world’s non-polar areas.BothIndiaandPakistancontinuetodeploythousandsoftroopsinthevicinityofSiachen,andattemptstodemilitarizetheregionhavebeenunsuccessful.

Thismaybe asmuchdue to the significance of the region for the nationalresources of both India and Pakistan, as to disputation about the international

border. The glacier’s meltwater is the main source of the River Nubra in theIndianregionofLadakh,whichdrainsintotheRiverShyok.TheShyokinturnjoins the 3,000-kilometre-long Indus that flows through Pakistan. Thus, theglacier isamajorsourceof theIndusandfeedsthelargest irrigationsystemintheworld.

Visiting the glacier is no small matter, least of all for aman in his senioryears.Perhapsasmuchas97percentofthearmy’scasualtiesatSiachenhavenot occurred due to fighting, but the region’s excessive altitude, inhospitableweather and challenging terrain. The altitude of around 6,000metres (20,000feet) ismore than enough to incapacitatemany.More than 2,000 people havediedontheworld’shighestbattleground.

ToreachtheIndianmilitarybaseatSiachen,PresidentKalamfirstflewtotheIndian Air Force’s Thoise airbase near the Siachen Brigade Headquarters inPartapur.ArmychiefGen.N.C.Vij,NorthernArmyCommanderLtGen.HariPrasad andCorpCommanderLtGen.ArvindSharmawere present to receivePresidentKalam, the supreme commander of the armed forces.The airbase islocatedinoneofthemostbeautifulareasonearth.Gloriousrangescarvedfromtheinhospitableearthreachintotheheavens,givingwayonlyfortheconfluenceoftheShyokandNubrariversthatflowthroughabroadvalleylyingnorthoftheKhardungla Pass. Thoise – an acronym for Transit Halt of Indian SoldiersEnroute(toSiachen)–liesonagrassyplaininthisvalley,wellnorthofthetownofLeh inLadakh. The hostility ofmuch of this region to human existence islegendary.TheShyokliterallymeans‘theriverofdeath’inYarkandiUyghur.

PresidentKalamwaswellversedinthetechnicalchallengesthattherarefiedatmosphere and harsh conditions at Siachen posed for aviation and militarymanoeuvres.He had, after all, pioneered,withGroupCaptainNarayanan, theRATO solution for turbojet aircraft to negotiate the short runways in theHimalayas,earlyinhiscareer.Hewaseminentlyandunusuallyqualifiedasheadof thearmed forces to take stockof themachinesand technologydeployed toassistsoldiershere.PresidentKalamsawnumerousareasforimprovement,andwasforthrightinexpressinghisexpertopinions.

Hesaidthatthehigh-altitudecapabilityoftheindigenous‘Dhruv’helicoptershouldbeimproved,sothattheIndianAirForcedoesnothavetohandleseveralvariants.Moreover,hestatedthathelicoptersandother typesofaircraftshould

befittedwithadvancedtechnologicalaids,suchasground-penetrationradarstomake patrolling safer for jawans. These devices could detect crevasses andtaking cloud-penetrating photographs. Additionally, he suggested that ahelicopterbeconvertedintoanambulance.

Strategically, President Kalam also saw a greater role for technology. Hemooted the deployment of high-altitude spy planes for reconnaissanceoperations. Since one of the most important aspects of mountain warfare istimely reconnaissance, the president wanted their vital intelligence tosupplementtheinputfromremote-sensingsatellites.

From Thoise, President Kalam flew into the Siachen base camp in ahelicopter, at a height of over 18,000 feet, where he mingled with the hardyjawans and officers alike. He spoke to them as if he were an ordinary man,lauding them for their commitment andendurance indefending the country insuchhostileconditions.ThetroopsandofficerswereamazedbyhispresenceatSiachen;nopresidenthadevercometotheglacier,andthattoo,inhisseventy-thirdyear.

Addressingthesoldiers,PresidentKalamsaidthetechnologicaltoolstoassistfootpatrollingintheextremelytreacherousterrainshouldbeimprovedandtheprocedureforairliftingvictimsofavalanches,frostbiteandenemyfiretonedup.Heassuredthemthatthenationrealizedthattheyencounterednotoneadversarybuttwo–oneacrosstheborderandtheother,inhospitablenature.Hestatedthatitwas thedutyof thenation toensure theirwelfareandhappiness.Further,hemade special mention that they were not only defending India’s territorialintegrity and water resources. They were also partnering in and fuelling theeconomicdevelopmentmissionofthenation.AshadbecomequiteregularwithPresidentKalam–andwasperhapstobeexpectedfromtheheadofstateofourmostreligiouscountry–hegaveoursoldiersspiritualfoodforthought:

Iwouldliketosharewithyouaphilosophicalthought,inthisdivineHimalayanambience.IbelieveGodcreateseverylivingbeingwithamissionandspecificpurpose.Youarefortunatetohavebeenblessedtobeinapositiontoperformanoblemissionofdefendingthenationassoldiers.WhenIseeyou,youalllookverysmart,youlookcombatreadyandthroughgracioussmilesonyourfacesIcanseethatyouarewinning.1

PresidentKalamwasnowanequalproponentofthespiritualandtechnological

aspects in Indian life, but his belief in indigenous military hardware neverwaned. The defence sector usually operates at levels of technologicalsophisticationhigherthanthoseavailableinthecivilsectorofanycountry.Since1992, Dr Kalam had been seen publicly as a crusader for indigenoustechnological development. At every forum, he argued for the creation ofindustrial capabilities in defence.DrKalam enjoyed the historic distinction ofhaving promoted India’s quest for self-reliance. And this was not merely indefence:theventureshepromotedinmilitaryhardwareimmeasurablyadvancedthescienceandtechnologybaseandindustrialcapabilityofthecountry.

Indiahadbeenkeptde-industrializedforover200yearsbytheBritish.Whenthe Industrial Revolution was taking root the world over and resulting intremendousgrowthintechnologyandindustrialcapability,Indianindustrywassystematicallyhobbledbythecolonialrulers.Therecouldbenoothermotiveforthis than to guarantee the products manufactured in Great Britain a captivemarket in India. Furthermore, the British Raj rigorously followed a policy ofretainingstrategiccapabilitieswhileonlyallowingnativeIndians toparticipatein the practical dimension of most endeavours. Even as the need to transferindustryincreasedduetorisingcostsoflabourintheBritishhomeland,strategicindustriesandfacilitieswerenotestablished.Atleast,thecolonialrulersofIndiawouldnotlookbeyondbasicinfrastructuresuchastherailwaysandportsneededtorulethecountry.

AtIndependence,Indiafacedtheunenviablesituationofneedingtoachieveself-reliance from an economy that was, for the most part, lagging at least acenturybehinditsWesterncounterparts.Indianleaderswerepragmaticinoptingfor an incremental path for its vital needs in defence. For self-reliance to beachieved, it was deemed necessary to continue meeting urgent requirementsthroughimportswhilepursuingindigenouscapabilities.IttookadecadeforIITstobeinplaceandanotherdecadefortheestablishmentofindustrialcomplexeswiththecapabilitytoproducemodernarmaments.

Bharat Electronics Limited was envisaged as part of the strategy forincrementalself-relianceindefencehardware.Itwassetupin1954specificallytomanufacture electronic products for the Indian armed forces. Likewise, theElectronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) was set up in 1967 by theDepartmentofAtomicEnergy.Itsmissionwastogenerateastrongindigenous

capability in the field of professional-grade electronics used in the nuclearenergysector.

On21April2004,PresidentKalamhadathirty-minutevideointeractionwiththe BEL community on the occasion of its golden jubilee celebrations. TheproductsofBELarediverse,spanningfromcommunicationsystemstocomplexradars and sonars from modularized common communication systems toelectronic warfare systems for the three services. Additionally, BEL alsomanufactures microwave components, application-specific integrated circuits(ASICs)andvery-large-scale-integration (VLSI) semiconductordevices.Whileaddressingthehigh-techneedsofthedefencesector,BELhasalsokeptinminditscommitmenttosociety.DrKalamsaidthathewashappytoseethatseveralbroadcastandtelecommunicationdevices,electronicvotingmachinesandsolarproducts for civil applicationswere inBEL’s catalogue. ForDrKalam, itwaseitheronward,upwardorforward:

Whenyouarecelebratingthisgoldenjubilee,youmusthaveavisionforthenexttwentyyearsandbeyond.Mydreamisthatyoushouldbecomeamulti-billiondollarcompany:anIndianelectronicsmultinational corporation catering to the defence needs of our country and competing in othermarkets.Also,BELshouldbecomeahouseholdname inconsumerelectronicproductsofcertaintypes.2

On25April2004,thenavy’ssailship,INSTarangini,returnedtoitsbaseattheSouthern Naval Command after a historic voyage around the world. Thepresident and supreme commander of the armed forces,DrKalam,welcomedtheshipand itscrewatan impressiveceremonyat thesouth jettyat thenavalbaseatKochi.

Duringitsfifteen-monthvoyage,theshiphadcovered33,000nauticalmiles,or 61,000 kilometres, and visited thirty-six ports in eighteen countries. TheIndian Navy believes that training onboard these ships is the best method ofinstilling among its sailors an indefinable ‘sea-sense’ and respect for theelementsofnature.Theseattributes,thenavycommandbelieves,areinseparablefromsafeandsuccessfulseafaring. INSTaranginiwasconstructed inGoaandlaunchedinDecember1995.

Addressing a gathering of naval personnel, their families and otherdignitaries, President Kalam said that INS Tarangini’s 458 days of voyaging

around the globe would ensure that there was never again a subjugation ofIndian territoryordanger to its seaborneeconomicactivity.For the studentofhistorythatwasDrKalam,thepastwasasrelevanttothefutureasthepresent;itcouldhelptopredictfuturetrendsanddangers:

Historically, ifyou lookatourcountry, therehavebeenmany land-based invasions fromCentralAsia in the northern parts of India from numerous kings andwarriors. These invasions led to aseriesofproblemsandpainforourpeople.Butsurprisingly,subsequentinvasionswhichtookplacethroughsearoutes in thenameof tradeengulfed thenation likewildfire.ThePortugueseenteredIndiain1498fromthewestcoast.Laterduringthesixteenthcentury,bothDanishandFrenchcametoIndiaatTharangambadiandPondicherryrespectivelybysea.Duringtheseventeenthcentury,theBritish came to India and formed a trading company again via the sea. They overpowered thePortuguese,FrenchandDanish,andruledIndiaforover250years.Also,thereweresomeisolatedcoloniesoftheotherthreeEuropeannations.Thisreallyrevealsthateconomicwarwaswagedfromtheseas,andalsothewarforrulingIndiawascarriedoutthroughsearoutesandseajourneys.3

DrKalam praised the officers, cadets and sailors of INSTarangini for re-establishing the traditionofepicsailingvoyages,andcomparedtheirefforts tothose of Columbus. Columbus had taken about eight months to travel 3,000nautical miles, in a bid to discover India. INS Tarangini covered more than35,000 nautical miles in fifteen months. Dr Kalam told them, ‘Columbusdiscovered a new continent through his mission, whereas you have travelledthroughallthecontinentsandwontheheartsofthepeopleeverywhere..Theseawasyourclassroomandelementsofnatureyourteachers.’

TheseahadcastitsspellonDrKalamveryearlyinhislife,anditneverlostitsfascinationforhim.WearingthecapofINSTarangini,hebeamedwithpride.

B

4.7

WethePeople

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. Theultimate rulers of our democracy are not a president and senators and congressmen andgovernmentofficials,butthevotersofthiscountry.

–FranklinD.RooseveltThethirty-secondpresidentoftheUnitedStates

efore thearrivalof theBritish, Indiawas thepre-eminentworldeconomicpower.Indiancommerceaccountedformorethan40percentoftheglobal

economy,anditsroadsandtradenetworkweretheenvyofthecivilizedworld.Towit:TheMauryanEmpireconnectedTaxilaandPatna,adistanceintheorderof2,000kilometres,300yearsbeforetheCommonEra.Bythesixteenthcentury,SherShahSurihadextendedtheroadalongtheGangeticPlaintoKabulinthewestandChittagongintheeast.ThisroadwasfurtherimprovedbytheBritishandnamedtheGrandTrunkRoad.

During British rule, India witnessed a massive expansion of transportinfrastructure.By1920,India’srailnetworkwasthefourthlargestintheworld,and macadamized roads penetrated to the village level. The motives for thisBritish push formodern trade infrastructurewere unquestionably in favour oftheirlucrativetrade,andtheexpensewasunfairlybornebytheIndiantaxpayer.Butitcannotbedeniedthattherailnetworkandroadsactuallyhelpedinshapingmodern India. After Independence from British rule, India embarked onsocialistic policies that gave priority to Central planning and state-ownedenterprises,duetowhichtradeandroadnetworksweresidelined.Infact,forthefirst fifty years after Independence, less than 500 kilometres of four-lanehighwayswerebuilt.

PrimeMinisterVajpayeewas tochange thissituationdrastically.Oneofhis

firstmajor announcements as primeminister in 1998was the 6,000-kilometrehighwayprojectcalledthe‘GoldenQuadrilateral’.Thisnetworkofroadswouldconnectmostof themajor industrial, agriculturalandculturalcentresof India,includingthefourmetrocities–Mumbai,Delhi,CalcuttaandChennai.Overthefollowingfiveyears,almost25,000kilometresofnationalhighwayswerebuilt,helpingtofuelaperiodofeconomicprosperityunprecedentedinmodernIndia.

Owinginnosmallmeasuretothepublicapprovalofthisvastinfrastructureproject,theBJPscoredcomfortableelectoralvictoriesinthe2003stateassemblyelections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Prime MinisterVajpayee thought he could capitalize on the public mood which appeared tofavourhisparty.HedecidedtoprematurelydissolvetheLokSabhainearly2004toholdnational electionsoverApril andMayof thatyear.SeniorBJP leadersfelt confident they could secure a further term of office, and the partyoptimisticallylaunchedan‘IndiaShining’campaign.

On 18April 2004, PresidentKalam addressed the nation on the eve of theopeningphaseof theLokSabhapolls.He appealed tovoters to exercise theirfranchise ‘positively’, to elect members who would guide the destiny of thenation for the following five years. President Kalam said in his speech overDoordarshanandAllIndiaRadiothat‘BycastingyourvoteforacandidatewhoinyouropinioncanrepresentyouintheLokSabha,youaresowingtheseedsforthecreationofaprosperousIndia,ahappyIndia,asafeIndia,asecureIndia,andaboveall,anIndiawithnobility’.ThiswasthefirsttimeinthehistoryofIndia’sdemocracy that a president had chosen to issue such an appeal ahead ofparliamentary elections. President Kalam further exhorted his compatriots tobecomeinvolvedinthedemocraticprocess:

Dearvoters,dawnofbeautifulIndiaisinyourmindandtheninyourdeeds.Thedeedforthedayoftheelectionforyou is tocastyourvoteandbeaproudcontributor to thesuccessof thespiritofdemocracyofthelargestandmostdynamicdemocracyofalldemocracies.1

General elections were held in various phases between 20 April and 10May2004. President Kalam cast his vote at the Government Co-education SeniorSecondarySchoolpollingbooth,minutesafterthevotingbeganat7.00a.m.inthe New Delhi constituency. ‘I feel beautiful to exercise my right to vote,’PresidentKalamsaidaftercastinghisvote.Askedabouttheexperienceofusing

theelectronicvotingmachine,thepresidentsaid:‘Fantastic.’2

Alwaysacarefulplanner,PresidentKalamhadconsultedconstitutionalandlegalexpertsonthecourseofactiontobepursuedintheeventthatnopartyorpre-poll alliance won a majority in parliament. He had meetings with formerAttorneyGeneralK.ParasaranandformerChiefJusticeofIndiaJ.S.Verma.3

The election results declaredon13May2004 came as a rude shock to therulingNDAalliance.ThenumberofpeoplewhohadvotedforCongressandtheBJPhadremainedalmostthesameasin1999.Approximately10.3crorepeoplehadvotedforCongressin1999.In2004,around10.3crorepeoplehadvotedforCongress again. In1999,8.6 crorepeoplehadvoted for theBJPand in2004,again around8.6 crore people hadvoted for theBJP.But thenumberof seatswonhaddrasticallychanged.In1999,Congresshadwon114seatsbutin2004,withalmostthesamenumberofvoters,itwon145seats.InthecaseoftheBJP,in1999,ithadwon182seatsbutin2004,inspiteofhavingthesamenumberofvotes,itmanagedtosecureonly138seats.Withapproximatelythesamesizesoftheirrespectivevoterbase,Congressmanagedtoincreaseitsseatsbythirty-one,whiletheBJP’sseatsdecreasedbyforty-four,ultimatelyleadingtoitsdefeat.4

PresidentKalamhosted a farewell function for theoutgoingprimeministerVajpayeeandhiscabinetcolleagueson15May2004.DrKalamhadenjoyedarelationshipwithVajpayeethatextendedfarbeyondtherealmofpolitics:

ThecommonthingbetweenVajpayeejiandmeispoetry.Ialwayscherishhispoems.Iwouldliketorecall one of the poems ‘Oonchai’ which touchedmy heart. He says in the poem that the manachievesandachieves.Theachievementtakeshimtoheights…itfinallytakeshimtoloneliness.Islonelinessasmuchablessingasacurse?Heconcludesinhispoem:‘MyLord,NeverletmeclimbsohighthatIcan’tbenddowntoembraceanotherhuman.Delivermeeverfromsucharrogance.’5

In return,PrimeMinisterVajpayeewasallpraise forPresidentKalam, saying,‘JabjabmainKalamsahabsemiltatha,manaanandithojatatha(itwasalwaysa delight tomeet Kalam).’The primeminister said he and his colleagues hadlearnedalotfromthesimplicityofthepresident.

On 15May 2004, the Congress elected Smt. Sonia Gandhi its leader at ameeting in theCentralHall of parliament. The ElectionCommission of Indiaconstituted the fourteenth Lok Sabha on 17 May 2004, and submitted therequisitenotificationtoPresidentKalam.On18May2004,Smt.SoniaGandhi,

alongwithDrManmohanSingh,metwithPresidentKalam.They brought nolettersofsupportofotherpartiesthatwouldshowtheyhadsecuredamajorityintheLokSabha.Rather,PresidentKalaminformedthemhehadalreadyreceivedlettersofsupportfromtheSamajwadiParty(SP)ofMulayamSinghYadavandRashtriyaLokDal (RLD) ofAjit Singh. Itwas decided that theywouldmeetagainonthefollowingday.TheirnextmeetingwouldholdquiteasurpriseforDrKalam,ashewouldlaterrecall:

Attheallottedtime,8.15p.m.,MrsGandhicametoRashtrapatiBhavanalongwithDrManmohanSingh. In thismeeting, after exchangingpleasantries, she showedme the letters of support fromvarious parties. Thereupon, I said that is welcome. The Rashtrapati Bhavan is ready for theswearing-inceremonyatthetimeofyourchoice.ThatiswhenshetoldmethatshewouldliketonominateDrManmohanSingh,whowasthearchitectofeconomicreformsin1991andatrustedlieutenantoftheCongresswithanunimpeachableimage.Thiswasdefinitelyasurprisetome,andtheRashtrapatiBhavanSecretariathadtorewordtheletterappointingDrManmohanSinghastheprimeministerandinvitinghimtoformthegovernmentattheearliest.6

On22May2004,PresidentKalamadministeredtheoathofofficeandsecrecytoDr Manmohan Singh as the prime minister of India in the Ashok Hall ofRashtrapatiBhavan.Theswearing-inceremonywasattendedbyoutgoingprimeminister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former president K.R. Narayanan and formerprimeministersP.V.NarasimhaRao,I.K.Gujral,H.D.DeveGowda,VishwanathPratapSinghandChandraShekhar.

Noprimeminister in thehistoryofmodern Indiahad the credentials ofDrManmohanSingh.Asapolitician,hehadbeenseasonedbyanextendedstintasleaderof theoppositionintheRajyaSabhabetween1998and2004andinthe1990s,asfinanceminister.Asatechnocrat,therewasbarelyanimportantpostingovernment that Singh had not held.He had been chairman of theUniversityGrantsCommission,advisertotheprimeminister,governoroftheReserveBankof India, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission and chief economicadviser. President Kalam and Prime Minister Singh developed a harmoniousrelationshipinthebesttraditionoftherobustIndiansystemofgovernment.

Two significant events took place inBangalore on 23 July 2004. PresidentKalam inaugurated two conferences: the National Conference on EnhancingLearninginElementarySchools,organizedbytheAzimPremjiFoundation,andEDUSAT, the Indian Satellite in Education, organized by the Indian Space

Research Organization and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). TheIndiannationwasundergoingastronganddefinitivetransformation.DrKalam’scall for making India a developed country by 2020 and his emphasis ontransforming India into a knowledge nation had gained spontaneous supportfromgovernmentalorganizationsaswellasprivateestablishments.

DrKalamhadbuiltasolidfriendshipwithAzimPremjisincehefirstmethiminBangaloreinOctober2000.PremjiwastherichestIndianatthattime,withapersonalnetworthinexcessofUSD18billion.PremjisharedwithDrKalamhisdesire to work towards improving the quality of education in the country. DrKalamgavehimtwosuggestions: tofocusonelementaryeducation(ClassI toVIII)andcreateafeasiblemodeltoelevatethequalityofeducation,andtoworkwiththegovernmentschoolsystem.

Soon after this meeting, Premji founded Azim Premji Foundation, a non-profit organization. The foundation’s vision was to significantly contribute toachievingqualityuniversaleducation;educationthatfacilitatesajust,equitable,humaneandsustainablesociety.Thefoundationhadsinceworkedintheareaofelementary education to pilot and develop ‘proofs of concept’ for effectingsystemic change in India’s 1.3 million government-run schools. Rural areas,wherethemajorityoftheseschoolswereestablished,wereaparticularfocusofthefoundation.

Starting with Karnataka, the Azim Premji Foundation reached out toUttarakhand, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Pondicherry (now Puducherry), AndhraPradesh, Bihar andMadhya Pradesh, in close partnership with the respectivestategovernments.Thefoundationhadworkedlargelyinruralareas,helpingtocontributetotheimprovementofqualityandequityofschooleducation.

Upon his arrival at Wipro, Azim Premji – flanked by the governor ofKarnataka, T.N. Chaturvedi, and Chief Minister Dharam Singh – warmlyreceived President Kalam. Premji did not shy away from raising someuncomfortableissuesaffectingthecountryinhissubsequentspeech:

Whydowerank127among175countriesontheHumanDevelopmentIndex?…Whydowelackasenseofdisciplinewhilestandinginaqueue,throwinggarbageorwaitingatasignal?…Whyareweobliged to tolerate corruptiononadailybasis?…Whyhavewenot achievedamodicumofsocial justice and equitability – equal opportunity for both the sexes, for rural and urban, for allcitizensirrespectiveofcasteandcreed?Itisimperativethatourschoolsandeducationalinstitutes

create an environment in which the intellectual, physical, social and moral attributes can bedeveloped, cherished and nurtured in away that our children can leverage their full potential tobecomebright,thinking,innovative,freeandfearlesscitizens.7

DrKalamrecognizedthevalueoftheworkofAzimPremjiandhisfoundationinfurtheringchildren’seducation.Hespokeofhisviewthatearlyeducation isthemostpowerfulagentformouldingahumanbeing:

Theprimelearningperiodisbetweentheageofsixandseventeenyears.Hence,theschoolhoursfor children are the best time for learning, and need the best environment andmission orientedlearningwithvaluebasededucationalsystems.ThisremindsmeoftheechofromPestalozzi,agreatteacher, saying, ‘Givemeachild for sevenyears,afterwards, let theGodordevil take thechild,theycannotchangethechild.’Thatisindeedthepoweroftheteacher.8

On 23 July 2004 the Indian Space Research Organization organized aConferenceon ‘EDUSAT– the IndianSatellite inEducation’, jointlywith theAssociation of Indian Universities and invited the president along with about250vicechancellorsinthecountry,directorsofIndianInstitutesofTechnology,headsof agriculturaluniversities andmedicaluniversities, andother importanteducationists and administrators. Themain objective of the conferencewas toappraise the educationists on the capabilities of EDUSAT – which was to belaunched by ISRO in September 2004 – and how the various educationalagenciescouldutilizeit.WiththesuccessoftheearlierINSAT-basededucationalproject,aneedwasperceivedforadedicatedsatelliteforeducationalpurposesandtheEDUSATprojectwasconceivedbytheISROinOctober2002.PresidentKalam interacted via INSATwith students atNashik,Ahmedabad,Bangalore,BelgaumandMangalore,andsharedhisowninitiatives:

Iwouldliketonarrateourexperienceintele-educationpilotedatRashtrapatiBhavanforprovidingsatelliteconnectivityfor thePREVIK(President’sVirtualInstituteforKnowledge)members.TheconnectivityisthroughV-SATsprovidedbyISRO,VoiceOver-IPandInternet.Inthisplatform,thelive virtual studio environment is created and it will connect a number of remote locations andprovide seamless, one to many connectivity, through multicasting modes in a collaborativeenvironment.Thisalsoprovidestwo-wayconnectivity.9

TheEDUSATsatellitewasbuiltexclusivelytoservetheeducationalsector.Itwas mainly intended to meet the demand for an interactive satellite-based

distance education system for the country. EDUSAT carries five Ku-bandtransponders providing spot beams, one Ku-band transponder providing anational beam and six extended C-band transponders providing nationalcoveragebeams.EDUSATwaslaterlaunchedon20September2004bythefirstoperational launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)from SHAR, now named Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Thesatellitewasplacedina36,000-km-highgeostationaryorbit.

In the samemonth, President Kalamwas invited to interact with heads ofstate of fifty-three African nations forming the Pan-African Parliament. Hewould be the only non-African leader to attend. Acutely aware of theconservation issues of Africa’s game animals, President Kalam expressed hisrobust opposition to safaris in the savannah plains of Africa’s well-knownnational parks. He viewed these as an anachronistic and cruel throwback tocolonialtimesthatcouldonlyservetodecimateAfrica’sremainingwildlife.Hesethimselfacharacteristically frenetic schedule inSouthAfrica,TanzaniaandZanzibar.Hisgoal,asever,wastovisituniversitiesinthesenationsandinteractwiththeiryouth.Hewasfirmlyconvincedthatinengagingandinspiringyoungminds,hecouldliberatesomeoftheirpotential.Afterall,hewouldoftentellme,childrenarethebuildingblocksofprogressinanycountry.Onamorepersonalnote, Dr Kalam was excited that he would be meeting Nelson Mandela, theliberatorofSouthAfrica.

PresidentKalamarrivedinDaresSalaamon11September2004atthestartof his four-day state visit to Tanzania, where he was received by PresidentBenjamin Mkapa. The name ‘Tanzania’ was created as a portmanteau of thenames of the two states that unified to create the country – Tanganyika andZanzibar–aftertheendofBritishcolonialrulein1964.

Indianshavea longhistoryinTanzania,startingwith thearrivalofGujaratitraders in the nineteenth century. The leadership of Julius Nyerere ensured apeacefultransitionofpowerpost-independence,andequalrepresentationforallTanzanianpeople.ThecountrythusescapedtheconflictedpathtakenbyKenyaandUganda.

During the dinner hosted by President BenjaminMkapa, Dr Kalam spokewithDrRajniKanabar,whohadworkedwithTanzania’sMinistryofHealthforthe welfare of the country’s young heart patients. In 1979, Dr Rajni Kanabar

pioneered a programme for helping underprivileged children with operablecongenital heart defects travel overseas to receive treatment. Dr Kalam wasdeeplyaffectedby theplightof thesepoorchildren,whowould inevitablydiewithoutsurgery.DrKalamfeltmovedbythisnon-residentIndian’sloveforhisfellowcitizens,andpledgedtokeepcontactwithDrKanabar.

PresidentKalamvisited thearchipelagoofZanzibaron12September2004.Inapleasant surprise– further to thecustomary twenty-one-gunsaluteandaninspectionoftheguard–therewereculturaltroupesattheairportdancingtotherhythmic beat of their traditional musical instruments. The president wasescortedbyZanzibarpresidentAmaniAbeidKarume,astheywendedtheirwaythroughthefolkdancersandtheirlivelyaccompaniment.

DuringtheinauguralsessionofthePan-AfricanParliamenton16September2004, President Kalam declared India’s support to connect all the fifty-threenationsoftheAfricanUnionbyasatelliteandfibre-opticnetwork.Hestatedthatthiswouldprovideeffectivecommunicationfortele-education,telemedicine,theInternet, videoconferencing (notably diplomatic communications and VOIP –voice over Internet Protocol – services) and also support e-governance, e-commerce,infotainment,resourcemappingandmeteorologicalservices.

AttheleveloftheAfricancontinent,thenetworkwouldbemadeupofahubearth station based inDakar, Senegal. Thiswould be linked via satellite withfifty-three VSAT stations installed in fifty-three national hospitals and VSATstationslikewiseinstalledinfifty-threeuniversities,facilitatingtelemedicineandtele-education services respectively. In India, the network would include onedatacentreinDelhiwhichwouldbelinkedtosixIndianhospitalsandsixIndianuniversities toprovide thenetwork’sservices. Indiaoffered to fund theprojectwith an estimated budget of USD 150 million and took up responsibility forcapacitybuildingthroughtheeducationofdoctorsandnurses.

Then came Dr Kalam’s cherished meeting with Nelson Mandela, whosepeacefulliberationofhiscountryhadlongbeenaninspirationtoDrKalam.DrKalamwouldlaterrecalltheirinteraction:

WhenIenteredNelsonMandela’shouse,Ifoundhimabundleofcheerfulness.Iwasawedbythefrailbut toweringstatureof themanwhohadwonfreedomforSouthAfricafromthe tyrannyofapartheid.When I was leaving his house he came to the portico to give me a send-off. Whilewalking,hediscardedhiswalkingstickandIbecamehissupport.

I asked him, ‘Dr Mandela can you please tell me about the pioneers of the anti-apartheidmovementinSouthAfrica?’Herespondedspontaneously,‘Ofcourse.OneofthegreatpioneersofSouth Africa’s freedom movement was M.K. Gandhi. India sent us a righteous barrister, M.K.Gandhi.WereturnedhimtoyouasMahatmaGandhi.’10

ThisvisitprovidedanswerstomanyspiritualquestionsthatwereconcerningDrKalamparticularlyabout theissueof landownershipandthewayitswayedthepsycheof people across generations.DrKalamwas intriguedby thegreatvariationsinthelandscapeandthedifferingcontextsandconditionsunderwhichruralpeople live.Duringhisvisit toAfricahe realized that Indians andSouthAfricansshareacommonhistoryoflanddispossessionandthemannerinwhichEuropean settlers accumulated capital and laid the foundations for their ownwell-beingattheexpenseoftheindigenouspeople.

Dr Kalam learned during this visit that the struggle to resist landdispossession and the systematic subjugation of indigenous people had been alongandbitterone.Africansfoughtfiercelytoprotecttheirlandanddefendtheirlivelihoodsandtheirwayoflife.Resistancetookmanyforms,fromoutrightwartoeventssuchaskillingofcattle.Storiesof theheroicstrugglesof indigenouspeople against colonial masters had been handed down from generation togeneration.

DrKalamwasmore convinced than ever that land reformsmust precede ameaningful development. After centuries of enforced cultivation throughtenancy,thenewlyacquiredabilitytoownlandbyasmallholderfarmerbecomesanexistentialissue.Indianfarmersclingtotheirprivateownershipandbristleatallsuggestionsoflandpoolingorgivingitawayfordevelopmentforanypricewhatsoever.

I

4.8

CreativeLeaders

The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it’s to create a culture whereeveryonecanhaveideasandfeelthatthey’revalued.

–KenRobinsonAuthorandeducationist

n October 2004, as President Kalam’s seventy-third birthday approached,another spiritual event was awaiting him. He received an invitation from

Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswamiji, the twenty-fourthPeethadheeshwara(pontiff)ofSriSutturMath,inMysoredistrict,Karnataka.Hewas asked to attend the inauguration of aNationalYouthConference, and hegladlyaccepted.TheSutturMathcouldbebestdescribedasanactiveongoingmovementtoupholdthecauseofsocialandeconomicjustice,basedonspiritualvaluesandideals.

Community life in India has always been closely linkedwith spiritual andreligious institutions. Seers have been the beacon and guiding force forupholding moral values and for the progression of society as a whole. AdiJagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Shivayogi Mahaswamiji established theSuttur Veerasimhasana Math during the reign of the Chola dynasty in theeleventh century. When the twenty-third Peethadheeshwara Jagadguru SriShivaratri Rajendra Mahaswamiji came to Mysore in 1926 to pursue highereducation,heobservedthatmanyruralstudentswereinneedoffoodandshelter.He gave them shelter at his own place, and thismarked the beginning of hisofferingeducationtopoorstudents.

Later, Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Swamiji realized that instead ofmakingstudentscometocitiesseekingeducation,itwouldbebettertoestablisheducationalinstitutionsinruralareas.Tofacilitatethis,hestartedtheJagadguru

SriShivarathreeshwara(JSS)Mahavidyapeethain1954.PresidentKalamlaudedtheJSSMahavidyapeetha’scomprehensivefreeeducationalprogramme:

IfindthattheuniquefeatureofJSSMahavidyapeethaisthatitcaterstotheeducationalneedsofthepeoplerightfromprimary,secondary,graduateandpostgraduatelevelincludingcomputerscience,engineering and management. Also, a number of institutions have been created for providingvocationaltrainingtotheneedystudents.Veryfewinstitutionsinthecountryprovidefreeeducationfromclassonetotwelve,includingboardingandlodgingforlargenumberofstudents.Thisisanimportantsocietalmission.1

On 18 November 2004, President Kalam inaugurated Nicholas Piramal’sresearchanddevelopmentcentreinMumbai.ThisventurecameatatimewhenIndian pharmaceutical companies were increasingly looking to license theirmolecules toglobaldrugcompanies.Theywere seeking toavoid thedauntingexpense of taking a drug through the process of testing and approval for themarket.ChiefScientificOfficerDrSwatiA.PiramalinformedDrKalamthatittakesaboutUSD1.7billiontodevelopadrug.

PresidentKalamcongratulatedDrSwatiandherhusbandAjayPiramal, thechairman of Nicholas Piramal India Ltd, for setting up the centre. Theirundertakingwouldmakeitpossibletolocallypursuetheresearchonamoleculeand produce a viable drug for the Indian market, the prohibitive cost ofdevelopinganewdrugnotwithstanding.Thebenefitofvalueadditionmustnot,Dr Kalam stressed, go to companies abroad. ‘Molecule to drug is indeed thebusinessof strongmindswith the capacity to takecalculated risks,’DrKalamtoldthemandexpressedhisadmirationfortheirboldstepforward:

On1January2005,about forty-fivedaysfromnow, theIndianpharmaceutical industrywill facethe challenge of demanding indigenous designs of drugs,whichwill have a profound impact onglobal competitiveness and business viability. As India comes into compliance with the TRIPSprotocol mandated by the WTO, a new IPR regime will be enacted that will extend patentprotectiontonewproductinventions.ThenewproductpatentregimewillaffectaseachangeinthewayIndianpharmaceuticalcompaniesthinkanddobusiness.Iamhappytoknowthatthiscentreisworking on the concept of ‘molecule to drug’ as itsmission, instead of selling themolecules tocompaniesabroad.2

On 14 December 2004, President Kalam visited the Institute of RuralManagement,Anand(IRMA)inGujarat.Thepresidentcitedtheexampleofthe

AnandMilkFederationUnionLimited(Amul)milkcooperativemovementandthehistoricalroleplayedbytheNationalDairyDevelopmentBoard(NDDB)intransforming the lives of villagers living in this region.TheAmul programmehadsubstantiallybenefittedinexcessofonecrorefarmermembersandresultedinself-sufficiencyofmilkandmilkproductsinthecountry.DrKalamsawtheAmul indigenousmodel for self-empowermentof farmers aspartof abroaderagendaforovercomingpovertyandfosteringdevelopment:

The injustice that we have to fight today according to me is the societal and economicimpoverishment and inequality in various aspects of life for a large number of people. India’smovementinremovingthisimpoverishedstatewillbecomeatrendsetterforthewholeplanetasinthepast.WhenIndiagotitsfreedomin1947,manynationsinAsiaandAfricawereinspiredtofightforfreedomandrealizefreedomfortheirnations.HencetheoverwhelmingquestionwhichIwouldliketoreflecttodayisthat–whenwillIndiabecomeadevelopednation?Andshowthewaytotheotherdevelopingnations.Willhistoryrepeatitself?3

DrKalamsharedadeepbondwithDrVergheseKurien,thefoundingchairmanof the Gujarat CooperativeMilkMarketing Federation (GCMMF). Dr Kurientransformed India from a milk-deficient nation to the world’s largest milkproducer, surpassing the United States of America in 1998. Dr Kuriendemonstratedthatthegenerationofruralnon-farmopportunities,alongwiththeapplicationof technology, can alone solve theproblemsofunemployment andinequality in India. Amul has grown into a 2.5-billion-dollar cooperative andAsia’stopmilk-producingbrand.Itiscountedamongtheworld’sleadingbrandsin any sector with one of the best recall values. Dr Kalam later likened hisbrilliance in using his expertise for the upliftment of the rural poor to thevisionaryinfluenceofGandhi:

Kurienwastenyearsolderthanme.BorninKozhikode,Kerala,hewasamechanicalengineerwithspecialization in dairy engineering. He came to Anand in 1949 at the behest of the thenUnionHomeMinister,SardarVallabhbhaiPatel(1875–1950),tosolvesomeproblemsoflocalfarmers.Heresolved theproblemsquicklyandefficientlybutnever leftAnand thereafterand liveda full lifethere.

ThestoryofVergheseKurienhasacommonthemewithMahatmaGandhi,ofusingtheeducatedmind and exposure to modern methods for the empowerment and sustenance of village people.MahatmaGandhi – usinghis experience in lawand familiaritywith thewaysof urbanpeople –ignited the minds of Indian peasants and ordinary people with the aspiration to live in an

independent country. Verghese Kurien developed a model of business where villagers were theproducers;andtheirproducts,whichtheyowned,weresoldtourbandwellers,usingthetoolsofatypically urban-centric business.He gavemilk producers the control of procurement, processingandmarketingandhiredprofessionalmanagers todo thebusinesswork.He turned the tablesonmultinationaldairycompaniesandmadeeconomiesofscaleworkforpoormilkproducers.4

TheNationalInstituteofOccupationalHealth(NIOH)oftheIndianCouncilofMedicalResearch(ICMR)andtheNirmaUniversityofScienceandTechnologyjointly hosted the ninety-second sessionof the IndianScienceCongress at thepicturesque campus of theNirmaUniversity,Ahmedabad. The focal theme of2005was‘HealthTechnologyasaFulcrumofDevelopmentfortheNation’.

PresidentKalamaddressedtheScienceCongresson5January2005,andusedtheforumtohighlighttheroleofpoliticalleadershipinensuringthatthebenefitof technology reaches the poor people.He firmly stated thatwe need sciencewithahumanface.Thereareabout5.8lakhvillagesinthecountry,andmostofthem lackbasic facilities.Thereforeweneed technologies,whicharenotonlyuseful but are also affordable, so that a large number of people can benefit.Politicalwillisnecessarytocreateecosystemsconnectingindustry,universities,research institutes, professional associations, financial institutions andgovernment.DrKalamdemonstratedthepowerofindigenoustechnologyinthemissileprogrammeandwasstronginhisconvictionthathealthcarecostscouldbehalvedifindigenousproductsaresupportedandpromotedinthissector.Hewas adamant, though, that scientific advancement in health care required thesponsorship of politicians: ‘Science has to be promoted through politicalsystems. It is essential that technologies that give immediate benefits to thepeopledirectlyorindirectlyshouldbesuccessfullyputforward.’5

Whathedidnotsaybutexpressedfulsomelytomewashisconcernregardingthe vice-like grip of multinational corporations over the burgeoning Indianmarketformedicaldevicesandconsumables.Theinitiativeshetookpartintenyears earlier through the Society for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) had allpeteredout.Therewasnovisibleeffortanywheretodevelopindigenousdevices,andDrKalamwasquitedespondentthatpeoplewerebarelyeventalkingabouttheissue.

Our president, though, was congenitally positive, and this reflected in hisspeeches.On the eve of theRepublicDay, 25 January 2005, PresidentKalam

startedonaphilosophicalnoteinhisaddresstothenation.Hesaid,‘Everyonehasinsideofhimorher,apieceofgoodnews.Thegoodnewsis,thatyoudon’tknowhowgreatyoucanbe!’Hebalancedhisinnateoptimism,however,witharealisticconcernforthefutureofthenation’syouth:

Ihavemetmorethansixhundredthousandchildrenfromallpartsofourcountry,afterbecomingthe president.Duringmy interactionwith them, they posed a series of questions,with affection.Theyasked:‘MrPresident,yousawussmile,whenwewerefiveyearsold.Wesmiledbecausewewereblossominginnocently.Whenwecametoourteens,smilesslowlyfadedawayandthesignsofconcernappeared.Yousaidthatitisbecauseofouranxietyaboutourfuture.Thisanxietyalmosttookawayoursmiles.Whenwecompleteoureducation,theupmostquestionsinourmindswere,whatwouldIdoaftermyeducation?WillIgetemployment?Ourparents,whohavespentalltheirsavingsonoureducation,alsosharethesameconcern.MrPresident,willIgetproperemploymentandbeabletocontributetoIndia,tomakeitadevelopednation?’Theirquestionsreallymademethinkandthink.6

PresidentKalamidentifiedagriculture,education,healthcare,waterandenergyasthemostimportantsectorsforsustainablenationaldevelopment.EmphasizingPURAonceagain,hesaid:‘Oneofthewaysbywhichruralagriculturistscouldincrease their earnings is by value adding to the agricultural produce throughprocessing and manufacturing. Farmers, either individually or through theircooperatives, would market processed and value-added items instead ofmarketing rawmaterials. This increase in value-addition taking place in ruralareasitselfisanindicatorofsocietymovingtowardsprosperityandaknowledgeera.’

ThePuneInstituteofEngineeringandTechnology(PIET),formerlyknownasthe Government College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), celebrated itssesquicentenary(150thanniversary)in2005.PresidentKalamvisitedPIETon1February 2005. He addressed a large gathering and interacted with eminentalumni. A commemorative postage stamp was released to mark the historicoccasion.Thecollege’sstudymodelreferredtointheearly1950sasthe‘PoonaModel’ had been highly respected by industry and public utilities. Dr Kalamusedthisoccasiontoinauguratehisconceptofcreativeleadership:

One of the very important ingredients for success of the vision of transforming India into adevelopednationby2020 is theevolutionof creative leaders. I amgivinga connectionbetweendeveloped India, economic prosperity, technology, production, productivity, employee roles and

management quality, all of which are linked to the creative leader.Who is that creative leader?Whatarethequalitiesofacreativeleader?Thecreativeleadershipisexercisingthetasktochangethe traditional role fromcommander tocoach,manager tomentor, fromdirector todelegatorandfrom onewho demands respect to onewho facilitates self-respect. The higher the proportion ofcreativeleadersinanation,thehigherthepotentialofsuccessofvisionslikedevelopedIndia.7

On the same day, President Kalam visited another great institution: GokhaleInstituteofPoliticsandEconomics(GIPE).Hisschedulewaspunishing,buthenever once resiled from his duty. On the contrary, he seemed to relishopportunitiestotalktoevermorepeoplefromallwalksoflife.Atanyrate,thisengagementwasparticularlydeartohisheart,asthehistoryofGIPEhadbeencloselylinkedwiththehistoryofthenationalistmovementinIndia.TheinstitutewaslocatedwithinthepremisesoftheServantsofIndiaSociety,establishedin1906bythenationalistleaderGopalKrishnaGokhale,whomMahatmaGandhiregardedashispoliticalguru.Theinstitutewasestablishedin1930,andunderits firstdirector,Prof.D.R.Gadgil, itemergedasamajor think tankonpolicyissuessoonafterIndependencein1947.

PresidentKalamspentsometimeinthelibraryfoundedin1905.Thelibraryis one of the foremost among specialized libraries in India in the field ofeconomicsandothersocialsciences.It isalsotheIndiandepositorylibraryforall UN publications, as well as publications of other leading internationaldevelopment and financial organizations. Dr Kalam was captivated upondiscovering the library’s complete collection of all Indian parliamentary andlegislativeassemblies’recordsfrom1924onwards.DrKalamwastoldthatProf.GunnarMyrdal actually spent considerable time atGokhale Institutewhile hewasworkingonhisseminalworkAsianDrama:AnInquiryintothePovertyofNations.DrKalamwasawarethatGunnarMyrdal’sscientificinfluencewasnotlimitedtoeconomics.HehadearlierreadtheintroductioninAsianDramawiththetitle‘TheBeaminOurEyes’,abiblicalexpression.Myrdalindeedintegratedsocialscience,political science andeconomics asonepractice, something thatDrKalamwasattemptinginhisownway.DrKalamspokeofthebroadconcernsof humanity, and likeGunnarMyrdal, hewas visionarywith his analysis andsuggestions:

There aremany challenges in our planet earth of six billion people. There is shortage ofwater,increased atmospheric pollution leading to many diseases, depleting fossil materials and other

natural resources, depletion of available land for agriculture and lack of availability of uniformopportunitytoallcitizens.Manynationsareexperiencingtheproblemsofinjectedterrorism…Wehaveseenthattheeconomicprosperityofafewnationsalonehasnotbroughtlastingpeacetotheworld.Nosinglenationwillbeabletohandlethesituationbyitself.Humanitywillrequiremegamissionsforharnessingsolarenergy,drinkingwaterfromseawaterthroughdesalinationprocessesandbringingmineralsfromotherplanetsandalsotobringspace-manufacturedproducts.Insuchasituation, the present reasons for conflict between nations will become insignificant andunwarranted. India can play amajor role in developing a newmodel of an enlightened citizen–centricsociety,whichwillprovideprosperity,peaceandhappinesstoallthenationsintheworld.8

Despitetheheavinessofmanyoftheprofoundtopicshediscussed,ourpresidentalways remained entertaining. The audience erupted when Dr Kalam said,‘Politicswithoutnobilityissimilartoaballoonwithoutair.’Unsurprisingly,hewas given a standing ovation. Here was a head of state who would happilylampoonhisownclass–andhewassincereaboutit.

Hewas, though, nothing if not practical, and thiswas reflected in his nextengagement’ssubjectmatter.On24February2004,PresidentKalamgaveawaythe first Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) awards to selected Panchayati RajInstitutions (PRIs) functionaries in recognition of their outstanding efforts toeliminate the practice of open defecation in their respective panchayats. FortyPRIsfromsixstates–TamilNadu,Maharashtra,WestBengal,Tripura,KeralaandGujarat –weregivenRs130 lakh as cash awards.DrKalamoutlined thescaleandgravityoftheissue:

Asperthe2001Census,therearenearly200milliondwellingunitsinthecountryofwhichnearly140millionare in the rural areas.The sanitation facility is availableonly innearly fortymilliondwellingunits.Hence, there isanurgentneedtoprovidesanitationfacilities tooveronehundredmilliondwellingunitsinruralareas.Thelackofsanitationfacilitiesisthegreatesthealthhazardforourruralpopulation.Waterbornediseases,hepatitis,leprosy,tuberculosis,etc.,canallbeattributedtonon-availabilityofpropersanitationfacilities.Hence,toimprovethehealthconditionofourruralpopulation, it isessential tohastenuptheprocessofprovidingsanitationfacilitiestoalldwellingunits,schools,hospitalsandcommunityhallsintheruralareas.9

Dr Kalam’s vision for rural areas was all-encompassing, and he felt thattechnologywouldberequiredtohelpfeedourever-expandingpopulation.Oneearlyexponentofagriculturalscience,andtrulyanunsungheroforhisworkinusingscience to feed theworld,wasDrNormanBorlaug.On15March2005,

PresidentKalamwasdelightedtopresenttoNobellaureateDrNormanBorlaug,thefirstM.S.SwaminathanAwardforLeadership inAgriculture, ina functionorganizedbytheTrustforAdvancementofAgriculturalSciences(TAAS).

DrBorlaugwasninety-oneatthattime,andsatamidstallthepraiseshoweredonhimfromthosegatheredthere.Whenhisturncame,hestoodandhighlightedIndia’s advancement in agricultural science and production. He said that thepolitical visionaries C. Subramaniam and Dr M.S. Swaminathan, pioneers inagricultural science, were the prime architects of the first green revolution inIndia.EventhoughDrNormanBorlaugwashimselfapartnerinthefirstgreenrevolution,hedidnotmakeapointofthis.HerecalledwithprideDrVergheseKurien,whousheredinthe‘whiterevolution’,drasticallyimprovingproductionandsalesofmilkproductsinIndia.

Then the surprise came.DrBorlaug turned to scientists sitting in the thirdrow, fifth row and eighth row of the audience. He identifiedDr Raja Ram, awheatspecialist,DrS.K.Vasal,amaizespecialist,andDrB.R.Barwale,aseedspecialist.DrBorlaugsaidthatthesescientistshadcontributedgreatlytoIndia’sand Asia’s green revolution. Dr Borlaug introduced them to the audience byaskingthemtostand,ensuringthattheaudiencecheeredandgreetedthemwithgreat enthusiasm.Sucha scene,DrKalam later said inhis speech,hehadnotwitnessedbeforeinIndia.HereferredtoDrBorlaug’sacknowledgementofhiscolleagues as ‘scientific magnanimity’, and proceeded to laud Dr Borlaug’sachievements:

Veryrarelyinourplanet,onesingleindividual–particularlyascientist–makesthedifferenceinmulti-continents almost simultaneously.DrNormanBorlaug is indeed themain architect of foodproduction in many parts of the world through scientific work. The chairperson of the NobelCommitteefortheNobelPeacePrize1970,hadsaid,‘morethananyothersinglepersonofthisage,Dr Norman Borlaug has helped to provide bread for a hungry world’. Enhancement of foodproductionwillcertainlyresultinworldpeace.10

DrKalamusedthisoccasiontoairhisviewstotheesteemedscientificgatheringonthestill-unresolveddebateonagriculturalbiotechnology.DrKalamsuggestedthat effective communication focused on the current and potential benefits ofagricultural biotechnology was essential if society has to benefit from thesescientific advances. Sound science and regulatory review are only part of the

process. Policymakers must also consider the political, social, ethical andeconomicdimensionsofthedebateonagriculturalbiotechnology.Inanyevent,Dr Kalam was clear about the dire consequences of completely shunningagricultural biotechnology: ‘According to Dr Borlaug, failure to usebiotechnology for increasing food production could mean destruction ofremaining forest area for crop cultivation, as the demand for more food isconstantlyrising.Biotechnologywouldfacilitateincreasedcropproductionfromexistingcroplands.’11

On19April 2005,PresidentPervezMusharraf visited India.Avisit by thepresidentofPakistanisalwaysasignificanteventinthecountry,andPresidentMusharraf’s infamyonlyaddedto thepandemoniuminmediaandgovernmentcircles. Everybody was wondering what President Kalam would tell GeneralMusharraf,whowasmoreknowninIndiaasthevillainof theKargilwarthanfor anything else. But Dr Kalam surprised everyone by engaging PresidentMusharrafwithathirty-minutepresentationonruraldevelopment.Hesaid,‘MrPresident, like Indiayoualsohavea lotof rural areasanddon’tyou thinkweshouldbothdowhateverispossibletodevelopthemonpriority?’

General Musharraf was attentive throughout Dr Kalam’s presentation andafterwards said, ‘Thank you, Mr President. India is lucky to have a scientistpresidentlikeyou.’DrKalamintroducedmetobriefPresidentMusharrafabouttheworkwe had been doing onmaking health care affordable by developingindigenousmedicaldevicesandconsumables.PresidentMusharrafheldmyhandforalongtimeandinvitedmetocometoPakistanandsetupamodernhospital.Ifelt,though,thattheofferhadevaporatedbytheendoflunch.

PresidentKalamlefton22May2005toMoscowonthefirstlegofhisfour-nation tourofRussia,Switzerland, IcelandandUkraine.Hewouldbe the firstIndian president to visitRussia after the disintegration of the SovietUnion in1991.Duringhisfour-daystayinRussia,hewouldhavetheopportunitytomeetmanyofhisold-timefriendsfromhismissiledevelopmentdays.Buttherewassomethingelseinstoreforhim;anditwasadevelopmentthatwouldputhimatthecentreofabigpoliticalstorm.

PARTFIVE

DISPERSION

WhenIstandbeforeGodattheendofmylife,IwouldhopethatIwouldnothaveasinglebitoftalentleft,andcouldsay,“Iusedeverythingyougaveme”.

–ErmaBombeckAmericanwriter

T

5.1

DeterminationIsPower

Allthingsaresubjecttointerpretation.Whicheverinterpretationprevailsatagiventimeisafunctionofpowerandnottruth.

–FriedrichNietzscheNineteenth-centuryGermanphilosopher

hemidnight proclamation issuedbyPresidentKalam fromMoscowunderArticle356of theConstitutiondissolving theBiharassemblysent tremors

acrossthenation.Italsoraisedsignificantquestions,nottheleastofwhichwaswhethertheexerciseofthispowerbytheUniongovernmentwasbonafide.

This was to become an issue of contention that would simmer over thefollowingmonths,addingtothepoliticaluncertaintythathadprevailedinBiharafter the hung assembly earlier in the year. Elections to constitute the newlegislative assembly of Bihar were concluded in February 2005. No party orcombination of parties was able to secure a majority. Governor Buta Singhexploredallpossibilitiesofgovernmentformation,butreachingthepointwhereit was clear that no party or coalition of parties was able to form a stablegovernment, he recommended the imposition of President’s Rule in the state.Theassemblywasthusputinsuspendedanimation.Thecabinet,initsmeetingheld on 7 March 2005, recommended the same to President Kalam, and hesignedtheproclamationunderArticle356oftheConstitutionthesameday.Bothhousesofparliamentlaterapprovedtheproclamation.

The governor in May 2005 sent a report to the president recommendingdissolutionoftheBiharassembly.ThereportstatedthatheshoulddosoinviewoftheallurementsbeingmadebytheJanataDal(United)(JD[U])leadershiptotheLokJanshaktiParty’s(LJP’s)MLAstoformabreakawayfaction.Inofferingallurements,theJanataDal(United)leadershiphadhopedtheMLAswouldjoin

handswiththeirpartysothattheycouldcobbletogetheramajority,andtherebystakeaclaimtoformthegovernment in thestate.Thegovernor tooktheviewthatsuchundue influenceover theMLAswoulddistort thewillof thepeople.Hefeltthatthehouse–initsstateofsuspendedanimation–shouldbedissolvedtoprovidethepeopleofBiharwithafreshopportunitytoexercisetheirmandate.

In its meeting late on 22 May 2005, the Union cabinet endorsed theassessment of the governor and recommended to the president the issue of apresidentialorderfordissolutionoftheBiharassembly.Bythistime,PresidentKalamhadalreadyleftforMoscow.PrimeMinisterManmohanSinghspoketoPresidentKalam after he landed inMoscow and checked into the hotel. P.M.NairwouldlaterrecallDrKalam’sconcernoverthisseriousmatter:

Hewas in his blue shirt and the characteristic smile, though the browwasmore furrowed thannormally.‘IhadacallfromthePM…Hespoketomeforabouttwentyminutes.ThiswasaboutdissolutionoftheassemblyofBihar.Thegovernorhassentareportabouthorse-tradinggoingon,and theonlyway tosavedemocracy is todissolve theassembly.TheCabinethasconsidered thegovernor’sreportandtherecommendationiscomingtometodissolvetheassembly.’1

Notwithstanding the merit of Governor Buta Singh’s allegations of horse-trading, the president of India is constitutionally bound to act on the aid andadviceof thecouncilofministers.Therewere the reportsof thegovernor, therecommendationofthecouncilofministers–andthetwenty-minutecalloftheprimeminister – advising the president. President Kalamwas therefore duty-boundtodissolvetheBiharAssembly,andhedidso.ItwasnowfortheElectionCommissiontoholdpollsinBihar,whichitdidinOctober–November2005.

DrKalamhadbeenaregularvisitortoMoscow.ThesightofthegreatRiverMoskvaandStBasil’sCathedral,with its fairy-talecoloureddomes,entrancedhim. He also appreciated its homage to nature. With over 40 per cent of itsenvironscoveredbygreenery,Moscowisoneofthemoreattractivecapitalsandmajorcitiesintheworld,anditboaststhelargestforestinanurbanarea.

InRussia,PresidentKalamhelddetaileddiscussionswiththepresidentoftheRussianFederation,MrVladimirPutin.Healsomet theprimeminister of theRussianFederation,MrMikhailFradkov,andvisitedtheSpeakeroftheDuma,MrBorisGryzlov.

In Moscow, Dr Kalam visited the Academy of Sciences, Moscow State

University,SukhoiDesignBureau,andNPOMashinostroyenia,thejoint-venturepartner in BrahMos Aerospace Company. Rather than a protocol-boundpresidentialvisit, itwasmoreofanoldalumni reunion.DrKalamhadbeenagreatadmirerofRussiantechnologyandscientificpower,andfoundtheRussianscientists and engineers thorough in their fields and trustworthy in sharinginformation. NPO Mashinostroyenia not only shared their ramjet enginetechnologyopenly,butalsoweremostaccommodatingwithinertialnavigation,missionsoftwareandmobile launchersforPrithviandAgnimissilesforcruisemissileapplications.

On25May2005DrKalamwenttoStPetersburg,thesecond-largestcityinRussia, located on the River Neva at the head of the Gulf of Finland on theBaltic Sea. In 1914, the name of the citywas changed from St Petersburg toPetrograd and later afterWorldWar I to Leningrad; and in 1991, back to StPetersburg. The sentiment of the Russian people for their traditions seems tohave persisted – as such sentiments have likewise done in India – despitechanges of government and fortune. President Kalammet the governor of StPetersburg, Madam Valentina Matvienko, and visited the Laser TechnologyInstituteandArcticandAntarcticaResearchInstitute.

From St Petersburg, President Kalamwent to Switzerland. It was the firstvisit therebyanIndianpresident inover threedecades.Ashadbeen the trendduring this three-day visit to Russia, the focus of Dr Kalam’s sojourn hereremained on science and technology. Dr Anil Kakodar, chairman of India’sAtomic Energy Commission, joined him here and together they visited theEuropeanOrganizationforNuclearResearch(CERN).

Switzerlanddeclared26MayasScienceDayinhonourofthepresidentandto commemorate his visit.Thevisit toCERNassumes significance in light ofNewDelhi’squestforaccesstonucleartechnologyanditsplansforcooperationwithoneofthemostadvancedlaboratoriesintheworld.

PresidentKalamarrivedinKeflavikon29May2005onhisvisittoIceland,an island country between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Greenland Sea.With fewer than400,000people living inanareaof54,000squarekilometres,Iceland is themost sparsely populated country inEurope.Notwithstanding itsisolation and its stark, frigid landscapes, Iceland has made great progress indeveloping green energy systems, and this would be the focus of President

Kalam’svisit.DrKalamhad talkswithPresidentÓlafurRagnarGrímsson inBessastaðir.

Boththepresidentsattendedaconference,‘SynergiesandStrengthsofEastandWest’,hostedbytheIcelandicIndianChamberofCommerce.Thekeyforthemwas the integration of Indian business initiatives, with a particular focus onpharmaceuticalsandtechnology.DrKalamvisitedtheUniversityofIcelandandhelddiscussionsonwarningandearlyinformationsystemsforearthquakesandother geo-hazards with Professor Páll Skúlason, rector of the university, DrMagnús Jónsson, director of the Icelandic Meteorological Office, Dr RagnarStefánsson, head of the Icelandic Meteorological Office and Dr SteinunnJakobsdóttir, head of theGeophysicalMonitoring Section.He also visited theNationalRescueCentre(Skógarhlíð).

The next day, 31 May 2005, accompanied by Prime Minister HalldórÁsgrímsson, Dr Kalam went to see Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant. DrKalamhadalongdiscussionwithDrGuðmundurÞóroddsson,CEO,ReykjavíkEnergy,andDrAlfreðÞorsteinsson,chairmanoftheboard,ReykjavíkEnergy,togauge the potential for India to use this great green energy technology. In aninteresting observation, President Kalam noticed a considerable number ofwomenofIndianoriginmarriedtoIcelandicmen.

President Kalam arrived at Kiev, the capital of Ukraine on 1 June 2005.PresidentViktorYushchenkoreceivedhim.IndiahashadaspecialrelationshipwithUkraine,evenwhenitwasapartoftheSovietUnion.ManydistinguishedmissilescientistsoftheUSSRwhohelpedIndianscientistswerefromUkraine.

On3June,DrKalamtravelledtoDnipropetrovsk,500kilometresfromKievto visit the Yuzhnoye SDO, a facility engaged in the manufacture of spacerockets. Yuzhnoye was established in 1954. It shot to prominence after thedevelopment of a missile based on radically new technologies of hypergolicpropellant components and the use of a self-contained guidance and controlsystem.YuzhnoyeSDOwasoneofthefirstcompaniesintheaerospaceindustrytosetupaTelemetryDataProcessingCentretocarryoutflighttestsofstrategicmissilesandlaunchvehicles.Afterthebreak-upoftheUSSRandthedeclarationof the denuclearized status of Ukraine, the facility was assigned to a newprogramme of missile development, including an anti-aircraft missile defencesystemandairborne,seaborne,sea-basedandsurface-deployedmissilesystems.

The facility was also engaged in the development of various liquid-propellantsforspacerockets.Additionally,ithasthedistinctionofpioneeringamechanismtofacilitatetheremediationoftechnicaldeficiencieswhilecarryingout flight tests of strategicmissiles and launch vehicles. The company,where50,000 scientists and expertswere employed,wasworking at that timeon theOkean-O oceanographic satellite, Koronas-Fsolar observation satellite, Zenit3SLthree-stage launcherforsea launchprojectsandtheDnepr launchvehicle.DrKalam took the opportunity to engagewith the scientists on their projects.The‘missileman’wasindeedonhishometurf.HeseemsalsotohavemadeafavourableimpactonPresidentYushchenko,ifhisfarewellwasanyguide:

Idevelopedan instant rapportwithPresidentYushchenko,whosurvivedanassassinationattemptbypoisoning.Dioxin,alethalchemicalandacontaminantinAgentOrangeTCDD,wasaddedtohisfood.Hesurvivedbutsuffereddisfigurementasaresultofthepoisoning.WhileseeingmeoffatKievAirport, PresidentYushchenko askedme if he could touchme.We had awarm hug and Iwishedhimgoodhealthandpeaceforhispeople.2

The first important event for Dr Kalam back in India was the governors’conference on 14 June 2005. The earlier governor’s conference in 2003 wasconducted against the backdrop of PrimeMinister Vajpayee’s commitment toensure that Indiabecameadevelopednationby2020.Theprimeministerhadoutlined this in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort in 2002,immediatelyafterPresidentKalamtookover thepresidency.DrKalamhadnodoubtsaboutPrimeMinisterVajpayee’ssincerityinpursuingVision2020:

Theimpressivespeechesatconferencesgetforgotten.However,Iplacedgreatvalueonwhatwassaid,andcontinuetorememberaseriouscommitmenttofasterdevelopment.Vajpayeestatedthateverypartof theadministrativesystemmust recognize theneedfordevelopmentandfurther thiscause, which would enable an earlier realization of our goals. This was something I couldappreciate,havingseenthedifficultiesthatariseinmotivatingdifferentdepartmentstoworkforacombinedpurpose.3

PrimeMinisterManmohan Singh attended the conferencewith all his cabinetmembers and held detailed discussions on the issues of education, terrorism,disastermanagementandtheimplementationofvalue-addedtaxation,basedontheagendastructuredbyPresidentKalam’soffice.DrKalamlaterrecalledthatthe prime minister gave his assurance that he and his colleagues would also

make every effort for Vision 2020, guided by the inspiration provided by thepresident:‘The prime minister announced at a governors’ conference that thegovernment would do everything to make “Vision India 2020” a reality. Nopoliticalsystemcansurvivewithoutavisionforthenation.’4

Forhispart,PrimeMinisterManmohanSinghwasafirmbelieverintheideaofthe‘Indiancentury’.In1991,whenDrSinghbecamethefinanceministerinthegovernmentofPrimeMinisterP.V.NarasimhaRao,Indiawasonthebrinkofbankruptcy. Its fiscal deficit was close to 8.5 per cent of the gross domesticproduct; the balance of payments deficit was huge, with foreign exchangereservesofbarelyabilliondollars left in the treasury. Inhismaidenspeechasfinance minister, Singh had quoted nineteenth-century French writer VictorHugo:‘Nopoweronearthcanstopanideawhosetimehascome.’

DrKalamhadbeenagreatadmirerofDrSinghandinparticularhowhehadunshackled the country from the bureaucratic controls and the licence–permitraj.Hehadtakentheeconomytoahighgrowthpathof6–7percentduringhisfive-year stint as financeminister of India.Of course,Dr Singh had asmanycriticsasadmirers.DrSinghhadsubmittedhisresignationthriceduringhisfive-yeartenure;butPrimeMinisterNarasimhaRaohadnotallowedhimtoquit.

ThereformsintroducedbyDrSinghhadindeedprovidedthemomentumtoDrKalam’sideaofVision2020andasaresultoftherealprogressachieved,ithadreachedapointofnoreturn.Indiahadtobestrongandcompeteglobally.DrKalamknewthattheneworderofaglobalizedworldusheredinthroughthelate1990swouldfavourthestrongandhurttheweak.Indianeededtostrengthenitscapabilitiestowithstandtheforcesofglobalization.Theinternationalsystemofpricing fuel, ratesof currency conversion, cost of capital, globalmovementofcommoditiesandpressuresexertedthroughtradeandenvironmentalregulationswere realities that the nation would have to contend with. ‘The threat to ourindependencewasnevergraver,’helatersaid.5

Dr Kalam had always been a strong believer in energy independence.Achievingenergy independence is an immense technological challenge for thecountry. Energy independence has to be achieved through three differentsources:renewableenergy(solar,windandhydropower),electricalpowerfromnuclearenergyandbiofuelsfor transportation.DrKalamcallednuclearenergyan inevitableoption, and thecurrent capacityofgeneratingamere4,000MW

grossly underutilized the great strengths of a world-class Indian nuclearestablishment.Themainissueherewasthelackofavailabilityofuranium.

InresponsetotheIndiannucleartestinMay1974,theUnitedStatespressedfor the creation of an informal group, theNuclear SuppliersGroup (NSG), tocontrol exports of nuclear materials, equipment and technology. A series ofmeetingsinLondonfrom1975to1978resultedinagreementsontheguidelinesfor export of uranium. Initially, the NSG had seven participating countries:Canada,WestGermany,France, Japan, theSovietUnion, theUnitedKingdomand the United States, but the participation was later expanded to fifteencountries in1977. India’s reservesofuraniumrepresentonly1percentof theworld’s known uranium deposits; the NSG’s uranium export restrictions fellsquarelyonIndiannuclearpowergenerationcapacity.

The importance of nuclear energy as a sustainable energy resource for ourcountry was recognized at the very inception of the Indian atomic energyprogramme. Dr Homi Bhabha had chalked out a three-stage nuclear powerprogramme, basedon a closednuclear fuel cycle.The three stages are naturaluranium-fuelled pressurized heavy water reactors, fast breeder reactors andthorium-based reactors. India had reached the second stage, but progress hadbeen impeded by a paucity of uranium. Dr Kalam visualized nuclear energycapacityrisingto20,000MWbytheyear2020andfoundagreatcollaboratorinPrimeMinister Singh. The primeminister took the bold step of engaging theUnitedStatestobreaktheuraniumjinx.

F

5.2

LendMeYourEars

Thecountrythatownsgreen,thatdominatesthatindustry,isgoingtohavethemostenergysecurity, national security, economic security, competitive companies, healthy populationand,mostofall,globalrespect.

–ThomasFriedmanAmericanjournalistandauthor

riends, leaders, countrymen, lendmeyourears; I come to speak toyouoftruth, not to merely talk for your applause! President Kalam’s tone and

substance was gradually changing from suggestion to recommendation, fromappeal to exhortation, and from enthusiasm to scepticism. InAugust 2005, heraised two important issues that were not getting a much-needed response inspiteofhisconsistentappealandpersuasion.

HemetthebestoftheIndianmedicalfraternityon1July2005toconfertheprestigious Dr B.C. Roy National Awards for 2003 and 2004 on thirty-fivedoctorsataglitteringceremonyatRashtrapatiBhavan’sAshokHall.Thisdayhas been celebrated in India as the National Doctors’ Day in honour of DrBidhanChandraRoy,whowasbornanddepartedonthisday.DrB.C.RoywasthechiefministerofWestBengalforfourteenyears,from1948untilhisdeathin1962. A Karmayogi, Dr Roy continued his medical practice even as chiefminister;hesawpatientsuntilhislastday,anddiedinoffice.

Dr B.C. Roy is considered the architect of modern West Bengal. Hepassionately worked to establish five important cities – Durgapur, Kalyani,Bidhannagar,Ashoknagar,andHowrah–andtransformedBengalfromaruraltourbansociety.DrB.C.RoywasnotonlythefirstIndianpresidentoftheMedicalCouncilof India,hewas theguiding forceand inspiringspirit for theMedicalCouncilthroughouthislife.HewasawardedtheBharatRatnain1961.

Corruptioninthemedicalprofessionhadbecomeapublicissueby2005,andthe IndianMedical Council itself was mired in controversy. President Kalamusedthisoccasiontoreminddoctorsthatrighteousnessisanessentialvirtueinthemedical profession. He touched upon a crucial point that righteousness iscultivated from childhood – and it starts with the family. DrKalam declared,‘Righteousnessisimportantinwhateverwedo,beitsociallifeorpolitics.Virtueisan integralpartofmakinga strong family,nationandworld. It is importantthatwebuildastrongfoundationtoworkupon.’

Withtheopeningupof‘five-starhospitals’acrossthecountryandhigh-costequipment takingpride of place rather than the doctors themselves,DrKalammountedapassionateargumentforinclusivemedicine:

Thepoorestofthepoorhaveasmuchrightasanyonetolesspainaftersurgery,reducedmedication,less morbidity, shorter hospitalization and an early return to home, family and work. Minimalaccesssurgery(isnot)homageoratributetonewtechnology,butthemanifoldbenefitsitgivestoourpatientsandourpeople.1

DrKalam said that advances inmedicinemust reach the poor andnot remainconfinedtoexpensivehospitalsdedicatedtoservingrichpatients.

The following week, President Kalam participated in the golden jubileecelebrationsofJadavpurUniversity,Kolkata.Theuniversityhadconferreduponhimanhonorarydoctoratein1990.DrKalamhadworkedextensivelywithProf.Tapan Kumar Ghoshal in the areas of control and guidance of missiles andaspectsoftheLightCombatAircraftproject.Duringhisnumerousvisitstotheuniversityinthe1990s,ithadbecomehissecondhome.

Dr S.K. Chaudhuri, an alumnus of Jadavpur University, who would laterbecome the director, Research Centre Imarat, ensured great collaborationbetweenlaboratoriesandacademic institutions.DrChaudhurialsodevelopedastrongemotionalbondwithDrKalam.Whileworkingonhisspeech,DrKalamaskedDrChaudhuritotellhim‘oneuniquething’aboutJadavpurUniversity.

DrChaudhuriwaxedlyricalaboutthehistoryofJadavpurUniversitybeingatrue reflection of the evolution of scientific thought in India. It was here thateducation was honed as a tool to challenge the hegemony of the Britishestablishment.Theinstitutionitselfemergedoutof theyearningofenlightenedcitizens of Bengal for scientific education for youth. Raja Subodh Chandra

MullickandSirRashbehariGhoshgaveawaytheirpersonalwealthtocreatetheinstitution. In 1910, the Society for the Promotion of Technical Education inBengal institutionalizedengineeringandscientificeducation inBengal,andby1940 it was virtually functioning as a university. After Independence, it wasbestowedthestatutoryrecognitionandidentityofJadavpurUniversityin1955.‘Wealth should never separate itself from education,’ said Dr Kalam afterhearingthisstory.

GovernorofWestBengal,GopalkrishnaGandhi,whowasalsochancellorofthe JadavpurUniversity,welcomedPresidentKalamat theopen-air theatre onthemaincampusoftheuniversity,whichhadbeenaestheticallydecoratedwithfreshwhiteflowers,aspecialityofBengaliculture.DrKalamusedthisoccasiontoemphasizetheroleofeducationinempowerment:

Educationisnotmerelyatoolfordevelopmentofindividuals.Itmustincludetheinterestsofthecommunity and the aspects of nation building.Good education is indeed the foundation for ourfuture. It is empowerment tomake choices and emboldens the youth to choose and chase theirdreamswhichmustbetakenupbytheuniversities.

Whenthechildisempoweredbytheparents,atvariousphasesofgrowth,thechildtransformsintoa responsiblecitizen.When the teacher is empoweredwithknowledgeandexperience,goodyounghumanbeingswithvaluesystemstakeshape.Whenanindividualorateamisempoweredwithtechnology,transformationtohigherpotentialforachievementisassured.Whentheleaderofanyinstitutionempowershisorherpeople,leadersarebornwhocanchangethenationinmultipleareas.Whenwomenareempowered,asocietywithstabilityisassured.Whenthepoliticalleadersofthenationempowerthepeoplethroughvisionarypolicies,theprosperityofthenationiscertain.2

PresidentKalamusedtheopportunityofthecustomaryaddresstothenationonthe eve of Independence Day to air before the people of India his forthrightviewson India’senergy independence.He felt thatdespitehischampioningofthe issue, common-sense approaches to India’s energy issues were not beingtranslated into policies and projects. He thought it best to bring this issue –which had otherwise become shrouded in technical jargon – to general publicawareness. In his nationally televised address on 14 August 2005, PresidentKalam exhorted the country to become alert to the need for energyindependence. It was amessage of patriotism and empowerment he had beenadvocating,invariousforms,forseveraldecades.

PointingouttheunfortunaterealityofIndiahaving17percentoftheworld’s

population and only 0.8 per cent of the world’s known oil and natural gasresources, Dr Kalam drew the nation’s attention to the yawning gap betweendemandandsupplyofresources.Hedeclaredthattheexigenciesofenergyandwater would surely be a defining characteristic of our people’s lives in thetwenty-firstcentury.

Why should energy independence not be our nation’s first and highestpriority?DrKalamcalledforacomprehensiverenewableenergypolicywithinone year. India has knowledge and natural resources, and all thatwas neededwasplanned integratedmissions to achieve thegoal, he said.PresidentKalamchosenottotalkaboutanypolitical,constitutionaloreconomicissuesfacingthenation. For him, the nation’s long-term energy quandary far surpassed anyephemeral issues in importance, even though its more serious consequenceswerenotyetapparent.

In the immediate future, Dr Kalam felt that uranium-based nuclear energywas vital for sustaining the nation. Dr Kalamwas aware that PrimeMinisterManmohanSinghhadmadesignificantprogressinassuagingtheUnitedStates’concernsaboutitsciviliannuclearprogramme,andatreatywasimminentinthisregard.DrKalampointedout that therewouldhavetobeatenfoldincreaseinnuclearpowergenerationinordertoachieveareasonabledegreeofenergyself-sufficiency.

Dr Kalam rationally argued for the development of nuclear power usingthorium,asthenationhasconsiderablereservesofthiskeyresource.Thiswasakey for energy self-sufficiency that had been proposed by Dr Homi Bhabhanearly half a century earlier. Crucially, thorium is not subject to the sameinternational qualms about weapons proliferation that have hampered oururanium-basednuclearpowerregime.Moreover,DrKalamsaid,nuclearfusionresearchneedstobeundertakenasaninternationallycooperativemission,withthe intent of developing the technology for this clean nuclear energy. Fusioncould cater for a soaring population’s energy needs when fossil fuels aredepleted.

PresidentKalamconcluded:

We need to evolve a comprehensive renewable energy policy for energy independencewithin ayear.By2020, India shouldachievecomprehensiveenergysecurityandby2030 there shouldbeenergy independence.This should address all issues relating to the generation of energy through

wind,solar,geothermal,biomassandtheocean.Thenationshouldalsoworktowardsestablishmentofthorium-basedreactors.Researchandtechnologydevelopmentofthorium-basedreactorsisoneoftheimmediaterequirementsforrealizingself-relianceinnuclearpowergenerationandlong-termenergysecurityforthenation.

Dr Kalam went to the north-east in September 2005. He had started hispresidency with a resolve to connect with the people here, and had alreadyvisitedAssam,Tripura,Manipur,ArunachalPradesh,MeghalayaandNagaland.IttookawhileforhimtovisitMizoramandSikkimtocompletehisconnectionwith the contiguous parivar of seven sisters (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) and one brother(Sikkim).

The newspaper headlines proclaimed that it was not just the children, buteven theweather seemed tobewithPresidentKalam inSikkim.Hehadgonethere on a short two-day visit.Having rained incessantly for the previous twodays,theskiesclearedupjustbeforethepresidentlandedattheLibinghelipadon 22 September 2005. Governor V. Rama Rao and Chief Minister PawanKumarChamling,alongwithhisentirecabinet,receivedPresidentKalamonhisfirstvisittothestate.DrKalamdevelopedaninstantrapportwithChamling,thefounderpresidentoftheSikkimDemocraticFront,whichhadgovernedthestatesince1994.Onthewaytothecapital,peoplegatheredbehindbarricadesonbothsides of the heavily guarded highway to greet the presidential cavalcade,somethingnotnormallyseenelsewhere.Thepresident’soverturestothenorth-easthadbeennoted,and the friendlypeopleof this regionwereshowing theirappreciation. Gangtok city wore a festive look, with tricolours and flowersaplentydecoratingitsstreets.

Sikkim had historically been the point where ancient Indian and Tibetanculturesmet.ABuddhist kingdomwas established in the seventeenth centuryhere.Sikkimemergedasapolityinitsownrightagainstabackdropofpeoplecoming from Tibet and Bhutan and settling here. Sikkim fell under BritishsuzeraintyquiteearlywhentheBritishEastIndiaCompanysoughtaccesstotheTibetanmarket.AftertheBritishdepartedin1947,SikkiminitiallyremainedanindependentcountrybutmergedintotheUnionofIndiain1975.

PresidentKalamstruckachordwiththechildrenofSirTashiNamgyalSeniorSecondarySchool immediately. ‘I saw thebeautiful riversandmountainpeaks

fromthehelicopter,butwhatIsawinabundancewerethesmilesofthepeopleofthestate,’hesaid.Intheafternoon,DrKalamaddressedaspecialsessionoftheSikkimlegislativeassemblyandmadeapresentation,‘Sikkim:MissionsforProsperity’,beforethemembersoftheHouse.

Inabigevent in theevening,DrKalam inaugurated the25,000-seatPalzorStadium. Football star Bhaichung Bhutia, a youth icon of Sikkim, sat byPresidentKalam’ssideforthedurationoftheengagement.Thehugegatheringsat in rapt attention throughout Dr Kalam’s more-than-one-hour speech andcheered himwith verve. As Dr Kalam’s time in office progressed, an almostmystical resonance between this extraordinary president and the people wasbecomingapparent.Whereverhisdutiesweretakinghim,avibrantatmosphereof engagement would prevail. Stiffly formal events would take on more theambience of a musical gala evening, with Dr Kalam the genial star signingautographs.

Suchwidespread adoration for a national leader had rarely beenwitnessedsinceGandhi’s time.Hisexploits inaerospaceandinbringingthecountryintothe‘nuclearclub’werelegendary.Thathewasaccomplishedoutsidetheworldofpoliticswasbeyondquestion,aswashispatentsenseofethics.Buthisappealwas more than simple respect. India’s people – noted equally for theirsentimentalityandabilitytojudgecharacter–wereshowingtheirdeep,sincereaffectionfortheirleader.

DrKalamvisited theEncheymonasteryof theNyingmaorderofVajrayanaBuddhism.ThemonasteryisbuiltonastunningridgeofahillabovethecityofGangtok.Fromhere, theviewof the snow-dustedpeaksofKanchenjunga, thethird-highest mountain in the world, is a picture of creation’s majesty. Thedeities worshipped in the monastery are the Buddha, Loki Sharia and GuruPadmasambhava,orGuruRinpoche.DrKalamspent timewith themonksandspokelikeasaint:

MostIndians–experiencedandold,energeticandmiddle-aged,youngandinnocent–theyalllookto religion for solace and safety. I have alsovisited a greatmany religiousplaces andhouses ofworship throughout the length and breadth of this great country, and I have met many of ourreligious leaders. The religions are like exquisite gardens, places full of surpassing beauty andtranquility, like sacred groves filled with beautiful birds and their melodious songs. They areenchantingislands,veritableoasesforthesoulandthespirit.Buttheyareislandsnevertheless.How

canweconnect themso that the fragranceengulfs thewholeuniverse? Ifwecanconnectall theislandswithloveandcompassion,ina‘garland’,wewillhaveaprosperousIndiaandprosperousworld.3

Thenextday,PresidentKalaminauguratedaconclaveforHIV/AIDSatShillonginMeghalaya.TheconclavewasorganizedbytheAssamRiflesWives’WelfareAssociation (ARWWA) for curbing the spread of the disease among defencepersonnelandsecurityestablishments,andforformulatinganeffectivestrategyfor tackling the problem.DrKalam called for the sensitizing ofAssamRiflespersonnelandotherarmedforcestoensurethatnofurthercasesofthisscourgewouldaffectsecuritypersonnel.

Governor of Meghalaya, M.M. Jacob, Union minister P.R. Kyndiah,chairpersonoftheNationalCommissionforWomen,GirijaVyas,ChiefMinisterD.D.Lapanng,directorgeneralofAssamRifles,LtGen.BhopinderSinghanddirectorgeneralofArmedForcesMedicalResearch,Thailand,oftheRoyalThaiArmy (RTA), Maj. Gen. Sueb Pong Sangharomya participated in a publicdiscussion on this highly sensitive social issue. They were discussing a starkreality:90percentofthepeoplewithHIVremaineduntreated,andweredyingofthisdisease.

Onewomangotupandsaid,‘Eventhoughwehavesomeblueskynowinourcountry,theskycouldbecomecloudyagainverysoon.’Anotherwoman,herselfinfected with HIV by her husband, said, ‘The true learning in my life beganwhenIhadtofacetherealityofmysituation.First,myhusband’sfamilyturnedmeawayfromtheirhomeandlaterevenmyfathertoldmetoleaveourhouse.Ibecame likeanyotherabandonedwoman to facealonemydestiny,asa fallenleafwoulddriftwiththewind.’

DrKalam’s eyeswelledwith tears.He put his hand on her head and said,‘Godwantsustoknowthatlifeisaseriesofbeginnings,notendings.’

PresidentKalamreachedAizawl,thecapitalofMizoram,forhisfirstvisittothestateon24September2005.GovernorofMizoram,AmolakRattanKohli,andChiefMinisterZoramthangareceivedthepresidentatLengpuiairport.Fromtheair,therunwayresemblesaneatscaronthejungle-carpetedlandscape.This,and the 36-km-long journey to Aizawl from the airport along a steep andtortuoushillyroute,wasenoughtodispelanydoubtaboutthestate’sremoteness.

If grievance ever had legitimate reason to be translated into political

rebellion,itwasinMizoram.TheMizoNationalFront(MNF)wasaninsurgentgroup that emerged from theMizoNational Famine Front in 1959. The latterwasaformationprotestingthewidespreadfaminecausedbyaregularfailureofthebamboocropandthesubsequentfailureoftheIndianstatetosendadequaterelief.Deprivationsoongaverisetoopenrebellion.

In 1986, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the MNF signed the MizoramPeaceAccord.RebelleaderPuLaldenga–whohadspentthebetterpartofhisadult life deep in the jungles of Myanmar fighting the Indian state – wasappointedchiefminister.PrimeMinisterRajivGandhimadeclear theCentre’sposition: The MNF violence had to end; Mizoram had to stay in the Union,forswearingconflictandcommittedtoinclusivepolitics.

Today, Mizoram is a state that cradles several oddities. It is a Christian-majority state where the Presbyterian Church has immense influence overeverydaylifeandpolitics.ItisoneofthefewstatesenforcingprohibitionduetointerventionbythePresbyterianChurch.Italsoboastsoneof thehighestvoterturnouts in the country. It appears that electoral politics have taken a healthy,competitiveturnaftertwodecadesofviolence.

Addressing the Mizoram assembly, President Kalam presented sevenmissions for Mizoram prosperity – a biofuel mission, a bamboo mission, ahorticulturalmission, amission for preparingparamedics and technicianswithqualitytraining,atourismmission(includinggeneral,spiritualandecotourism),amissionforcreatingasecuredexclusiveeconomiczoneandamissionfortheestablishmentofPURAforruralprosperity–andexplainedeachof themwiththe passion of an evangelist. ‘Production of biofuel plants in the 260,000hectaresofbarrenlandinthestateitselfcangenerateemploymentformorethanalakhpeople,besidesprovidingearningstothetuneofRs325croresayear,’hesaid.

DrKalamvisitedSairang,apicturesquevillageofabout5,000people.Whileanswering thequeriesofschoolchildren there,DrKalamtold themthathehadbecomewhathewasinlifeasaresultofhisteacher,whotaughthimhowbirdsfly.‘Ilearnednotonlyhowabirdflies,butalsohowonefliesinlife.’Villagersaddressed their grievance to the president, that they were denied access toresourcesoftheareabyvestedinterestsinthestategovernment.Yearslater,theywouldtellhowafewdaysafterhisvisit,theoppressivesystemthatfavoureda

wealthyfewfromthecitywasabolished.Theirvillagesubsequentlyprogressed.AttheconclusionofalltheofficialengagementsinMizoram,itwasevening.

I was ready for a good night’s rest, and arrangements had been made for amorning flight to take the president and his entourage back to Delhi. But DrKalamwasrestless,anddecidedwewouldreturntoDelhithatnight.ThelocalIndian Air Force (IAF) station’s head was summoned and informed of thepresident’s wish to fly to the national capital. ‘But there are no facilities fortakingofffromtheairportatnight,’theIAFofficersaid,thinkingthatthematterwas settled. Dr Kalam, though, was singularly unimpressed, and remainedadamantthattheywouldfly.Hesaid,‘Whatifthereisanemergency?WilltheIAF wait for the morning? Tell them I have to take off and all necessaryarrangementsshouldbemade.’

Obeying theorderof thesupremecommanderof thearmedforces, the IAFpersonnel placed lanterns and torches and lit bonfires along the verge of therunwaytofacilitatetheplane’stake-off.WhenIaskedtheairforceofficerwhileboarding theaircraftaround9p.m. if itwassafe to takeoff,hisanswersentashiver down my spine: ‘The aircraft will take off, but should there be someproblemandifyouhavetoreturn,itwillnotbepossible.’Buteverythingwentsmoothly,andwelandedinDelhiwithoutincident.

BackinthestudyatRashtrapatiBhavanthatnight,IaskedDrKalamwhyhetooktherisk.HepulledouttheBiblefromhisbookshelfandopenedatthepageofthePsalmofDavid,theLordismyshepherd,formetoread:‘EventhoughIwalkthroughthevalleyoftheshadowofdeath,Iwillfearnoevil,foryouarewithme;yourrodandyourstaff,theycomfortme.’4

D

5.3

InstrumentsofGod

Lord,makemeaninstrumentofYourpeace.Wherethereishatred,letmesowlove;wherethereisinjury,pardon;wherethereisdoubt,faith;wherethereisdespair,hope;wherethereisdarkness,light;wherethereissadness,joy.

–StFrancisofAssisiThirteenth-centuryItalianCatholicfriar

r Kalam turned seventy-four on 15 October 2005. He chose to be inHyderabadforhisbirthday.DuringhisvisittoTanzaniainSeptember2004,

hecametoknowabouttheheart-rendingplightoffamilieswhosechildren,bornwith congenital heart diseases, were dying without treatment. He initiated aprocess of transforming some of these lives. Formany, a birthday is a day offestivityandindulgence;butnotforDrKalam.HestartedhisdaybymeetingagroupofTanzanianchildren,whohadundergonesurgeriestocorrectcongenitalheart defects atCareHospital,Hyderabad.DrKalam affectionately placed hishandontheheadofeachchild,andpresentedeveryoneofthemwithaboxofgift-wrappedtoffeesbroughtfromDelhi.HeturnedtoDrB.SomaRajuandV.Thulasidasandsaid,‘Beautifuljob,Godblessyou.’

Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy and TeluguDesam Party president N. ChandrababuNaidu,whohadcometogreetPresidentKalamwithflowerbouquetsattheRajBhavan,werewaiting outside.Theywere astonished that he had given this event suchpriority.Wordscouldscarcedescribethejoyonthefacesofthechildrenastheyemergedfromtheroomclutchingtheirgifts.Afewmonthsearliertheyhadnotknownwhethertheywouldlivetoseetheirnextbirthday.Today,curedoftheirdisease,theyhadreceivedgiftsandblessingsfromthepresidentofIndia.

Thebestpartofall thiswasthatDrKalamwasnoteventhinkingaboutthe

miracle that he had masterminded in these children’s lives. He was simplycarryingoutwhat he perceived as normal activity: his duty to the divinewill.Perhaps,though,witnessingtheyoungsters’healthandbeamingexpressionshadbeen his secret birthday indulgence. There is some parallel here with hisforgoingthecustomaryIftarpartiesatRashtrapatiBhavaninfavourofdonationsto orphanages: he would derive pleasure at the thought of children enjoyingthemselvesratherthaninhisownindulgence.

UponhisreturnfromTanzaniaayearearlier,DrKalamhadaskedmetofindsomemeansofarrangingfreetravelforchildrenandtheirmothersfromDaresSalaamtoHyderabad.HesuggestedthatIliaisewithV.Thulasidas,withwhomIhadworkedinTripuratosetuptheTelemedicineservicesin2003.V.ThulasidaswasnowthechairmanandmanagingdirectorofAirIndia.Hemostgraciouslyagreed to assist. Dr B. Soma Raju, chairman of Care Hospitals, and DrGopichandMannam, chief cardiothoracic surgeon, volunteered to provide freetreatment.

MadamEvaL.Nzaro,highcommissionerofTanzania to India, travelled toTanzaniatoidentifyneedychildrenwithcongenitalheartdefectsfrompoorruralfamilies,withthehelpofthenotedpaediatricianDrHelgaNaburi.Twenty-fourchildrenwith theirmotherswere flown free of cost byAir India fromDar esSalaam to Hyderabad, and Dr Naburi came to India with the children. CareFoundationorganizedfreeboardandlodgingforthegroupoffiftypeople,whostayedinHyderabadforaboutamonth.OnenoblethoughtofDrKalambroughtoutgoodnessfromsomanyhearts.Thatwasthetruepoweroftheman.

Later,onhisseventy-fourthbirthday,DrKalamlaunchedapilotprojectwiththe aim of correcting refractive errors in 125,000 children,with his friendDrGullapalliNageswaraRao.IwasaconstantcompanionofDrKalamduringthevariousmeetingstheyhadsince1996,whenIbroughtDrKalamtoL.V.PrasadEyeInstitute (LVPEI) foraneyeexamination.DrKalamwashavingdifficultyreading. Dr Tara Prasad Das examined him. Very pleased tomeet Dr Kalam,whomhehadadmired foryears,DrT.P.Daswrote thecasesheethimself.HerecordedDrKalam’snameas‘AbdulKalamAzad’andrefusedtochargeafeefor theeyeexamination. ‘YouserveMother India,sir.Today,achance toserveyouwithwhat little Iknow is indeedagreatblessing.Pleasedonot labelmysevawithmoney,’hesaid.HethenescortedustoDrG.N.Rao,whereawarm

friendshipbrewedoveracupofcoffee.‘Tellmeyourstory,doctor,’DrKalamaskedDrRao.DrRaosurprisedhim

bysharing thathehad livedasachildby thehouseofDrKalam’s friend, thegreatDrGovindappaVenkataswamy.InspiredbyDrV,DrRaosaidthathehaddecided to become a ‘doctor of the eyes’, even before he started school. DrKalamwasimmenselypleasedthattheysharedanadmirationforDrV;DrRaowaslikeachildrelayingstoriesofhishero.DrG.N.Rao,whowasoneof themostcharismaticpeopleIhadevermet,charmedDrKalamwithhissimpleandyetprofoundnarrative:

Mygrandfatherwasafreedomfighterwhogaveawayhiswealth,butmyunclelivedalifedefinedbyacompulsiveneedtoconsume.Mygrandfatheralwayswonderedwhathecouldgivetoothers.My uncle always deliberatedwhat he could take from others. I grew up amidst an ever-presentpolarityinlifeandlearnedearlythatyouhavetochooseapathforyourselfandlivebyyourchoice.Ifthisisnotdone,youenduplivingalifeoffalsecomparisonsandtormentingyourselfeverytimeyoucomearoundapparentlysuccessfulandseeminglyhappypeople.Thedoctors’communityhasmanyvictimsofthislifestyledisease.Theyenterthemedicalprofessiontoservebutlatergetdrawninto the rat race of greed and consumption. Iwas immunized against this disease right frommychildhood.

I returned to India after teaching at the University of Rochester in the United States, with adreamtostartmyownAravindHospital.Mysavingswerenotenoughtobuyland.ChiefMinisterN.T.RamaRaopromisedmeland,buthisofficialswouldnotbudge.Chiefministerscomeandgobut officials remain, and it has never been easy to convert decisions into actions in our country.Thenoneday,onecommonfriendtookmetoRameshPrasad,sonofL.V.Prasad,thewell-knownmoviedirectorandproducer.Afterdiscussionsandgoingthroughtheprojectproposal,hedecidedtodonateonecrorerupeesandfiveacresofland.Hepledgedthattherewouldbenointerference–noworever.Rameshsaid,‘Pleasenametheinstituteaftermyfather’,andthatishowL.V.PrasadEyeInstitutebegan.

WhenPresidentK.R.Narayanandevelopedacataract,hissecretaryGopalkrishnaGandhicalledme. Idutifullyexamined the firstcitizenof Indiaandrecommendedsurgery. I suggested thatmycolleaguewoulddotheoperationasIhadstoppedoperatingsinceIturnedfifty-five.GopalkrishnaGandhitoldmetooperateonthepresidentasaspecialfavourtohim.Isaid,‘Sir,Iamindeeddoingyouafavourbynotoperatingonthepresident.’

PresidentKalamlaunchedfourvisionpreservationandrestorationprogrammes–Children’sEyeHealth Initiative,Sight forKids,LionsDiabeticRetinopathyandPhaseIIofSightFirstProgramme–attheLVPEI,aspartoftheWorldSightDaycelebrations.Hepresented theMelwynJonesFellowship toTaeSupLee,

chairperson of Lions Club International Committee of Campaign Sight FirstPhase II programme, for his fund-raising efforts. DrG.N. Rao said India hadshown that itwas capable of controlling blindness. Therewas drop of 25 percentinthenumberofblindpersonsinthecountrybetween1995and2005.

DrKalamunderstooditisnotenoughjusttoattendeventsandmouthemptyplatitudesaboutcharityorsocialupliftment.Forhim,society’sbettermenthadtobeamatterofpersonalcommitmentofeveryonewithanymeans.HedonatedRs10lakhofhispersonalmoneyforrestoringthevisionofabout100children,andadministered an oath to the audience that they would strive for restoring thevision of at least ten people. The auditorium of the LVPEI glowed with thedivinelight.Nevertheless,Iamyettoseetheoathfulfilledbythemanyeminentpeoplewhowerethereandsworeit.

On6November2005,PramukhSwamijiconsecratedAkshardhamTempleinDelhi. Itwas hailed as the largestHindu temple in theworld, and one of themodernarchitecturalwonders.PresidentKalamwasinvitedtotheinaugurationceremony, along with PrimeMinisterManmohan Singh and the leader of theoppositionL.K.Advani.Morethan40,000peoplewerepresent in themajestictemplecomplex.

DrKalamdeclared thatAkshardhamTemple had arisen at the dawnof thetwenty-first century only with the commitment and dedication of one milliondevoteesandvolunteers.ItinspiredhimandgavehimtheconfidencethatIndianpeoplecantakeupbigprojectsandsucceed;thattherealizationofadevelopedIndiawaseminentlypossiblebefore2020withthemillionsofignitedmindsofIndianyouth.

Aftertheceremony,DrKalamaskedPramukhSwamiji,‘Swamiji,whenIseeAkshardham and your work, the team spirit and hard work of thousands arevisibleinthisgreatspiritualcentre.Howareyouabletoattractsuchenthusiasticand spiritual workers? I am dreaming and dreaming of this type of spiritualleadership–purposefulleadership–whichisessentialfortheIndia2020vision:thenationaleconomicdevelopmentmission.Swamiji,youare theembodimentoftruespirituality.Thedivinespiritisincarnateinyou.YouhavesomuchdivinepowerthatIfeelthatanythingispossibleinthisworld.IwanttoworkwithyouforabetterIndia.’

PramukhSwamiji said, ‘Weshouldwork together. Ipray thatyou toohave

thisspiritualenergyandmayitincrease.Yourlifefromthebeginninghasbeenverypious.DivinepowerhasworkedthroughyouforIndia.’

DrKalamsuggestederectingastatueoftheTamilsaintpoetThiruvalluvarinthetemplecomplex,andpresentedtoPramukhSwamijihispoem‘TheMotherEmbracesHerChildren’thathehadcomposedfortheoccasion:

Myjourneycommenced,inmyancestralhome:Lovingfamilies,Multiplecradles,Thecivilizationofmynation!Mymothernurturedmewithlove,Myfathergavemedisciplineasstrength.Iwantedtobethereforever,Butmyparentssentmeofftogrowandexcel.IfeelthetenderloveofmymotherhereAndthestrengthofmyfather’sdisciplineIndiacandoitThedawnofcivilizationalabode–Akshardham.1

Pramukh Swamiji heard the poem and looked at Dr Kalam with eyes full oflovingcompassion.SadhuBrahmaviharidas,whowastranslating,added,‘ThereisadeepneedforpreservingthevaluesandwisdomofIndiancultureamongtheIndiandiaspora.’

Backathome,wehadadiscussiononthegloriouseventwehadattended.Arun:Sir,youwerebeamingwithhappinessinthefunctiontoday.

Kalam:Yes.Iamveryhappytoday.Itisincrediblethatinlessthanfiveyears’ timesuchawonderfulbuildingcanbecreated.In2001,Isawitonpaper;todayitwasthereinfrontofmyeyes.Arun: I understand that no cement or steel is used to construct suchgigantic structures. Stones are interlocked together using the ancientIndianartoftempleconstruction.Kalam: I have never seen before such intricate stonework. In today’sworld of glass and steel buildings, Akshardham appears as a buildingreturnedfromsomegoldenageofthepast.Arun:Howcoulditbedone?Kalam:Icanseetwothingsatwork.FirstisthegrandvisionofPramukh

Swamiji. He sees what others can’t. The second is the quality of hisfollowersandthedepthoftheirdevotion.Arun:What ifourpolitical leadershaveagrandvisionforourcountryandtheirfollowersraisetheirlivestohigherstandards!Kalam:That can’thappenwithout faith inGod.This iswhatPramukhSwamijitoldmewhenImethimfirstin2001.AddthesixthelementoffaithinGodtothefiveelementsofIndia2020vision.Ididnot.Arun:Or,youcouldnot?Kalam:Perhapsyes.IamyettobecomeaninstrumentofGod.

I felt, asmostwould, thatDrKalamwas being self-effacing as usual. In anyevent, his work for the betterment of others continued. President Kalam wasinvited to the tenthconvocationof theNational InstituteofMentalHealthandNeurosciences (NIMHANS),Bangalore.This institutehasemergedasacentreofexcellenceforpatientcareandacademicpursuitsinthefieldsofmentalhealthand neurosciences. The rather bleakly named nineteenth-century LunaticAsylumwas given themore palatable title ofMentalHospital in 1925 by theMaharajaofMysore.In1954,theGovernmentofIndiaestablishedtheAllIndiaInstitute of Mental Health. In 1974, the institute and the hospitals wereamalgamated into the present form of NIMHANS. Service, manpowerdevelopmentandresearchweremadeexpressprioritiesforNIMHANS.

DrKalamaskedmetositwithDrW.Selvamurthyandgatherhisviewsonwhether modern treatment of mental health was lacking compassion. DrSelvamurthy had beenDrKalam’s friend formany years. He had undertakenoutstanding research on the psychological responses of individuals in extremeenvironments,andonmotivation.Hisstudyforthegovernmentonthealienationof local populations in Jammu and Kashmir was highly acclaimed. Therecommendations from his studies on the prevalence of suicide and fratricideamongsttroopswereimplementedbythearmedforces.

WebriefedDrKalamontheneedforamiddlepathbetweenthetwoextremesof compassion without scientific knowledge on the one hand, and scientificknowledge without compassion on the other. When patients find their livesturnedupsidedownbypoormentalhealth,theyturntotheirfriendsandthoseofa religiousprofession as their first port of call for help.Manyof thesepeople

may be kind and have the best intentions for the patient, but lack specialistknowledgerequiredtoguidethepatientbackontotherightpath.Theireffortscould thus have a detrimental effect, driving him further into his illness. Thedangercanthenbethatthepatientsuffersacompleteemotionalbreakdown,withtheresultingfamilytraumaandlossofproductivityforsociety.

Specialist care –which fewpatients receive – is usually adequate formostpatients. But there are occasions where an utter lack of compassion has leftpatientsreeling.Somedoctorswouldsimplypronouncethatapatienthaschosentobeaffectedbyaphobicanxietyandhecouldchoosetostophavingit.Therehavebeennumerous instances in teachinghospitalswhere seniordoctorshavecalled their juniors to coolly observe the distress of their patients, withoutofferingthepatientsoneword,lookortouchofcompassion.Forthem,apatienthad become an object of study and not a suffering human being. Dr Kalamdecidedtoproposeanagendaforrevivingcompassioninthementalhealthcaresystem.

President Kalam arrived at NIMHANS on 21 November 2005. The Unionminister for health and family welfare, Anbumani Ramadoss, and Dr D.Nagaraja, director and vice chancellor of NIMHANS received him. In hisspeech, Dr Kalam foreshadowed the challenges facing the mental healthprofession in coming years. He stated that according to the World HealthOrganization(WHO),braindisorderswillbethegravestpublichealththreatinthenext fewdecades.Hesuggested thatacomprehensivehumanbrainprojectshould be taken upwith active participation of research institutions, includingNIMHANS,governmentagencies,academiaandtheentiremedicalfraternity.DrKalam’s speech was, as India’s people had come to expect, a curiousmix ofsagacityandpracticality:

The confusion between mind and brain has always perplexed medical scientists. Answers toquestions like ‘What is themind?’ and ‘Whoam I?’don’t lie in thedomainofphilosophers andpsychologistsalone.Molecularbiologistsandneurologistsareformulatingtheirowntheories.Thisphenomenonleadstodifferenttypesofsituations.First,thereisapresenceofanenergysystemintheexistenceofasoul thatentersand lives inapersonalityovera lifetime.Thiseternalentity iscapable of both withdrawing into a slumber and tapping the universal energy of divinity andcollectiveconsciousness for itsempowerment.Second, there isaheritablesensoryandbiologicalcomponent to the personality and behavioural traits. Third, as I understand, no definitivepsychopharmacological recommendations are available for specific groups of patients with

personalitydisorders.Ifitispossibletoanalysebehaviouraltendenciesandderiveaninclinationoraptitudepatternof

apersonthroughrigorousandextensiveresearch,especiallyatanearlyage,itwillhelpthepersonto opt for that particular field. This will also enable early detection of negative emotions andprojectionofconcealeddestructivetendenciesinachild,whichcanbesetrightat theearlystageitself.2

Regarding mentally challenged children, the president wanted NIMHANS tocreate a vision incorporating the advances made in multiple disciplines ofscience and engineering. This should encompass new possibilities for treatinggenetic disorders. Father George’s PhD thesis topic at Anna University hadsparkedanenduringinterestinDrKalam,forseekingtechnologicalsolutionstointellectual impairment: ‘Thesedisorders canmanifest asmentaldisorders andcreate mentally challenged children. Stem cell research and gene chipapplicationaregoingtoplayavitalroleinreversingmanyofthebraindisorders.Can thebrain researchers fromNIMHANSand theyoungwhoaregraduatingtodaytakeitasamissionoftheirprofession?’

Bythistime,medicineandwell-beinghadbecomeoneofDrKalam’smanypreoccupations.Hecouldsee the failureofmodernmedicine inalleviating thesuffering of the poor. The success of modern medicine, with the advent ofrevolutionary surgical procedures andwonder drugs,was only one side of thestory;andevenherethereweregroundsforseriousmisgivings.DrKalamwasbecomingincreasinglyconvincedoftherelevanceofIndiantraditionalmedicineandtheimportanceofpreventionbyadoptingahealthylifestyle.

On 17 December 2005, President Kalam visited the Ayurveda HospitalcomplexatErnakulum inKerala,andused thisopportunity todeepenhisowninsights throughinteractingwith thebestof theminds there.DrKalamalwaystreatedconferencesasgreatplacesoflearning.‘Whatayearatcollegemaynotprovide,agurucangiveinaday;whatabookcannotteachinamonth,agurucanconveyinanhour!’hewouldsaywithconviction.

DrKalamwastoldthateventhoughduringthelatercolonialperiodAyurvedaandothertraditionalhealingsystemsweremarginalizedbytheBritish,Ayurvedawouldendureunderthesponsorshipofenlightenedlocalrulers.EvenasWesternmedicine became more dominant, Ayurveda colleges offering diplomas werecreatedinseveralcentresthroughoutIndia.Someofthesealsoofferedcoursesof

study of classical texts in Sanskrit.Moreover, a number of these institutions,particularlyinKerala,profferedabroad-basedmedicaleducationthatintegratedAyurvedaandWesternmedicalconceptsofdiseaseandwellness.Inmorerecenttimes,pharmaceuticalcompanieshavebeguntoproducehigh-qualityAyurvedicpreparationsandotherformsoftraditionalmedicines.

AfterIndependence,theGovernmentofIndiamadesomeeffortstoraisethestatusofAyurveda,SiddhaandUnani,thathadlongbeenderidedbyaWestern-oriented allopathic medical establishment. In 1964, a government body wasformedwith the aim of setting norms for themanufacture and control of thequalityof traditionalmedicinalpreparations. In1970, theGovernmentofIndiapassed the Indian Medical Central Council Act. This legislation standardizedAyurveda teaching institutions, their curriculum and their diplomas. It wouldtake another ten years before the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga andNaturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) could be formed for thepromotionofeducationandresearchinthese‘alternative’healthdisciplines.

Keralahasbeenblessedby somevisionarykings throughout its history.Tokeeppacewiththegrowinginfluenceofmodernmedicine,thekingofCochin,Rajarshi Rama Varma started an Ayurveda course at the Sanskrit College in1926.Over theyears, thedepartment evolved into a college, and in1959wasdesignatedaninstituteandmovedtotheRoyalGuestHouseattheHillPalace.In 1973, the institute was shifted to the Puthiyakavu campus and becameaffiliated to Kerala University. It has since become a centre of excellence inAyurvedicmedicine.

Flankedby the chiefminister ofKerala,OommenChandy, theminister forhealth, K.K. Ramachandran, and minister for education, E.T. MohammedBasheer,PresidentKalamurgeddoctorstospendmoretimewiththeirpatients.Heexhortedthemtoteachpatientstheimportanceofhealthierlifestyles,ratherthantreatthemasobjectsanddoleoutmedicinewithoutcompunction.Hesawthedutyofthemedicalpractitionerinspiritualterms:

Sinceeveryoneofyouisinvolvedinthenobleprofessionofremovingthepainofthepeople,youcanalsoplayavital role inpreventingailments throughproperhealtheducation to thepatientaswellastohisorherrelativesandfriendsthroughlifestyleintervention.Whenyouremovethepainsofthepeople,thepatientbecomespartandparcelofyouandconsidersyoualmostasGod.Hence,the patient will definitely accept your health education, considering you as the most respected

guru.3

DrKalamdevelopedhisownstatisticsbasedonhisdiscussionsandfeedbackfrom the huge network of his well-informed friends. He surmised that for asignificantproportionoftheIndianpopulation,theriskofdyingbeforetheageoffiftyistentimesthenationalaverage.Inthisgroup,adultshavefivetimestheaverageincidenceofdisablingheartdisease,tentimestheaverageincidenceofvisual impairment and six times the incidence of mental illness, mentalretardation and nervous disorders. This assertion has never been contradicted,because few have really cared to delve into the problems of the poor in ourcountry.DrKalamwasthefirstpresidentwhohadgonebeyondsigningpapers,attendingeventsandgracingstateoccasions.Ourscientistpresidentwasaskinguncomfortablequestionsandurgingchange,asifaninstrumentofGod.

O

5.4

AMan’sCompass

Thereisahighercourtthancourtsofjusticeandthatisthecourtofconscience.Itsupersedesallothercourts.

–MahatmaGandhi

n 25 January 2006, the Supreme Court came down heavily on Bihargovernor, Buta Singh, for recommending the dissolution of the state

assembly the previous year. In a scathing indictment of his actions, the courtheld that the dissolutionwas both unconstitutional and illegal and amala fideexerciseof thegovernor’spower.Further–andperhapsevenmoredamning–was the court’s finding that the governor’s actions were motivated only by adesiretopreventtheJanataDal(U)leaderNitishKumarfromstakingaclaimtogovernment.

Aconstitutionalbenchof theSupremeCourt,byamajorityof threeagainsttwo,alsoheldthat

…intheabsenceoftherelevantmaterial,muchlessdueverification,thereportofthegovernorhasto be treated as the personal ipse dixit (perception or opinion) of the governor. The drastic andextreme action under Article 356 of the Constitution cannot be justified on mere ipse dixit,suspicion,whimsandfanciesofthegovernor.1

This deeply affectedDrKalam, amanwhohad lived a life of unimpeachableintegrityandwhosemoral rigourborderedon theascetic. Itwasultimatelyhisorder–onehehadsignedintheearlyhoursofthemorninginMoscowundertheadviceoftheprimeminister–whichhadgiveneffecttoGovernorButaSingh’srecommendation.Hours later, inhis presidential addressonnational televisionontheeveoftheRepublicday,DrKalamsurprisedmanybytellingthestoryof

anhonestchild,AbdulQadir,formorethanfiveminutes.The poor boy said he had forty gold coins hidden in his coat. The robber

rippedthroughhiscoatandfoundthecoins.TheastonishedrobberaskedAbdulQadir,whatpromptedhim tomake this confession?AbdulQadir replied. ‘Mymothermademepromisetoalwaysbetruthful,evenatthecostofmylife.Here,itwasamatterofonlyfortygoldcoins.SoItoldthetruthinsteadofbetrayinghertrustinme.’Thelootersstartedweepingandsaid,‘Youhaveadheredtotheadviceofyourgreatmother,butwehavebeenbetrayingthetrustofourparentsandthecovenantofourCreatorformanyyears.’2

The following day, President Kalam took the salute at the Republic DayparadewithKingAbdullahbinAbdulazizal-Saud,themonarchoftheKingdomof SaudiArabia. It was after a hiatus ofmore than half a century – since anexchangeofvisitsbythetopleadersinthe1950s–thatthekingofSaudiArabiamadearoyalvisittoIndia.Itwasforthefirsttimeinmorethanaquarter-century,after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited in 1982, that India gained directaccess to the Saudi leadership. Until that time, the gulf kingdom had beenhesitant to interactwith India in anything but themost routineway.Thiswasnotwithstanding theconsiderablecommercial interestsofbothcountries:SaudiArabia in selling oil to India, and India in securing employment for IndianworkersinSaudiArabia.

AfteroverseeingtheRepublicDayceremonieswithhisusualelan,DrKalamdescended into a reflectivemood,with long spells of silence and solitude.Hediscussedatlengthhiswishtoresignwithallhisfriendsandtheseniorofficialsat Rashtrapati Bhavan in view of the Supreme Court judgment. Sheridon,PresidentKalam’spersonalsecretaryandmyfriendsince1993,calledmeon2February2006.HeaskedmetotakeaneveningflightfromHyderabadtoDelhisothatIcouldtalktoDrKalaminperson,and‘convincesirnottoquit’,whichhefearedhewoulddothefollowingmorning.BythetimeIreachedRashtrapatiBhavan, it was almostmidnight.DrKalamwas in his sitting room, in casualattire;herarelysleptbefore2a.m.Hewas inapensivemood.Afterourusualpleasantries,wesattogether,andhegotstraighttothepoint:

Kalam:Buddy,Ihavedecidedtogetoutofhereanddosomegoodwork.Arun: Sir, your presence here is facilitating a lot of good work by

thousandsofpeople.Thatwouldcollapse.Kalam:Myconsciencetellsmetoquit.Arun:Sir,isityourconscienceoryourego?Kalam:Whatisthisnewtrap?Arun:Notrap,sir.Youonlyteachmetolivebytheconsciencesothatitproducesintegrityandpeaceofmind.Youonlyteachmeit isbetter todispleasepeoplebydoingwhatyouknow is right, than to temporarilypleasethembydoingwhatyouknowiswrong.Kalam:Yes.So?Arun: Then why are you upset? That you did wrong in signing thedissolutionpaperinMoscow?Kalam:No. I did the right thing. Anything else would undermine theauthorityoftheUnioncabinet.Iwentbymymoralcompass.Arun:TheSupremeCourtsaidthatthepapersmustnothavebeenputtoyoubythecabinet.Sowheredoyoucomeintothis?Ofcourseyouregoishurt.Kalam:Youareafunnyguy.Goandsleep.

It is indeed true that ego focuses on one’s own survival and pleasure. It isselfishlyambitioustotheextentofexclusionofothers.Conscience,ontheotherhand,elevatesegotoalargersenseofthegroup,tothegreatergood.Itseeslifein terms of service and contribution. Conscience has patience and wisdomguidingit.Itiscapableofadaptation.Egomicromanages,reducesone’scapacityandexcelsincontrol.Consciencereflectstheworthandvalueofallpeopleandaffirms their power and freedom to choose. Ego is threatened by negativefeedback.Itperceivesalldataintermsofself-preservation.

When inFebruary 2006,PresidentKalam reviewed the IndianNavy’s fleetandwitnesseditsoperationalprowessintheportcityofVisakhapatnam,hewasradiatingtheenergyofconscience;theunblemishedmirrorofhispureheartwasreflectingthedivinelight.

On13February2006,PresidentA.P.J.AbdulKalambecamethefirstIndianhead of state to sail in a submarine, when he took to the water aboard INSSindhurakshakduringthecraft’sdeploymentinVishakhapatnam.Hewasgivenademonstrativeexcursion,duringwhich thesubmarinedivedandsailed in the

Bay of Bengal for a few hours. The chief of naval staff, Arun Prakash,accompaniedhim.CommanderPraveshSinghBishtcommandedthesubmarine.

INSSindhurakshaktravelledaboutfivemilesoffthecoastofVisakhapatnamanddivedtoadepthof50metres.CommanderBishtexplainedtothepresidentthe functioning of the submarine. He was also taken around the fivecompartments of the boat, so as to give him first-hand knowledge of thesubmarine’soperations.WhenPresidentKalamthankedCommanderBishtwhiledisembarking, theofficerpaidhimanemotional tribute:‘Sir, I joinedthenavywhenIwasaboy.Thenavylookedaftermelikemymother.Itfedme,tookcareofmeandgavemewonderfulopportunities.TodayIamfeelingmyfatherhadvisitedmymother.’

PresidentKalam,asthesupremecommanderofIndianarmedforces,stoodonthedeckofINSSukanyaasitsailedpastshipslinedupinfourcolumnsofftheRamakrishna beach. Ten warships followed the presidential yacht on its two-hour inspection trip. As the presidential yacht passed between the rows ofwarships, the crew lined the upper decks in white ceremonial uniforms anddoffedtheircapsinunison.Itwasindeedastunningspectacle,oneofthemoreattractiveanddramaticceremonialgesturesofDrKalam’spresidency.

The Eastern Naval Command showcased India’s maritime prowess,comprising around fifty ships and fifty-five aircraft, including aircraft carrierINS Viraat, Talwar-class missile frigates, Delhi-class missile destroyers,Godavari-classfrigates,stealthfrigates,threesubmarines,navalseafightersandhelicopters likeTU-142maritimepatrolplanes,SeaHarrier jets,SeaKingandKamovhelicopters.Thereviewculminatedwithafly-pastfeaturingfortynavalaircraft.

Also in February 2006, PresidentKalam paid state visits to Singapore, thePhilippinesandtotheRepublicofKorea.DrRaghuvanshPrasadSingh,ministerofruraldevelopmentandSmt.SumitraMahajanaccompaniedhim.

AftermeetingswithPresidentS.R.Nathan,PrimeMinisterLeeHsienLoong,DefenceMinisterTeoCheeHean,TradeandIndustryMinisterLimHngKiangandForeignAffairsMinisterGeorgeYeo,PresidentKalamvisitedtheNanyangTechnologicalUniversity(NTU)on2February2006.HefeltrightathomeattheNTU campus, with its greenery and the smooth lines of its postmodernarchitecture.Itsstylewasuncompromisinglycontemporary,withnoneoftheivy

andcloistersoftraditionaluniversities;butithadanambienceofaninstitutionlookingtothefuture.AfteraquicktourofNTU’sworkonearthquake,tsunamiandwaterresearch,hemetfiftyfacultymembers.

President Kalam gifted ‘Bio-Suite’ – a comprehensive state-of-the-artsoftware package that caters to all aspects of computational biology fromgenomicstodrugdesign–totheNTU.TataConsultancyServices(TCS),underthe New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)programme, sponsored by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research,developed this bioinformatics product. Dr Kalam suggested collaborativeendeavoursbetweenIndiaandSingaporeinthenano-bioinformaticdomain.

Withhislifelongpassionforaeronauticsandhiszealfornationalprogress,DrKalam always had an eye out for opportunities for the Indian aircraftmanufacturing industry. He suggested that with India’s proven competence indesigning,developingandmanufacturingbothcivilianandmilitaryaircraft,theaerospacecommunitiesinIndiaandSingaporeshouldcooperatetoadvancetheregion’sindustry.HesuggestedacollaborativeprojectfordevelopingASEAN’sfirstpassengerjet,tosupportthehugedemandfortravelinvariouspartsoftheworldinthecomingdecades.

Dr Kalam gave a very warmly received lecture to the NTU students. HespokeatsomelengthaboutthehistoryofscientificdevelopmentsinIndiaanditsachievements in this sphere. Itwas avibrant atmosphere,withyoung studentsalternatelybreakingintocheersandrapturouslaughter.PraisingtheupbeatvibeoftheNTUcampus,DrKalamsaidhewouldhavelikedtohavedonehisPhDhere, had he been younger. After the function, Dr Kalam stepped over thesecuritycordonandshookhandswitheager students. Itwasalmost likeapopidol being mobbed.3 NTU president Dr Su Guaning noted the ‘rock-star-likebuzz’DrKalamcreated:‘Plungingintoengageyoungpeople,heshowedallofuswhyhehadreceivedtheaccoladeof“People’sPresident”.’4

President Kalam’s first engagement in the Philippines was a visit to theCollege ofNursing, an institution that had sent its graduates across the globe.His insistence on going there had earlier surprised the visit’s planners. Theywere at a loss to understand why the president of India would want to see anursingcollege.Buttheyweredealingwithagreathumanistwhoserealitywasdifferentfromthedramaandglitterofpompousceremonies.Onehadtoseethe

enthusiasmandprideinthefacesofthenursingstudentsandtheirteachers,asIdid,tounderstandthat.AndtherewaspurposeinDrKalam’svisit.Heknewthatthis engagement had at least as much relevance for his people as any statefunction.Themanofvision thathewas,hesawthepotential forhisnation intheirwork:

Youhaveintroducedsomeuniquecoursestomakenursesintodoctorsforruralareas.IwantIndiatotakeacluefromthisandmakechangesinthenursingsyllabusthere.Iwilltakeitup.Thisworkcarries the seeds of agenda for the future nursing community.Well-prepared nurse leaders mayassume positions of power and influence on key decision-making bodies. I can see greatpossibilities of Indian andFilipinonurses andparamedicsworking together and emerging as themostpowerfulhuman resource in theworld…Empowermentof thenursingcommunity isveryimportant… this includes increasing the economic value of nursing in the healthcare industry,nurse-piloted hospital systems, direct public relations and communication and self-regulatorycultureandeducation.5

During his meeting with the president of the Philippines, Gloria MacapagalArroyo, on 4 February, President Kalam symbolically handed over thefoundation seeds of improved peanut and sweet sorghum, developed by theInternationalCropsResearchInstitutefortheSemi-AridTropics(ICRISAT).DrKalam’s friend Dr William Dar was standing by his side. Dr Kalam toldPresidentMacapagalArroyo, ‘DrDar is agreatgift ofyour country to Indiansmallholderfarmers.HegaveahumanfacetoagriculturalresearchinIndia.’Inonestatevisit,DrKalamhadencompassedthetwoprimaryconcernsofhumanexistence: food and health. His understanding of priorities could never befaulted.

Atanyrate,PresidentKalamcouldjustaseasilywalktheredcarpetasdealwith the pressing issues of humanity. President Macapagal Arroyo hosted abanquet in honour of President Kalam in the Rizal Hall of the MalacanangPalace on 4 February 2006. The word ‘Malacanang’ in Tagalog, a Filipinolanguage, means, ‘there is a noble man there’. The Malacanang Palace hasindeed stoodwitness to thehistoryof thePhilippines.This greatwhitewashedmansionon thebankof thePasig reflectson the river’scalmly flowingwater,just as it has mirrored the changing fortunes and rulers of the country.MalacanangPalacehasbeenoccupiedbyeighteenSpanishGovernorsGeneral,fourteenAmericanmilitaryandcivilgovernorsandlater,eachofthepresidents

ofthePhilippines.FromSiachentoceremoniesofstate,ourpresidentwascomfortableinalmost

anygivensituation,butIcanneverforgetDrKalam’sblushingfaceandshynessinPresidentArroyo’spresence.Forallofhis life,DrKalamhadbeenused todemurelyattiredIndianladies.Hehadonlyeverencounteredwomenfromotherlandsinsober,formalsettings.PresidentArroyo,though,wassimplydazzlinginanaquamarineoff-the-shoulderbrocadegownwithadiamondnecklaceadorningherbaredécolletage.HerglamorousdemeanourwasquiteacultureshockforDrKalam. His usual calm aplomb deserted him, and he stood bashfully next toPresidentArroyoatthebanquetwhilesheproposedatoasttohim.

Thedayfollowingthebanquet,PresidentKalamvisitedtheInternationalRiceResearch Institute (IRRI) inLosBaños inLagunaProvinceof thePhilippines.DrM.S.SwaminathanwasthedirectorgeneralofIRRIduring1982–88,andtheIRRI–Indiapartnershipunderhisguidancehadbeenanoutstandingexerciseincollaboration. Because of its symbiotic nature, this partnership had not onlyenduredbutthrivedovertheprecedinghalf-century,advancingbothglobalricescience development and India’s rice production. Dr Kalam liked the idea ofsalted eggs grown there using genetic engineering, and chatted with poultryfarmersaboutthisnovelproduct.

President Kalam addressed a joint session of the Philippine Congress inManila,on6February2006,flankedbytheSenatepresidentFranklinDrilonandtheHouse Speaker Jose deVenecia. Convinced that in the following decadesAsiawouldbecomethehuboftheworld’strade,heurgedthatASEANcountriesreadythemselves:‘Nodoubtthatthefutureofglobalbusinessinteractionwouldbe in Asia, and members of the Association of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN) should take steps to make the region an attractive and viablemarketingproposition.’6

Though Korean brands, like Samsung, LG (Lucky Goldstar), and Hyundaihad reached millions of Indian homes, President Kalam was the first IndianpresidenttovisittheRepublicofKorea,popularlyknownasSouthKorea.Whilethe setting up of a joint task force to develop a comprehensive economicpartnershipagreementwithafar-reachingcharterwasthecentralagendaofthisvisit,DrKalamusedthisopportunitytomeetthegiantsofKoreanindustry.Hewishedtoexperiencefirst-handKoreantechnologyandtounderstandwhyJapan

waslosingitsmanufacturingedgetoSouthKorea.PresidentKalamaddressed thefourmajorKoreanbusinessassociations.He

wasbriefedby thepresidentofTataDaewooCommercialVehiclesabout theiroperationsinGunsan,200kilometressouth-westofSeoulonthemid-westcoastoftheKoreanPeninsula,andthechairmanofHyundaiMotorsabouttheirplantatSriperumbudur,nearChennai.DrKalamwasgivenapresentationbyKoreansteelmajor Pohang Steel Corporation (POSCO) on their activities later in theevening,includingtheinvestmentofUSD12billiontheywouldmakeinaplantinOrissa.

Next, Dr Kalam travelled to Daedeok Innopolis, the research anddevelopmentdistrictintheYuseong-gudistrictinDaejeon,150kilometresfromSeoul. Daedeok Innopolis grew out of the research cluster established byPresident Park Chung-hee in 1973 that marked the beginning of the high-technologyerainSouthKorea.DrKalamvisitedtheSamsungSemiconductorsFacilityatGi-heung,aswellastheKoreanResearchInstituteofBioscienceandBiotechnology(KRIBB)andtheKoreanAerospaceResearchInstitute(KARI).On thewayback toSeoul,we tookabullet train, travellingatspeedsofup to300kilometresperhour.

In the evening, Dr Ok Jung Lee, professor of sociology at the CatholicUniversityatDaegu,visitedDrKalam.ShehadtranslatedWingsofFireintotheKoreanlanguageaboutayearearlier.WhenDrKalamaskedLeewhatcouldbethe reasonbehind thepopularityofWingsofFire inKorea, she replied, ‘YourbookhasprovidedanewperspectiveofpatienceandgenerositytoKoreanyouthgrowinginahighlycompetitivesociety.Yourloveforyourparentsandteachers,particularlyyourmother,hasbroughttearstomanyKoreaneyes.Koreanshavehistoricallyderived inspirationfromthewesternpure land–asIndia isknownhere. Right from Gautam Buddha and the princess of Ayodhya, who marriedKorean King Suro in the first century, to Rabindranath Tagore and now you,India is seen as a beacon of light.We see in you Sir, the image of ourKingSejong, who energetically promoted learning throughout his thirty-two-yearreigninthefifteenthcentury.’

DrLeeheapedfurtherpraiseonDrKalaminmedia‘Kalam’scelebrationofhisfamily,teachersandhardworkinWingsofFireisidenticaltoKingSejong’sstatement:“AllthatIam,orwillbe,Ihavelearnedfrommyfamily,myfriends,

my teachers, and trainingwithmy sword.”Kalamhas emergedas theguidingsoulofKoreanyouth,andWingsofFirehasmadeaprofound impactsince itspublication, which is reflected in its excellent sales in the areas arounduniversities.The impressivescientificachievementsofKalamremained rootedinhisrighteoussimplicity,andthatiswhathasmadehimarolemodeloversomanyothersuccessfulheroesofcontemporaryhistory.’7

PresidentKalam addressed theRepublic ofKoreaNationalAssembly on 8February2006,wherehepresentedhis ideaof theWorldKnowledgePlatformande-businessnetworkthatwilltake‘bothournations’economiesintoahighertrajectoryofgrowth’.OntheflightbacktoIndia,PresidentKalamsummarizedhisexperiencesaying,‘Ienjoyedsomuchthesnow,themountains,thepeople,the buildings, the roads – everything has entered intome.Weneed to build astrongbridgebetweenourpeoplewithavisiontobuildpeaceandprosperityinAsiaandtherebyintheworld.’

President Kalam was invited to the eighty-eighth convocation of BanarasHinduUniversity(BHU).Heinvolvedmeinthepreparationofhisconvocationaddresssaying,‘IamgoingtothegreatcityofKashi,andImustpreparewellfor this lecture. There is a beautiful spiritual connection between Kashi andRameswaram.’Irecalledthathehadsaidtomeexactlythesamewordswhenhevisited Kashi in 1991 to deliver the convocation of the Indian Institute ofTechnology (IIT) at BHU. In that convocation, Vibhuti Narayan Singh, themaharajaofKashiandchancelloroftheuniversity,introducedDrKalamtotheaudience by stating that he had come to the land of theGanga atKashi fromRameswaramAgniteertham.Aftermanydaysofwork,DrKalamfinalizedhisevolutionofenlightenedcitizenshipplanthathewouldunveilatthegreatcityofKashi.

PerhapstheideaofenlightenedcitizenshipwasaninevitablecorollaryofDrKalam’s quest for progress. Dr Kalam knew that man is ineluctably a moralcreature,andprogresswithoutamoralelementwouldbemeaninglessandevendestructive.Theideaforaconcertedefforttowardsenlightenedcitizenshiphad,inanyevent,beengivenshapebyafatefulvisitwithSwamiRanganathananda,thethirteenthpresidentofRamakrishnaMath,on1October2004atBelurMathnear Kolkata. Dr Kalam had asked Swami Ranganathananda the solution forIndia’s endless social problems, and Swamiji had told him of the need for

starting amission to enlighten the citizens of India. Swamiji explained to DrKalam thatman’s journeyofevolution isa three-stage journey.The first stagedealswithman’s relationship toobjectsandacquisitions.Stage twodealswithman’srelationshiptoman.Thethirdstageisofman’srelationshiptothedivine.Swamiji’s message had a profound impact on Dr Kalam: ‘We exchangedthoughts on various national and international issues. One important thoughtpropoundedbySwamiRanganathanandawas:themessageofIndiahasnothingcreedal, dogmatic or sectarian about it, for it speaks in terms of man’sdevelopment,hisprogress,hisachievementofhighestexcellence.Itisuniversaland human. The nation cannot be happy just with economic prosperity; thepeople would also need spiritual enlightenment. Swamiji realized that thepeople’ssalvationdoesnotlieinmaterialwealthalone.Theyneedarighteous,spiritualpathforevolution.’

DrKalamwanted todevelop the ideaofenlightenedcitizenship inorder tocreate a bridge between worldliness and spirituality. ‘This would be a verypowerful vision for people and provide a strong ideal for every individual toholdonto’,hetoldme.

PresidentKalamarrivedatBHUon3March2006.Unionministerofhumanresource developmentArjun Singh and theBHU vice chancellor Prof. PanjabSingh received him. His speech was, as his life’s work had always been, abrilliantamalgamofvisionandcommonsense:

Inquiry,creativity,technology,entrepreneurialandmoralleadershiparethefivecapacitiesrequiredtobebuilt through theeducationprocess. Ifwedevelop inour students these fivecapacities,wewillproducethe‘AutonomousLearner’–aself-directed,self-controlled,lifelonglearnerwhowillhavethecapacitytobothrespectauthorityandatthesametimequestionauthority,inanappropriatemanner.

Theseenlightenedcitizenswouldworktogetherasa‘self-organizingnetwork’andtransformanystateintoaprosperousstate.Themostimportantpartoftheeducationistoimbibetheconfidenceamongthestudentsinthespiritof‘wecandoit’.Thesecapacitieswillenablethestudentstomeetthe challenges of our national mission of transforming the nation into a developed country by2020.8

ArenaissancemanhademergedinDrKalam,andhefeltastrongmoraldutytoservehisnationfor itsownrenaissance.Heunderstood that Indiancivilizationmustreinvigorateitscorevalues,andthiswouldtakeaconcertedeffort.Itwould

involvetwoaspects.First,itwouldrequiretheabilitytohaveacompellingandpowerful dream or vision of betterment for the one billion people of India.Second,itwouldrequireadispositiontodotherightthingandinfluenceothersalsotodotherightthing.

I

5.5

IWillFly

Adreamerisonewhocanonlyfindhiswaybymoonlight,andhispunishmentisthatheseesthedawnbeforetherestoftheworld.

–OscarWildeNineteenth-centuryIrishauthorandpoet

t was a cold Delhi morning on 2 March 2006. I stood in the forecourt ofRashtrapatiBhavan,wherePresidentGeorgeW.Bushwouldsoonalightfrom

his limousine. Rashtrapati Bhavan can overwhelm nearly anyone. Its domereachesintotheDelhiskylikeaperfectgeographicalformationasoneascendsRaisina Hill: a glimpse of the Jaipur column, then the building itself – anastonishing monument of majesty and exquisite proportion in two shades ofsandstone. It isoneof the fewwondersof colonial times– the architectswhodesigned this glorious complex trulyunderstood and captured thegreatness ofIndia.WhenPresidentBush arrived hewas accorded the ceremonialwelcomeIndiagrantsvisitingheadsofstate;andGeorgeBushwas, Iguess,unpreparedfor the pomp and pageantry awaiting him. Looking at the presidentialbodyguards,alloversix feet tall,astride theirawesomesteeds,PresidentBushacclaimed loudly, ‘It is fantastic. The men and their horses must be so welltrained.’

In the historic Indo-USCivilNuclearAgreement signed on that day, Indiaagreed to a phased separation of its civil andmilitary nuclear facilities and tobring its civil nuclear facilitiesunder the InternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA) standards. President Bush not only assured India that it will help inachievingfullcivilnuclearenergycooperation,healsoagreedtoworkwiththeNuclearSuppliersGroup (NSG) toenable full civilnuclear energy supplyandtrade. President Bush described India as a ‘responsible state with advanced

nucleartechnology’andacknowledgedIndia’sstrongcommitmenttopreventingtheproliferationofweaponsofmassdestruction.Hefurtherdeclaredthat‘Indiashould acquire the same benefits and advantages as other such states’. ThiseffectivelyclearedthewayforthetransferofciviliannuclearreactorstoIndiatomeetitsacuteenergyneeds,asitgrowsexponentiallyasanemergingeconomicpower.

In the evening,PresidentBush returned toRashtrapatiBhavan for a tête-à-tête with President Kalam, followed by a banquet. Dr Kalam had had someconsiderablebearingonthishistoricday.Withouthispersonalinterventioninthematter, it is doubtful that the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement would havetranspired at all.Andwithout access to cooperation in procuring thematerialsfor nuclear power in the current energy scenario, India’s energy programmewouldhavebeenindirestraits.

President Kalam gave a forty-minute PowerPoint presentation to PresidentBushonIndia’senergyneeds.ThedinnerwasheldintheawesomesettingoftheMughalGardensunderaclearskyandacrescentmoon,theheavenswitnesstoaday when the historical alliance conceived nearly eight months earlier wasfinally consummated. The meal was set against the backdrop of RashtrapatiBhavan,aglitterinlights.EachofthefourteentablesatthedinnerwasnamedforaflowerthatadornstheMughalGardensinfullbloom.Usually,thepresidentialpalaceislituponlyforRepublicDayandIndependenceDay.ThiswasthefirsttimeRashtrapatiBhavanwasilluminatedforavisitingheadofstate.

The two presidents sat at a table named ‘YellowRose’.Others at the tableincludedFirstLadyLauraBush,PrimeMinisterSinghandhiswife,Smt.SoniaGandhiandUSSecretaryofStateCondoleezzaRice,ChiefJusticeofIndiaY.K.Sabharwal, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister ShivrajPatil. I was seated on the table named ‘Jasmine’ with Dr B. Soma Raju andseveral dignitaries. I could not help but think that this evening was a fittingcelebrationforthebirthofanewIndia.Theresurgentnation,thathadenduredthe ignominyof centuriesof colonial repression anddecadesof lassitude,wasnowassertingitsleadershipinSouth-EastAsia.

PresidentKalambeganhisthree-daystatevisittoMyanmaron8March2006attheinvitationofSeniorGeneralThanShwe,whohadvisitedIndiainOctober2004.UnionministerofstateKumariSeljaandForeignSecretaryShyamSaran

accompanied him. This visit was about bilateral cooperation; India andMyanmarsignedthreeagreementsinthepetroleum,spaceandeducationsectors.Since his days at theDRDO,DrKalamhadbeen instrumental in amyriad ofcollaborative projects. Now, his diplomatic touch always served to giveinternationalagreementsafinalblessing–sealingthedeal,asitwere–evenifhewasnotactivelyinvolvedinnegotiations.

WhilehewasinMyanmar,PresidentKalamvisitedthehistoricShweDagonPagoda, an awesome golden structure that tapers to a point, aspiring to theheavens.ItenshrinesthesacredhairofLordBuddha.Accordingtolegend,soonafterLordBuddhaattainedenlightenmentmorethan2,500yearsago,hisrelicsweredividedintoeightequalpartsandenshrinedinthegreatstupasbuiltatthetime. In Myanmar, stupas came to be known as pagodas. The Shwe DagonPagoda is locatedatopahill 58metreshighand is thus an indelible aspectofYangon’sskyline.

PresidentKalammade the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to thehistoriccityofMandalay,andspokeat theUniversityofTraditionalMedicine.He offered to develop links for traditional medicine between Myanmar andIndia. An advocate of combining traditional medicine with biotechnology, DrKalampointedoutthatmostoftheherbsbeingusedinMyanmarwerefoundinIndia’snorth-easternstates.Therefore,hesuggestedthatthecountriesjoinhandsto counter the common problems they faced in making traditional medicineavailabletotheworld.

The president also took the time to pay homage at two imposing ancientpagodasinthecity.AttheMahaMuniPagoda,DrKalampastedgoldleavesatthe base of Buddha’s statue, in line with the tradition of gilding gold to thebronzeidol.DrKalamalsovisitedtheKuthoDawPagoda,whichhousesrowsof729smalltemples,eachhostingastoneslabonwhichareinscribedtheentireTripitakaor thewholeof theBuddhistscriptures.Theseinscriptionshavebeendescribedastheworld’sbiggestbook.

Dr Kalam inquired about the jail where Tilak Maharaj was incarceratedduring1908–14 inMandalay.The jailwas just a fewkilometres away, and infactcanbeseenfromtheKuthoDawPagodahill.Thesecuritydetail,however,wouldnotallowthepresidentofIndiaaccesstothejail,ongroundsthatitwasarestricted area.Y.S.Rajannarrated toDrKalamhowTilakMaharaj requested

hisjailortogivehimapencilandstationery.Asifmesmerizedwiththetoweringpersona of Tilak Maharaj, the jailor could not refuse. Tilak Maharaj wrote amanuscriptofmorethan400pagesinthejail.ItwaspublishedasGitaRahasyain 1915 after Tilak Maharaj returned to Poona. Tilak Maharaj defended theethicalobligationtotheactiveprincipleoraction–evenviolentactionincludingkilling–aslongasthatwasselflessandwithoutpersonalinterestormotive.Inthis sense at least, his approachwas diametrically opposed to the principle ofnon-violenceespousedbyMahatmaGandhi.

Back inYangon, PresidentKalam visited themausoleum of Bahadur ShahZafar, the last emperor of India,whowas exiled toRangoon, as this citywascalled then, after the British victory in the First War of Independence. IexplainedtoDrKalamthedesolationofBahadurShahZafarandthecouplethewrotewhilelivinginexilehere:

padefaatihaakoiaayekyuun,koichaarphuulcharhayekyuunkoiaakeshammajalayekyuun,mainvobekasikaamazaarhuun.

WhyshouldanyonecometosingarequiemWhyshouldanyonecometoofferfourflowersWhyshouldanyonecometolightacandleIamthetombofthatdestitution.

Thepresidentwroteinthevisitors’book.‘OEmperorofIndia.IhavecomeheretodayandrecitedSurahFatiha.Ihaveofferedflowersandlightedacandlehere. It is not the tomb of a destitute; it is themausoleum of the Emperor ofIndia.Mayyoursoulrestinpeace.’Beforeleavingtheplace,Iglancedthroughthevisitors’bookandsawtheentriesmadebyMuhammadZia-ul-Haq,thesixthpresident of Pakistan, andHussainMuhammad Ershad, the tenth president ofBangladesh.Thereisahistoriccontinuitythatbindsallofus.Therearecertainthings thatdonotwitheraway; they livebeyond individual lives, regimesandevenages.

From Yangon, President Kalam proceeded by flight to Mauritius. PrimeMinisterNaveenchandraRamgoolamreceivedhimat thePortLouisairporton11 March 2006. He would be the chief guest at the country’s National Day

function,whichalsocommemoratestheseventy-sixthanniversaryoftheDandiMarch. Later, President Kalam called on the President of the Republic ofMauritiusSirAneroodJugnauthattheStateHouse.

Tracing the footsteps of the first Indian immigrants inMauritius, PresidentKalam visited the Apravasi Ghat, the place where nearly 450,000 indenturedlabourersfromIndiaarrivedbetweenthe1830sand1920s.Theplacesymbolizesone of the greatest waves of migration in recorded history, which has had adetermining impact on the demographic profile of the present-day Mauritianpopulation. President Kalam placed a wreath on the plaque dedicated to ‘theunknownimmigrant’.

During the long flight fromPortLouis toNewDelhi,DrKalam initiated adiscussiononwhatMauritiansofIndianoriginthinkofIndia.Amajorityofthepopulation in Mauritius originated from India, although composed of diversereligions and ethnicities. Although Mauritians have moved on in terms ofcultural transformation, religious growth, educational achievements, etc., theycannot forget their ancestry, which probably has given them their drive, thesubstanceoftheirdreams.

Ourancestryislikeourshadow.Wecannotprosperandachievesuccessifweforgetourrootsandifweareafraidofourshadows.Ourobservationwas thatMauritiansofIndianoriginwereveryproudoftheirculturalheritageandoftheirancestors’achievements.Those Indianpioneersof thenineteenthand theearlytwentiethcenturyworkedhardforpaltrywages,remaineddocileandforbearing– and were always very grateful of the minimal recognition the governmentaccordedthem.

Back in Delhi, a political and constitutional fracas was soon to erupt thatwould test themettleof thepeople’spresident.ThepoliticalestablishmentandDrKalamwereheadedforaverypubliccontretemps thatwasbyfar themostdramatic incident of his term of office. Any misconception that our genialscientistpresidentwasa‘rubberstamp’forthegovernmentofthedaywouldbeunequivocallydispelled; and thenationwould seeacleardemonstrationofDrKalam’scommitmenttoethicsinpublicoffice.

On 16 March 2006, President Kalam accepted a recommendation of theElectionCommissiontodisqualifySmt.JayaBachchanoftheSamajwadiPartyfromtheRajyaSabhaforholdinganofficeofprofitwhilebeingamemberofthe

parliament. Smt. Bachchan’s standing as an MP had been questioned by aCongress party worker from Kanpur in a petition to Dr Kalam. Dr Kalamsubsequently referred the matter to the Election Commission of India for itsadviceasordainedunderArticle103oftheIndianConstitution.DrKalamactedstrictly according to the opinion of the Election Commission in issuing adisqualificationorderagainstSmt.JayaBachchan.

Astraycomplaintandadecisionthereonopenedacanofworms,asitwere.For their part, the Samajwadi Party did not take kindly to the loss of theirprominent member. Far from being cowed by the disqualification, the partycanvassed and received support fromother oppositionparties, andwould laterrenominateSmt. JayaBachchanfor re-election to thesameseat.Subsequently,othercasesfromtherulingcombine–includingthatofCongresspresidentSoniaGandhiholdingthepositionofthechairpersonoftheNationalAdvisoryCounciloftheUnitedProgressiveAlliance–cameunderthescanner.

Before long, the ElectionCommission of India had received complaints ofmorethanfortycasesofMPsand100casesofMLAsholdingofficesofprofitthat invited disqualification. This clearly indicated a pervasive tendency inpoliticianstoseekthefruitsofpowerwhileinexecutiveoffice,beyondbeingthepeople’srepresentativesinparliament.It indeedrevealedapronouncedcravingof politicians for forms of power or remuneration, other than those associatedwiththesatisfactionofthefunctionsthattheirpublicofficesassignedthem.

ThematterofSmt.JayaBachchan’sdisqualificationpromptlymadeitswaytotheSupremeCourt,whichdismissedherchallengetothepresident’sorder.Acentral plank of the plaintiff’s case was that Smt. Jaya Bachchan had neveractuallyreceivedpaymentforherapparentlyinnocuousdutiesasthechairpersonof the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council. The Supreme Court held,however,thatitwasimmaterialwhetherapersonthusdisqualifiedhadactuallyreceivedanypecuniarygainsfromtheoffice.Undertherelevantprovision,theveryfactthatamemberofalegislatureheldsuchanofficewasvalidgroundsfordisqualification.

Governments,especiallycoalitions,appearedtobedoingeverythingintheirpower to retain legislators in their flock, and offering plum positions tolegislatorshademergedasonemethodofforestallingtheirpotentialdissidence.

Whatever might have prompted the complaint against Smt. Bachchan, it

became clear that this phenomenon affected all the parties, which havecustomarily used the granting of such offices to please their legislators. Andsince every legislator took enjoying executiveoffices for granted, noone everthoughtthatanyprovisionoftheConstitutionwasbeingviolated.

Aswasexpected,theSamajwadiPartyandtheBharatiyaJanataPartydidnotloseamomentindraggingSoniaGandhi’spositionasthechairoftheNationalAdvisory Council of the UPA into the controversy. In order to deflect theopposition onslaught, Sonia Gandhi resigned her Lok Sabha seat from RaeBareliandsoughtre-election,whichsheconvincinglywoninMay2006.

Noneof thepartiesor the leaderswas the leastbitapologetic regarding thefloutingofArticle103oftheConstitution.Removalofeveryqualification–or,inthiscase,disqualification–wastheverybasisoftheconcentrationofpower.Itappearedthatthepurityandindependenceoflegislativemembershipwerethetargetsofeverypoliticalparty, so that theirpeoplecouldenjoymore thanonepositionwithout threatof ‘disqualification’.All thepoliticalpartiesweremoreor less in thesamesituationas theCongressand theSamajwadiParty.Hence,therewaslikelytobeunprecedentedunityandconsensusamongallthepartiesin thismatter, toprotect theirpresentand futurepolitical interests.With forty-three members from different parties facing likely disqualification fromparliament and200others fromstate legislatures facing similar sanction, therewasacross-partyconsensusthattheConstitutionshouldbeamended.

On 17May 2006, the parliament passed a bill seeking to exempt fifty-sixposts,includingthepostofchairpersonoftheNationalAdvisoryCouncil,frombeing considered offices of profit and hence attracting disqualification forparliamentarians.TheRajyaSabhaapprovedthebill throughadivision.On25May 2006, President Kalam received the Parliament (Prevention ofDisqualification)Amendment Bill, 2006, duly passed by both houses ofparliament forhisassentunderArticle111of theConstitutionof India.On30May2006,PresidentKalamreturned thebill for reconsiderationbyparliamenton three grounds: first, that it could not be applied in retrospect from 1959;second, that therewasaneed todefine transparentcriteria forexemptionfromdisqualification;andthird,thatthequestionberaisedastowhythereshouldnotbeacomprehensivebillthatappliestoallstates.DrKalamhadtakenastandthatwasbasedatonceonethicalandlegalgrounds,andfeltthatthebillstruckatthe

veryesteemoftheConstitution:

Ifelt themanner inwhichexemptionsweregivenwasarbitrary.Theofficeofprofitconceptwasdevelopedbythefoundingfathersoftheconstitution,whobelievedthatparliamentshouldandmustquestion the executive. But since ministers and a few members of parliament may also holdexecutivepostswhileinparliament,theideaofgivingselectandcarefulexemptionstosomeofficesheld by them had been devised. The bill contained more than forty exemptions. Most expertsadvisedme that thebill, as itwasdrafted, subverted theprinciplebehind theoriginal conceptofgivingcarefulandselectexemptions.Ifelttheexemptionslistinthebillmustbepurposeful.WhyamendtheveryConstitutionofourcountrymerelytoaccommodateafewpoliticianswhomayrisklosingtheirmembershipofthehouse?1

While these dramas were playing out, President Kalam fulfilled a childhooddream. On 8 June 2006, he flew the Sukhoi-30-Mk 1 fighter plane at theLohegaonAirForceBaseinPune,co-pilotingtheplanewithWingCommanderAjay Rathore, commanding officer of the Lightning Squadron based atLohegaon.Rathore took the flight to about 7.5 kilometres above ground levelandflewat1.25Mach(one-and-a-quartertimesthespeedofsound).Theflightwentintotwistsandturnsandalsostalledmid-air inordertogiveDrKalamafirst-hand experienceof the fighter plane’s capabilities.Hewas exhilaratedbytheexperienceandcouldbarelycontainhisjoyafterwards:

Iwentup.Iwentdown.Itookrightandleftturns.IdideverythingthatCommanderRathoretoldmetodo.He isagreat teacher. I feelproud thatourcountryhassuchgreatandgoodpilots…IwanttogiveamessagetoyoungIndiansthattheyshouldjointheIndianAirForce.2

Thepresidenttookcontroloftheflightforroughlyfivetotenminutes.‘Hehadabsolute control over the flight in mid-air,’ Wing Commander Rathore said.Askedwhattheyspokeaboutontheflight,Rathoresaid,‘Iwasgivinghimmoretechnicalinstructionsonhowtooperatetheplane.Healsotoldmehoweagerhewastoflyanairforceplanesincehischildhood.’

Back inDelhi, parliament reconsidered the bill and as thought fit by them,passeditagainwithoutanyamendment.Ofcourse, thegovernment–withduerespect to the president – resolved to refer thematter to a JointParliamentaryCommittee (JPC). This committee would define what constitutes an office ofprofit as stated in Article 102 of the Constitution. The bill came back toPresidentKalamforassenton1August2006.

President Kalam did not sign the bill immediately. He waited for a goodseventeen days for better sense to prevail. Therewas no attemptmade by theJPCtodiscusstheissue.Tosilencethespeculationsthatthepresidentwouldsitoverthebilltillhistenureendedthefollowingyear–orthathewouldaskforalegalopinionasdemandedbytheoppositionNationalDemocraticAlliance,andprecipitate a political situation – Dr Kalam eventually signed the bill on 18August 2006. His presidential secretary P.M. Nair, who had not wished thepresident to take such a stance on the bill, would later write: ‘Finally, theConstitutionprevailedoverconscience.’3

ForDrKalam,however,thiswasamatterofprincipleandprobity,andhefeltduty-bound to raise his objections, even if he was not strictly empowered toinfluencethematter.Hewasdeeplyconflictedbytheissue:

Duringthisperiod,Iexperiencedanintensemoraldilemma:shouldIhavesignedorshouldIhaveresigned? I needed spiritual guidance: an assurance aboutmy decision to sign the bill, to enactlegislation,whichIwasconvinced,wasflawed.4

DrKalamwenttoseePramukhSwamijiatAkshardhamon11September2006.WhilewalkingwithPramukhSwamijiaroundthetemplecompound,DrKalamsaw the beautifulGajendra Pithika sculpture, depicting the story of five blindmen trying todescribe theshapeofanelephant.Noneof theseblindmenwasabletodiscoverthetrueshapeoftheelephant.Theirdescriptionsanddefinitionswerepartialandincomplete.

Whatdoestheparableimply?One’ssubjectiveexperiencecanbetrue,butisnot such an experience limited by its failure to account for other truths or atotalityoftruth?Isnotrelativism,differencesandlimitationsintheexpressionsof truth, thehallmarkof thisworld?DrKalamimmediatelyfeltunburdenedofhispersonalqualmssurroundingthematter:

Theopinionsofexpertsvarybecauseof theirdifferentperspectives,eachoneseeinghis truth. Inmy personal dilemma ofwhether to sign or refuse the bill, I had been flooded and confused byexpertopinions–allwellmeaning,butpartialtruthsnevertheless.Hence,mydecisiontofollowtheConstitutionandbowbeforethesupremacyoftheparliamentwasindeedright.5

DrKalamwenttoSriAdichunchanagiriMathonhisseventy-fifthbirthdayon15October2006andreceivedblessingsfromtheseventy-firstpontiffJagadguruSri

Balagangadharanatha Swamiji. Swamiji had headed the Math from 1974 – acommendableperiodofservicebutamereinterludeinthegreaterschemeoftheMath. Situated inMandya district of Karnataka, theMath is a socio-spiritualcentre with a remarkable history of 1,500 years. According to legend, LordShiva blessed the Kshetra (dominion). When Lord Shiva was performingpenance at SriKshetra, he devoured two demons, Chuncha andKancha,whohadbeenravagingtheareaforaverylongtime.Attheendofhisausterity,LordShiva entrusted a siddayogi to establish a ‘Natha tradition’ and guided him toinculcaterighteousnessinsociety.

PresidentKalamwasinvitedtothe702ndUrscelebrationsofAmirKhusrauinNewDelhi.AmirKhusrauwasaniconicfigureintheculturalhistoryoftheIndian subcontinent. He was a mystic and a spiritual disciple of NizamuddinAuliyaofDelhi.The renaissanceman thathewas,DrKalamcouldappreciatepoetryasmuchashecouldengageinscientificdebate.Moreover,heunderstoodthe significance of Amir Khusrau’s work beyond the aesthetic beauty of hiswordsandmeter:

Eachoneofushasapageinhistory.Everyonehasareligion,afamily,asupportingsocietyandadream.Wedonothavetimetoobservewhatishappeningaroundus.Wegenerallytendtorevolvearoundourselves.The earth revolves around itself andorbits the sun.The choicebeforeus is ofrevolving around ourselves to die, or of revolving around the sun in order to live. Hence, ourthoughts,ideasandactionshavetoconstantlychangeandexpand.Nowitistherighttimeforallofus to thinkof thenationbeyondboundaries–asvisualizedanddemonstratedbyAmeerKhusro.ManycalledKhusrothefatherofSufianaKalaminIndia,manycalledhimthefatheroftheUrdulanguage,many others called him a great Sufi saint and poet; but besides all these Iwould alsoprefer tocallhimapoetofpurpose,who turned theworldaroundsimply throughhispoetryandmusic.6

DrKalamwasinthelastyearofhistermaspresident,andinamatterofmonths,hewould leaveRashtrapatiBhavan.Many are those forwhomholding publicoffice is an imperative, an addiction. Such people never relinquish powergracefully–theyattachtheirpersonalities,theirveryexistencesandidentitiestotheiroffices–andtherearethosewhoevenseemtolosetheirsouls.DrKalamwastheveryantithesisofthiskindofcareerpolitician.

Inasense,DrKalamwasnotapoliticianatall;indeed,hehadneveractuallysought public office. Doubtless, he approached his duties as president with a

verve and assiduousness that could barely be surpassed. But he was neverattachedtohispost.Justashehadalwaysremainedunaffectedbyhissuccess,he was totally unchanged by his term as president. And after signing theParliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, Dr Kalamappeared tohavebecomeevenmoredeterminedthanbeforeofhisdestiny.Hewouldcontinuewithhismanyorbitsofthesun,buthewouldsoondrawawayfromgravitationalpullofDelhi’spoliticalscene.

A

5.6

WhatCanIGive?

Arise,awake,andstopnotuntilyourgoalisachieved.

–SwamiVivekananda

fter the imbroglio over the issueof office of profit, PresidentKalamwasmore than ever aware that Indian political and bureaucratic systems had

beenconditionedtomaintainthestatusquo.Overtheyears,thoseinpowerhadevolvedwaysandmeanstoremaininpower.Thegovernmentitselfhadbecomereducedtoservingelectoralpolitics,andthebureaucracyhadbecomeentangledinthegamesofitspoliticalmasters.TheIndiannationhadbeentakenoverbyitspoliticalparties,andtheyinturnwerefocusingontheirowngrowthandwelfare.The long-term interests of thenation andpeoplehadbeen firmly side-lined infavourofpersonalandpartisaninterests.Thiswassurelynotasystemwherebythe Indian people could hope to see their nation joining the ranks of thedevelopedworld.

Inhis last address to thenationon the eveof theRepublicDay in January2007,PresidentKalaminvokedatopicalandpowerfulquestion.Hisrequesttothe people of Indiawas reminiscent of President JohnF.Kennedy’s inauguraladdress tohisnation forty-sixyearsearlier,where theAmericanpresidenthadimploredhispeopleto‘asknotwhatyourcountrycandoforyou,askwhatyoucando foryourcountry’.DrKalam’squestioncarriedasimilarsentiment,butwas more engaging and personal, as our president was apt to be. He asked:‘What can I give?’ Everybody appeared driven bywhat he or she could takefrom the system, snatching away from others, furthering individual interests,mindlessof thecost tosociety.DrKalamidentified therootofallmaladies inthemadnessof‘whatcanItake’andsawthecureinapersonalintrospectionof

‘whatcanIgive’.

DevelopedIndiaby2020isamissionofabillionpeople.Everyoneofushasaroletoplay.Itwillbe a reality if everyone ‘Gives –What I can give’, through individual, societal and nationwideparticipation in a national movement facilitated by the government. My interactions with ourcitizensinIndiaandabroad,particularlytheyouth,demonstratetomethepositiveenergyflowingfromindividualswhichmakesthemeagertogivealltheycantomakeIndiadeveloped.Theattitudeofgivingbyeverycitizenandeachgroupwilldefinitelybeanenrichingfactorforthewholenation,leadingtoanaccelerateddevelopmentprocess.1

PresidentKalamalsocalledforparticipationofyouthinthepoliticalsystemfora developed India by taking up politics as their career in large numbers. Ourgreatdemocracyhadtoworkforthepeople.Itspoliticalpartiesandtheirleaders–whowereunitedintheirowndevelopmentandwelfarebutdividedinhavingavision for the country – would need to adjust or stand aside to facilitatedevelopment.

It was most satisfying for Dr Kalam to take the salute at the fifty-eighthRepublicDayparadewiththeRussianPresidentVladimirPutinastheguestofhonour. The strategic relationship between India and Russia had servedmorethan just the long-term national interests of both countries. Their alliance hadalso effectively contributed to stability and security in Asia, and theworld atlarge.ThiswouldbeDrKalam’slastsaluteaspresident.HavingthepresidentofRussiabyhissideindeedwasafittingfinaletohislifeinpublicoffice,inviewofDrKalam’sworkwiththeRussianspaceanddefenceestablishments.

Soonafter,on30January2007,PresidentKalamconferredthe2005GandhiPeace Prize upon anti-apartheid campaigner and Nobel laureate ArchbishopDesmondTutu.ArchbishopTutuhadobservedthatthewaragainstterrorcouldnotbewontill theconditions thatmadesomepeopledesperateenoughto takeviolent action are addressed. He said, ‘disagreements’ should not be met by‘force of annihilation’ but with ‘forgiveness, negotiations and compromise’.‘Thereisneedforseeingpointsofviewofothers,’hesaid.

Noting that there have been people like Adolf Hitler, Mussolini and Gen.AlbertoPinochetwhoseemed‘invincible’,theSouthAfricanleaderemphasizedtheneed for learning lessons fromhistory sooner rather than later.Hepointedoutthatnobodyrememberssuchleaders–exceptonaccountoftheirbrutality–but leaders of peace and tolerance likeMahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and

NelsonMandelaarereveredandheldinhighesteembytheworld‘becausetheyaregood’.HailingMahatmaGandhi’sideologyofnon-violence,hesaiditwasasrelevant today as it was a century ago, and emphasized that ‘practices ofinjustice’canneverhavethelastword.2

PresidentKalamshared at the function that duringhis recentvisit toSouthAfrica,hetracedthetrainjourneyofMahatmaGandhion7June1893.Hesaidhe boarded a train at Penrich railway station near Durban for a journey toPietermaritzburg,whereGandhijiwasforciblyejectedfromthetrainbecauseofhis skin colour. Gandhiji spent the winter night on the platform. That night,Gandhiji vowed to stay and fight the disease of racial prejudice. His idea ofactivenon-violencewasbornontherailwayplatform.DrKalamsaid,‘Thepathofahimsaisagreatinnovationofthehumanmind,anditwasaverypowerfulnon-violent tool thatwas instrumental inachievingourcountry’s freedom.’Hethenunderscored thehistoric relevanceofArchbishopTutu’sworkofwashingawaythefeelingofhatredandrevengefromtheblackmajoritypeopletowardstheirwhiterulersafterSouthAfricaabolishedapartheid.

In 1994 after South Africa’s first multiracial election President Nelson Mandela suggestedArchbishopTututochairtheTruthandReconciliationCommission,investigatingthehumanrightsviolations of the previous thirty-four years. In this appointment, Archbishop Tutu counselledforgivenessandcooperationinsteadofrevengeforpast injustice.It is indeedabeautifulmessagefor every political system on planet earth: Forgive and go forwardwith the development of thenation.3

NelsonMandelaandArchbishopTutuensuredthattheendofapartheidinSouthAfrica not only marked the liberation of the country from a long period ofcolonialism followed by white domination, but their efforts also ensured thatSouthAfricawouldsee therestorationofpeace,unityandhumandignity.Thetwowiseleadersencouragedoffenderstotakeresponsibilityfortheiractions,torepair the harm they had done – by apologizing, returning stolen money orcommunityservice.WhycouldthisnotbedoneinIndia?

DrKalamcelebratedthespiritof‘whatcanIgive’duringtheinaugurationofKakarla Subbarao Radiological and Imaging Educational Sciences Trust(KREST)inHyderabad:

IamdelightedtoseeProf.KakarlaSubbarao,apioneerinradiology,whohasbeenknowntomefor

overtwodecades.ThemoreIunderstandhislife,themoreIaminspired.HebroughttertiaryhealthcaretoIndia.Partofhisownhousehasbeentransformedintoaschool.NowhehasgiventheotherpartofthehouseforKREST.RecentlyintheRepublicDayaddress,thetopicofmytalkwas‘whatIcangivetothenation’.Here,infrontofmeIseeProf.KakarlaSubbarao:givinghislifetimetothecareofhispatients,tohismedicalstudentsinteachingandresearch,andgivingresourcesandtimefortheeducationofchildren.Prof.KakarlaSubbaraoisindeedanembodimentofgiving.4

President Kalam gave a very inspiring lecture before the young scientists ofDefence Research and Development Organization on 21 February 2007. HedefinedthefivedimensionsofagoodscientificcareerthroughtheexamplesoffiveNobellaureates,eachonepossessingaspecialtraitwhichhesymbolizes.Hedescribed them as the values, lifetime commitment, universal outlook,convertingchallengesintoopportunitiesandanattitudeofmagnanimity.

HesharedthestoryofSirC.V.Raman,whowasinthefirstbatchofBharatRatnaawardwinnersin1954.PresidentDrRajendraPrasadinvitedSirRamantobehispersonalguestatRashtrapatiBhavan.SirRamanpolitelydeclinedtheinvitation, as hisPhD student,whowasvaliantly trying towrapuphis thesis,neededhispresence.Herewasascientistwhogaveupthepompofaglitteringceremony associated with the country’s highest honour to do his duty for hisstudent.Hiswasararetraitofgivingvaluetoscienceovereverythingelse.

Then Dr Kalam talked about Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Two ofChandrasekhar’s students in 1947,Tsung-DaoLee andChenNingYang,weredoingparticlephysicsresearch.WorkingatYerkesObservatoryinLakeGeneva,Wisconsin,Chandrasekharwouldregularlydrive100milestoChicagotoguideand teachLeeandYangandotherseveryweek, frequently indifficultweatherconditions.In1957,thesetwostudentswontheNobelPrizeinphysics.ScienceindeedwasalifetimecommitmentforChandrasekhar.

Prof.BertSakmann,aGermanmedicaldoctor,realizedthatlivingorganismscouldbeunderstoodinengineeringterms.Hecollaboratedcloselywithelectricalandcomputerscientists,andestablishedthebasicmechanismofvisionandtheexistenceofionicchannelsincellmembranes.Thisinturnunlockedthemysteryofconditionslikediabetes,epilepsy,cardiacdiseasesandcertainneuromusculardisorders.InProf.Sakmann,wecanseeadoctorwiththecapabilityofworkinginmultiple laboratories simultaneously andbecominga team scientist, sharinghisresearch,sharinghiswork–andsharingitsrewardstoo.Heexemplifiedthe

borderless,universalnatureofscience.DutchscientistProf.PaulCrutzenwasawardedtheNobelPrizeinchemistry

fordemonstratingthatthechemicalcompoundsofnitrogenoxidesacceleratethedestruction of stratospheric ozone, which protects the earth from the sun’sultraviolet radiation. From a young age, Prof.Crutzenwas beset by adversity.TheWorldWarIIandcompulsorymilitaryservicedisruptedhiseducation,andhis familysituationwaschallenging. Itwasextraordinary thateven though thecircumstances of his early years did not permit him to take up the study ofscience,hisinherentpassionforthesubjectdrovehimtoachieveatthehighestlevelsofhisfield.Heconvertedhischallengesintoopportunities.Heisindeedanexampleofhowastrongmindcanovercomedisadvantagesandsucceed.

Dr Kalam then talked about the scientific magnanimity of Prof. NormanBorlaug.Nearlytwoyearsearlier,DrKalamhadpresentedDrNormanBorlaugwith the first M.S. Swaminathan Award for Leadership in Agriculture at afunction organized by the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences. Itwas at this event, attended largely by young scientists, that Dr Kalam firstadministeredanoathoncouragethatwouldlaterbecomehishallmark:

Couragetothinkdifferently,Couragetoinvent,Couragetodiscovertheimpossible,Couragetotravelonanunexploredpath,Couragetosharetheknowledge,Couragetoremovethepain,Couragetoreachtheunreached,Couragetocombatproblems,Andsucceed.5

CourageisnottheforemostcharacteristicassociatedwithDrKalam,butitwaswith him aplenty throughout his life. He was not one for bravado, and it isperhapsonaccountof this–andhissensitivityandconcernforothers–thatasteely resolve inDrKalamwas often overlooked.He had, though, proven hiscouragemany timesover inhispublic life,most recently inhis stand-offwithparliamentintheoffice-of-profitdebacle.Moreoften,peoplewouldwitnesshiscareforpeople,whichwasgivenampleexpressionevenwhileheoccupiedtheofficeofpresident.StoriesofDrKalam’skindnessarelegion,buthishumanity

neverdescendedintomawkishness.OneofthedelightfulexpressionsofDrKalam’skindnesswasthathewould

taketimeawayfromhistightlypackedscheduletogivesupportwherehefeltitwas needed – whenever he could. President Kalam called on the ailing FieldMarshalS.H.F.J.Manekshaw,MC,6fondlycalledSamBahadur,at theMilitaryHospital,Wellington,nearUdagamandalam(Ooty)on24February2007.Inhiscelebrated career of four decades, Sam Bahadur had fought in five wars,includingWorldWarII.PresidentKalamspentaboutfifteenminutesalonewiththeninety-three-year-oldveteran,whomhecalled ‘agreat sonof India’,andaperson he admired. Kalam told Col R.T. Draper, who was commanding thehospital,to‘lookafter’Manekshaw,whowassufferingfromvariousage-relatedhealthcomplications.

Duringthistime,IspoketoSamBahadur’spersonalattendantBikramSinghThapa,asubedarinthe5thGorkhaRifles(FrontierForce),aninfantryregimentoftheIndianArmy.WhenIaskedhimhowhehadcometobethere,suchagreatdistancefromhishome,hetoldmethatSamBahadurhadcommandedthe5thGorkhaRifles in1950,andhewouldbe takencareofby the regiment for theremainder of his days. The subedar proudly toldme that his regiment has sixbattalions,and ithasseenactiveservice invirtuallyeverymajorcampaign theIndianArmyhasundertakeninitsfourwarswithPakistan.

Sam Bahadur was equally famous for his military genius and trademarkfrankness–thislattertraitwouldgethimintotroubleandtheformeroutofit–throughout his decorated career. He once faced a court of inquiry for hisunseemly bluntness in a disagreement with Defence Minister V.K. KrishnaMenon;buthewasacquittedofanywrongdoing.Hewasevenwilling to facedown the primeminister on tacticalmatters.Not onlywould he again emergeunscathed but Prime Minister Indira Gandhi would award him a PadmaVibhushanthefollowingyear.

According to legend, in a cabinet meeting towards the end of April 1971,PrimeMinister IndiraGandhi askedarmychiefManekshaw togo towarwithPakistan. Manekshaw flatly refused. When Smt. Gandhi asked the cabinetmembers to leave the room and the chief to stay, he offered to resign. Sherefused toaccepthis resignation,but rathersoughthisadvice.He thensaidhecouldguaranteevictoryifshewouldallowhimtopreparefortheconflictonhis

terms,andsetadateforit.Theprimeministeragreedtoboththeseconditions.In December 1971, the Indian army under Manekshaw’s leadership roundlydefeated thePakistan army.Thewar, lastingunder a fortnight, sawmore than90,000Pakistani armed forces personnel takenprisoner, and the unconditionalsurrenderofPakistan’seasternhalf,resultingintheformationofBangladesh.

PresidentKalamwroteinthevisitor’sbookatthehospital:‘MilitaryHospital,Wellingtonisalwayscontributingthebest.Pleasetakecareofourgreatwealth,ouronlyFieldMarshalManekshaw.’

Later in the day, addressing the students and faculty members of DefenceServiceStaffCollege,Wellington,PresidentKalamraisedacriticalquestion.Itwas an issue that he had raised on several occasions, and it had alwaysconfoundedhim.Hebroughtthequestiontotheattentionoftheyoungaspiringstaffserviceofficers,becauseitwasmostrelevantforthenation’sfuturedefencepolicy:

Imustsharewithyouthisquestion,whichisbotheringme.IfyoulookfromthetimeofAlexander,ournationhasbeenregularlyinvaded.Manypeopleinvaded,oneaftertheother.EventheAfghansinvaded.ThentheBritishcame,theFrench,theDutch,thePortugueseandruledus.Now,whyIndiahasalwaysbeeninvaded?Ontheotherhand,duringthelast2,500years,hasIndiaanytimeinvadedanynation?No.Why?

This is something which you have to address yourself, before evolving big philosophy, bigstrategy,bignationalplans…Wehave tochangeprobably,wehave tore-engineerour thoughts,conceptandphilosophy,becausehistoryshowswehavealwaysbeeninvaded.7

President Kalam was now in the final months of his term. Although he hadundoubtedlysavouredhisexperienceofRashtrapatiBhavan–thegroundswithabundantgreeneryandanimalswereaparticulardelightforhim–hewasquitepreparedforhisdeparture.HewouldmisshiswalksintheMughalGardensandtheassortmentofwildlife thathadmadetheexpansivegroundshome.Idoubt,indeed, ifanypresidentcouldhaveenjoyed thegardensmore thanournature-lovingDrKalam.TheMughalGardenswerehosttoanexquisitedisplayofrosesofallhuesatthistimeoftheyear,andthescentoftheflowersthemselveswasintoxicating.

One morning, Dr Kalam and I took a stroll through theMughal Gardens,along its stone paths. The flowers were a kaleidoscope of colours, and thegreeneryitselfexudedthefragranceofthebriefDelhispring.DrKalamwasina

pensivemood,andwasconsideringhisoptionsafterhisterm.Aswewalked,awell-fedwhitecatwalkednonchalantly acrossourpath, barely acknowledgingour presence. Dr Kalam gave a broad smile – neither of us was the leastsuperstitiousaboutsuchoccurrences–andsaid,‘ThatcatwillstillbehereafterJuly,unlikeme,whocomesandgoesafterfiveyears.Theseanimalsaretherealpermanent residents here.’ I had to laugh. His humour and humility – not tomentionhisclearphilosophicalperspective–weresodisarmingthatyoucouldforgetwithhimthathewasbearerofthehighestofficeoftheland.Thatmomentwill stay with me, as will so many others from my cherished time with DrKalam.

I knew that Dr Kalam would truly miss those permanent residents ofRashtrapati Bhavan – a whole range of animals from peacocks to deer anddomesticanimals–atleastasmuchasitsgrounds.Icouldn’tsaythathewouldmiss his quarters, for he only occupied one room, and he was never muchattached to physical comfort.But his attachment to the animals ofRashtrapatiBhavan was another matter altogether. Earlier in his term, he had noticed astricken fawn, barely mobile with its leg broken. He immediately becamepreoccupiedwithitswelfare.Littledidthisyounganimalknowthatithadnowfound a most powerful saviour. But the staff knew soon enough: they werepromptly charged with a mission to nurse the fawn back to health – and noquestions were to be asked. Veterinary specialists were summoned, and DrKalamwasnotquiteateaseuntilhesawthefawnhappilywalkingagain.

Perhapsitwasfittingthatinthelastfewmonthsofhispresidency,DrKalamwouldaddressthemostprominentinternationalgatheringofhistermofoffice.PresidentKalamhadacceptedaninvitationtoaddresstheEuropeanparliamentwhen President Josep Borrel Fontells, the twenty-second president of theEuropean parliament and Spanish leader, visited him in October 2006. Theparliamentary staff had wanted him to attend in January 2007, but PresidentKalam’s tight schedule could not accommodate this. Under the rotationalpresidency of the European Union, President Josep Borrel’s term ended inJanuary2007,andGermanleaderHans-GertPotteringtookoverastwenty-thirdpresidentoftheEuropeanparliament.Theinvitationwasrenewed,andPresidentKalam’saddresswasfixedfor25April2007.Twenty-fiveminuteswasallottedfortheaddress.

WhatcouldbehismessagetotheEuropeanparliament?PresidentA.P.J.AbdulKalamdepartedon24April2007forafive-dayvisit

toFranceandGreece.BesidesthespeechattheEuropeanparliament,DrKalamwouldvisittheInternationalSpaceUniversityinStrasbourg.Thevice-presidentof the European Union, Mario Mauro, the precept of the Strasbourg region,Gene-PaulSavgere,andIndia’sambassadortotheEuropeanUnionandFrancereceivedPresidentKalam.Strasbourghadbeenthecapitalandprincipalcityofthe Alsace region, on the west bank of the Rhine adjacent to Germany andSwitzerland. The city had suffered greatly in the past from historic decisions,wars and strategic politics of the great powers in Europe. But inmore recenttimes,Strasbourghasbecometheseatofseveralinternationalorganizationsandbodies,includingtheEuropeanparliamentwhenitwascreatedin1962.

Soon after his arrival,DrKalam left for the International SpaceUniversity(ISU)togivealecture.TheISUisaninternationalinstitutionofhigherlearning,dedicated to the development of outer space for peaceful purposes. The ISUpresident,Prof.MichaelSimpson,briefedDrKalamaboutthephilosophyof3-I’s, whichmeant providing an Interdisciplinary, Intercultural and Internationalenvironment for educating and training space professionals and postgraduatestudents.

President Kalam hailed the arrival of India on the global scene of spacescienceandtechnology.HeoutlinedthescopeofIndia’saerospaceprogrammetothestudentsatISU:

Today,Indiawithher14,000scientific,technologicalandsupportstaffinmultipleresearchcentres,supportedbyabout500industriesandacademicinstitutions,hasthecapabilitytobuildanytypeofsatellite launch vehicle to place remote sensing, communications andmeteorological satellites indifferentorbits,andspaceapplicationshavebecomepartofourdailylife.

Indiahas todayaconstellationof six remotesensingand tencommunicationsatellites servingapplications like natural resource surveying, communication, disaster management support,meteorology,tele-education(10,000classrooms)andtelemedicine(200hospitals).

Ourcountryisintheprocessofestablishing100,000commonservicecentresacrossthecountrythroughpublic–privatepartnershipmodelforprovidingknowledgeinputtoruralcitizens.

Afterhislecture,DrKalaminteractedwiththestudents.Bijal‘Bee’Thakore,anIndianstudentdoinghermaster’sinspacestudies,askedDrKalamhowlonghethoughtitwouldbebeforetheworldwouldseethefirstIndianwomanlandon

themoonoronMars.DrKalamansweredmatter-of-factly:‘Threeoftheastronautswhohavetaken

onspacemissionshavebeenofIndianorigin–RakeshSharma,KalpanaChawlaandSunitaWilliams.Twooutofthreearewomen.HencethechancesofIndianwomenlandingonthemoonoronMarsprettysoonarehigh.’

The next day, President Kalam was at the European parliament buildings,locatedoutsidethecitycentreofStrasbourg.Themainparliamentbuildingisaverymodern-lookingcurvedstructuredominatedbyglass.Thesunwasshiningand thebuildingwasbeautifully reflected in thewatersof theRiver Ill. Itwasthefirst timethatapresidentofIndiawastoaddress theEuropeanparliament.PresidentKalamhadashortpreliminarymeetingwithPresidentPottering,andtheywalkedtogetherintoapackedEuropeanparliamenthall.Thishallismuchbigger than the Central Hall of the Indian parliament. After a conciseintroductionoflessthantwominutes,PresidentKalamtookthepodium.

DrKalambeganwithaTamilquotefromtheSangam8periodthattheworldisonebigfamily,andsaid that theEuropeancivilizationhasauniqueplaceinhumanhistory.Itspeoplewerevaliantlyengagedintheadventureofexploringtheplanetearth, resulting in thediscoveryofmany ideasand systems.Europehad seen thebirthofmodern science, leading toquantum leaps in technology.ButEuropehadalsobeen the theatreofconflicts forhundredsofyearsamongand between its nations, including the two world wars. It was against thisbackdrop and with these dynamics that the European Union was born with avision forpeaceandprosperity for theentire region.TheEuropeanUnionhadbecome an example for connection among nations. There was now noprobabilityofwar,andtherewouldbelastingregionalpeace.

PresidentKalamsaidthattheEuropeanUnionhaddemonstratedtotheworldthat it was possible to build a strong union of nations without compromisingnationalidentities.TheEuropeanUnionhadbecomeaninspirationalmodelandanexampletoemulateforeveryregionintheworld.

IhavebroughtfromIndia,amessage:amessagetostart threeimportantIndo-Europeanmissionswhichcancontribute toglobalpeaceandprosperity.Thesemissions, IamputtingforthbasedonIndia’sexperienceandthedynamicsoftheEuropeanUnion.1. Theevolutionofenlightenedsociety–forevolvingacitizenrywithavaluesystem,leadingtoa

prosperousandpeacefulworld.

2. Leading to Energy Independence –a three-dimensional approach for energy choice towardrealizingacleanplanetearth.

3. AWorldKnowledgePlatform– for synergizing thecorecompetenceof theEuropeanUnionand India in certain areas for providing solutions to critical issues likewater, healthcare andcapacitybuilding.9

Towards the endofhis forty-five-minute speech,DrKalam recitedanEnglishpoemcomposedbyhim, ‘AMessage fromMother India’, about theEuropeanUnion.The poemcaptured the essence ofEuropeangeography, aswell as theadventurous,creativeandmethodicalspiritofthepeoplewholivedhere.

BeautifulenvironmentleadsTobeautifulmindsBeautifulmindsgenerate,Freshnessandcreativity

CreatedexplorersoflandandseaCreatedmindsthatinnovateCreatedgreatscientificmindsCreatedeverywhere,why?

GavebirthtomanydiscoveriesDiscoveredacontinentandunknownlandsVenturedintounexploredpathsCreatednewhighways

ThenthepoemturnedtotheconflictsinEurope’spast,wherecountlessbloodywarswerewaged in the name of religion; the Jewswere persecuted, colonialcampaignswereunleasheduponnationsacrosscontinentsandseasbyitspeople– all this, and the two world wars, that brought unimaginable bloodshed andmisery.

InthemindsofthebestWorstwasalsobornGeneratedseedsofbattleandhatredHundredsofyearsofwarsandblood;

MillionsofmywonderfulchildrenLostinthelandandsea

TearsfloodedmanynationsManyengulfedinoceansofsadness

Afterestablishingthetwopolarities–thebestofthemindsandtheworstofthedeeds–PresidentKalampositionedtheEuropeanUnionasthegoldenmeanofhumanpossibilities.

Then,thencame,thevisionofEuropeanUnion,Tooktheoath,‘Nevertoturnhumanknowledge,Againstourselvesorothers.’

Unitedintheirthinking,Actionsemanated,TomakeEuropeprosperousandpeaceful,Born,theEuropeanUnion.

That‘GladTidings’captivatedThepeopleoftheplanetsofmygalaxy.O!EuropeanUnion,letyourmissionsSpreadeverywhere,liketheairwebreathe.

Theway PresidentKalam held themirror beforemore than 700 leaders fromtwenty-eight European countries was truly amazing.When he finished saying‘namaskar’withfoldedhands,theparliamentariansgavehimastandingovationandgreetedhimwithroundsofapplause.PresidentHans-GertPottering,oftheEuropean Parliament termed President Kalam’s address to the Europeanparliamentextraordinary,thelikesofwhichtheyhadnotheardbefore.10

P

5.7

Awakening

Thatistherealspiritualawakening,whensomethingemergesfromwithinyouthatisdeeperthanwhoyouthoughtyouwere.So,thepersonisstillthere,butonecouldalmostsaythatsomethingmorepowerfulshinesthroughtheperson.

–EckhartTolleSpiritualauthor

residentKalamarrivedinGreeceon25April2007lateinthenight.India’sambassadortoGreece,DrB.Balakrishnan,andtheGreekchiefofprotocol

receivedPresidentKalamatAthensairport.Thefollowingday,hewasgivenaceremonialreceptionatthePresidentialPalace.DrKalam,escortedbytheGreekpresidentKarolosPapoulias,inspectedtheguardofhonour.Nationalanthemsofboththecountrieswereplayed.TheGreeknationalanthemiscalled‘HymnofLiberty’ to honour the struggle of Greeks for independence in the eighteenthcentury after hundreds of years ofOttoman rule. Itswords are passionate andoptimisticinequalmeasure:

Fromthegravesofourslain,Shallthyvalourprevail,Aswegreettheeagain,Hail,Liberty!Hail!1

PresidentPapouliashadasurpriseitemforPresidentKalam.HeshowedDrKalamacoindepictingthefigureofKingMilindaandasymboloftheumbilicalconnectionbetweentheancientcivilizationsofIndiaandGreece.

EverychildinIndiaknowsthebattlebetweentheIndiankingPorusandthethe Greek king Alexander the Great 2,400 years ago. Alexander overran thePersian Empire and reached the Jhelum, the western boundary of Porus’s

kingdomthat stretchedup to theGanga in theEast.ThevalourofKingPorusblunted the courage ofAlexander’s army and it refused tomarch further intoIndianlands.AlexanderreturnedleavingbehindGreekforces,whichestablishedthemselves in the city ofTakshashila.More than thirtyGreek kings ruled andperished there, often in conflictwith each other, beforeChandraguptaMauryadefeatedKing Seleucus and signed a treaty. Seleucusmarried his daughter toChandragupta Maurya, and marriages between Indian and Greek familiesthereafter became a practice in the Indian ruling class. Greek troops evenassisted Chandragupta Maurya in toppling the Nanda dynasty. Several Indo-Greekkingdoms ruledover the region from theHinduKushMountains in thewesttotheGanga–YamunaplainsintheeastandtheVindhyaMountainsinthesouth.MostofthesekingdomsfollowedBuddhism.

PresidentKalamdeliveredakeynoteaddresstoadistinguishedgatheringofintellectualsorganizedbytheprestigiousthinktank,theHellenicFoundationforEuropeanandForeignPolicy (ELIAMEP).2DrKalam spokeon ‘DynamicsofPeace andProsperity’.A large number ofGreek students ofHindi and Indianhistoryandculturewerepresent.Hegavethemfoodforthought,thekindthatisrarelyutteredbyWesternleaders:‘Withoutpeaceinourhearts,prosperityinourhomeswillnotcome.Withoutpeaceinourhomes,prosperityinoursocietywillnot come.Without peace in our society, the nationwill never prosper. If yourneighbouringnationisnotprosperous,yournationwillnotremainpeacefulforlong.’DrKalam’ssimplethoughtswontheheartsofeventhemostseasonedoftheacademicsthere.

PresidentKalamtookadetourtotheHellenicAerospaceIndustriescomplex(HAI,EllinikiAeroporikiViomichania,orEABinGreek),theleadingaerospacecompany of Greece, 65 kilometres north-west of Athens. Over the years, thecompany had undertaken a great deal of subcontracting work with majorinternational aerospace companies including Dassault Aviation, LockheedMartin,BoeingandAirbus.DrKalamhadshownakeeninterestintheoriginaldesignsofthePegasus,anunmannedaerialvehicledevelopedhere.HemingledwiththeengineersworkingintheassemblyshopoftheMirage2000fighterjetand where the retrofit of ten existing Mirage 2000-E to Mirage 2000-5 wasprogressingatthattime.

ThenextstopforDrKalamwastheNationalCouncilforScientificResearch

(NCSR ‘Demokritos’). It is the largest multidisciplinary research centre inGreece, with international credentials in the fields of nanotechnology, energyandenvironment,biosciences,particleandnuclearscienceandinformaticsandtelecommunications.DrKalamspokeonthe‘ConvergenceofTechnologies’andvisitedtheinstitution’sresearchfacilities.

AttheHadzipatreionrehabilitationcentreforchildrenwithcerebralpalsy,DrKalamsharedhisownexperienceofworkingwithsimilarorganizations.Healsospoke of his previous interactions with researchers of mental disorders likeautism and permanent movement disorders. He presented ten computers insupportofthecentre’sactivities.

President Kalamwent to the PhaleironWar Cemetery in Athens, and paidhomage at the graves of Indian servicemenwhodiedduringWorldWar II. In1940,GreecewasoverrunbyGermany,ItalyandBulgariainanattackfrom‘allthefoursides’.Thethreeinvadersdividedthecountrybetweenthem,andtheirsubsequent plundering of its resources for their war machines caused greatmiserytotheGreekpeople.The4thIndianInfantryDivisionsailedtoGreeceaspartoftheBritishforceandliberatedAthensinOctober1944.

In the evening, at the banquet in President Kalam’s honour, PresidentPapouliaswelcomedDrKalaminSanskrit.

RashtrapatiMahabhaga,SuswagatamYavanaDeshe

RespectedPresident,YouarewelcomeinGreece.

On29April2007,PresidentKalamvisitedtheAcropolis,the’SacredRock’ofAthens,which is considered one of themost important historic sites in theworld.DrKalamspentaboutfortyminutesattheAcropolis.ThemostfamousofthebuildingsthereistheexquisiteParthenon,dedicatedtothegoddessAthena,whom the people of Athens considered their patron. It was constructed morethan 2,400 years ago. Walking through the stone-paved pathways, Dr Kalamfreelymingledwiththevisitors.

Whenhemetalargegroupofschoolchildren,heaskedthemtoreciteafterhim:‘Dream, Dream, Dream because dreams transform into thoughts andthoughts lead to action.’He was always at work when it came to inspiringchildren.Thechildrenrespondedwholeheartedly,recitingthelinesandclapping

joyously.DrKalampresentedanautographedcopyofhisbookIgnitedMindstoarchaeologistBennerie Ionne,whoshowed thepresidentaround theAcropolis.ThevisitwasalmostoverwhenDrKalaminquiredaboutSocrates:‘Wheredidhelive?’HewastoldthatitwashereinacavethatSocrateswasimprisoned,andultimatelysentencedtodeathbydrinkingpoison.DrKalaminsistedthathegothere;andtherewasnowayhecouldberefused.

DrKalamtrekkedtothenearbyPhilopapposHilltothecavewhereSocrateshadbeenimprisoned.Itwasdarkinside.DrKalamsensedastrangeserenityinthe cave.He requested some solitude; the accompanying officials respectfullyobliged.Inthedimlylitcavehestoodattheplacewhere,decliningtherequestofhisfriendstoescape,Socrateshaddrunkthecupofpoisonasthepunishmentgiven to him for propagating inappropriate thoughts amongst youth, and thussacrificedhislife.

DrKalamlaternarratedhisexperiencetomeandweincludeditinourbookSquaring theCircle.Mymindwas filledwithmanyquestions aboutwhathadtranspired in the cave. He heard in his imagination Socrates telling him that2,500yearshadgonebyandKalamwastheonlyleaderwhocaredtovisithiscave prison. That he had sacrificed his life for the cause of glory of humanfreedom andmajesty of righteous life. Socrates said that he knew thatKalamwas concerned for the future of humanity andhewas seekingwisdom for thetwenty-first-centuryplanetearth.

When I emerged from Socrates’ cave, I realized I have a message to convey to the people.Humanityneedsagreatvisiontoforegoallconflictandmovetowardsacommongoalofpeaceandprosperity for every human being.We foresee the birth of aworld vision leading to a ‘liveableplanetearth’.Thisvisionwillbegreaterthananyothergoaleveraspiredtobyhumanity.3

On22May2007,PresidentKalaminauguratedanationalconventiononhumanvalues in education through ‘Jeevan Vidya’ at IIT, New Delhi. The ‘JeevanVidya’conceptwaspioneeredbyBabaShriA.NagrajSharmaandpropagatedbyProf.GaneshBagariaandProf.RajeevSangal,startingattheIndianInstituteofTechnology,Kanpur.

Dr Kalam met Prof. Rajeev Sangal during the formative years of theInternational Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H), whichwasfoundedin1998asanautonomousuniversity.TheideaofIIIT-Hwasborn

in themind ofDabbalaRajagopal ‘Raj’Reddy, an Indian-American computerscientist and dean of School of Computer Science at Carnegie MellonUniversity,Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania,USA.Heconvinced thechiefministerofAndhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, who hailed from the same district,Chittoor, inAndhraPradesh,whereProf.RajReddywasborn.ChiefMinisterNaidulenthiswholeheartedsupporttotheideaandprovidedlandandgrantsforthebuildings.Agoverningcouncilconsistingofeminentpeoplefromacademia,industryandgovernmentpresidesoverthegovernanceoftheinstitution.

Prof. Raj Reddy invited Prof. Rajeev Sangal, working with him at theCarnegie Mellon University, to head the new institution and develop it as aresearch university, focused on the core areas of information technology.Informationandcommunicationstechnologywassweepingacrosstheglobe,andit was imperative that bright Indian minds were trained at an internationalstandardwithoutgoingabroad.

Theinstitutestructureditselfnotintheformofdepartments,butasaclusterofresearchlaboratoriesinahostofareas,withcomputationorITprovidingtheconnectingthread.Emphasiswasplacedonthedevelopmentoftechnologyandapplications,whichcanbetransferredforusetoindustryandsociety.Itwasalsodecidedtocarryoutbasicresearchthatcanbeusedtosolvereal-lifeproblems.

The growth of information and communication technology has beenbewildering.Anewgenerationhasfoundtheirworldverydifferentfromthatoftheirparents.But then,bewilderment isnotagoodmentalstate.Thepoweroftechnologymustbeusedwithdiscretion.The Internetcanbeawindow to theknowledgeworld,adipintotheGyanGanga,oradoortopornographyandallmannerofturpitude.

Youngsters armedwith technologymust knowwhat isworthy in a promptandefficientmanner.Itisnotwithinthescopeoftechnologytodecidewhatisworthy.TheInternetdoesnottellanyonewhattoseek.Whowilldecidewhatisworthy?Withoutdiscernment,technologyisaimless,directionlessandthereforecanbeputtoanyuse–constructiveordestructive.Astudentwhoistrainedininformationandcommunicationtechnologywithoutdiscretion–withoutagraspofwhatisworthy–wouldbeaimlessanddirectionless.Moreover,hewouldbevulnerable to moral degradation; and perhaps prone to behaviour that isdeleterioustohimselfandothers.

The general public perception of the young IT community had been ofyoungsterswithplentyofmoney:beer-drinking,fun-lovingpeoplewithaliberallifestyle.ThisimageisatoddswiththevastmajorityofITprofessionals.Prof.RajeevSangal decided to challengepublicmisconceptionsof the industry andchangetheconditioningofhisstudents.Hefosteredasereneatmosphereattheinstitute, and ensured that appropriate attentionwas paid on campus to largerhuman and societal concerns. In 2005, Prof. Sangal designed a human valuescourse around ‘Jeevan Vidya’, and made it a regular part of the academiccurriculumat IIIT-H.Seeing its transformative effect onyoungminds, severalotheruniversitieswouldlateradoptthiscourse.

Dr Kalam maintained regular contact with Prof. Rajeev Sangal. Heunderstood‘JeevanVidya’asaprogrammeconcernedwithaddressingthebasiccauses of violence, corruption, exploitation, domination, terrorism and war.Violentandantisocialbehaviour,unlessitisdealtwithcompassionatelyandwithdue regard for its root cause, could indeed worsen. Dr Kalam saw the innatemerit in Jeevan Vidya. He perceived this course as an effective means ofaddressingthecausesofconflictofallmagnitudes:‘IunderstandJeevanVidyais a “teachable human value-based skill” that can address inherent conflictswithinthemindoftheindividual,withinfamilies,inorganizationsandinpubliclife.Innerconflictistheveryessenceofviolence.’4

DrKalamspokeasaprophetthatday,radiatingwithdivinity.Hesaid,

Conscienceisthelightofthesoulthatburnswithinthechambersofourpsychologicalheart.Itisasreal as life is. It raises the voice in protestwhenever anything is thought of or done contrary torighteousness.Conscienceisaformoftruththathasbeentransferredthroughourgeneticstockintheformoftheknowledgeofourownactsandfeelingsasrightorwrong.

Conscience isalsoagreat ledgerwhereouroffencesarebookedandregistered. It isa terriblewitness. It threatens,promises, rewardsandpunishes,keepingallunder itscontrol. Ifconsciencestingsonce,itisanadmonition,iftwice,acondemnation.Cowardiceasks,‘Isitsafe?’Greedasks,‘Isthereanygaininit?’Vanityasks,‘CanIbecomegreat?’Lustasks,‘Istherepleasureinit?’Butconscience asks, ‘Is it right?’Why havewe become deaf to its voice? Insensitive to its pricks?Calloustoitscriticism?Theresultiscorruption.

Corruption is anassaultonconsciousness.Thehabitof takingbribesand seeking favourshasbecomeverycommon.Peopleholdingimportantpositionsdonotconsidertheirconscience.Theypretendeverythingisallright.Dotheynothaveanyideaofthelawofactionandreaction?Havetheyforgottenhowimpressionsofthesubconsciousmindandtheirforcework?Ifyoutakebribes,yourthoughtsandactionsareregisteredinthesubconsciousmind.Willyounotbecarryingforward

yourdishonesty toyournextgenerations,causingthemgreatsuffering?It isapainfulreality thatcorruptionhasbecomeawayoflife,affectingallaspectsofliving–personalaswellassocial.

Aftermaking someeffort in seeing thatPresidentKalamwasnot interested inseeking a second term in office, the United Progressive Alliance on 10 June2007announcedthat thenextpresidentofIndiawouldbefromtheir fold.TheElectionCommissionofIndiaissuedthenotificationforthepresidentialelectionon16June2007,andtheelectionwasscheduledfor19July2007.

On 14 June 2007, the United Progressive Alliance declared Smt. PratibhaPatil,thegovernorofthestateofRajasthan,asitscandidateforthepresidentialelection.TheLeftparties,theBahujanSamajParty(BSP),theDravidaMunnetraKazhagam(DMK)andtheShivSenaalsosupportedhercandidature.AvaliantattemptwasmadebytheregionalpartiestobringDrKalambacktothefray.Theassortment of parties – the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK)ledbyJ.Jayalalithaa,theSamajwadiPartyledbyMulayamSinghYadav, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lead by Chandrababu Naidu and theIndianNationalLokDal(INLD)ledbyOmPrakashChautala–cametogetheras the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA). A delegation from theUNPA met Dr Kalam on 20 June 2007 and requested that he stand for thepresidential elections. While Dr Kalam had received literally thousands ofemailsimploringhimtoseekasecondstintaspresident,andwasawareoftheoverwhelmingpublicsentimentforhimtostayatRashtrapatiBhavan,heknewthatitwastimeforhimtodepartfrompolitics.

Thenextday,DrKalamsaw theculminationofaprojecthehadsponsorednearlyadecadeearlier.On21June2007,PresidentKalamhandedareplicaofthemobileautonomouslauncher(MAL)oftheBrahMosmissiletothechiefofthe army staff, General J.J. Singh, symbolizing the commencement of thedeliveryofthemissile’slandversiontothearmy.Theseedsofthisjointventureweresownon12February1998whenDrKalam,thenscientificadvisertothedefenceminister, andN.V.Mikhailov, first deputy defenceminister ofRussia,signed an intergovernmental agreement. There had been fourteen launches ofBrahMosmissilesfromIndiabetweenJune2001andApril2007,fourofwhichwerearmyversions.

PresidentKalamsaidthatthetimehadcomeforBrahMosAerospaceLimitedtoworkontheMarkIIversionoftheBrahMossupersoniccruisemissilesothat

India could still be the market leader in hypersonic cruise missiles. In theemerging-network-centric warfare scenario, state-of-the-art fast-deploymenthypersonic missile systems would be necessary to maintain our force-levelsupremacy,hesaid.

Flanked by the Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju, AmbassadorVyacheslav I. Trubnikov of the Russian Federation, chairman of BrahMosAerospace,AlexandreDergachev,scientificadvisertothedefenceminister,M.Natarajan, and BrahMos CEO Dr Sivathanu Pillai, Dr Kalam inspected themobile command post and the mobile autonomous launcher of the BrahMossystem.Thearmypersonnelpresentexplainedthesequenceofthelaunchsystemtohim.The twostagesof theBrahMos rocketrypropel themissile toamind-bogglingvelocityof1kmpersecondandgiveitarangeof290kilometres.At9mlong,itisquitesizeable,andcancarryconventionalwarheadsweighing300kilograms.

Whileleavingthevenue,DrKalamsaidhevisualizedlong-rangehypersoniccruisemissiles not only delivering payloads, but also returning to base after amission.Hesaid thiswouldleadtoareusableclassofcruisemissileswithinadecade.DrKalamalwaystookalong-termview!

On 22 June 2007, PresidentKalammade his formal announcement that hewouldnotrunforasecondterm.Partypoliticswasneverhisdomain:‘Onceyouare interestedandyouareaPresident,youhave topropagateasacandidate. Idid notwant to damage the name of theRashtrapati Bhavan,which has beenmadeintoapeople’sBhavanduringmytenure.’5

TheNationalDemocraticAlliance (NDA) eventually fielded the incumbentvice-presidentBhaironSinghShekhawat.Intheelectionheldon19July2007,Smt.PratibhaPatilwaselectedasthetwelfthpresidentofIndia.

T

5.8

OneMan’sBible

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people whoclaimtohaveaccomplishedthings.Thefirstgroupislesscrowded.

–MarkTwainNineteenth-centuryAmericanwriter

hemembers of parliament hosted a farewell forDrKalam in the CentralHall of parliament on 23 July 2007. President Kalam thanked Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh and his predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee, withwhomhehadworkedduringhisfiveyearsofpresidency.HealsoexpressedhisgratitudetoVice-PresidentBhaironSinghShekhawatforhissupportthroughouthistermofoffice.Buthavingdispensedwiththeseobligatoryniceties,heusedtheoccasionforsomeplaintalkandraisedtwoveryimportantpoints.HelaterpublishedthisspeechinhisbookTurningPoints.

There is a general feeling and appreciation that the environment internal and external to India’ssystemofgovernancehasgone through rapidandapparently irreversible change.Thechallengesposed tonational sovereignty, integrity andeconomicgrowthposedby these changesneed tobeaddressed coherently and rapidly.Our social organizations tend to deteriorate and become crisisprone.Asasocialentity,India’ssystemofgovernanceappearstohaveenteredastageofcrisis,andthisisaclarioncallforself-renewalandchange.

The fact that the Indian economy is globalizing has strengthened our economy. The nation isricher,butgreatvigilanceisneededtoenhancethepowerofparliament.Internationaltreatiesnowincreasingly governmuchof economic decision-making, and the Indian parliament is one of thefew parliaments in theworld that does not have a system of effective treaty oversight in place.These treaties are by and large a fait accompli by the time they come to parliament.Hence, thepowertooverseeandlegislateontreatiesandagreementswithforeignnationsisurgentlyrequiredforparliament.1

DrKalamsaidthatthefuturepoliticalleadershiptheworldoverhastorisetothechallengeofsustainablegrowth,development,environmentandresources.Thenationalleadershiphastoradiateconfidenceinourpeoplethat‘wecandoit’,headded.UrgingtheMPstodebatehissuggestions,DrKalamsaidthattheyshoulddraw up a ‘ParliamentaryVision for theNation’, similar to the framing up ofcountry’sconstitution:

This twenty-first century parliamentary vision for India needs to have a global and long-termperspective,andneedstobeunderpinnedwithimplementationstrategies,integratedstructuresandactionplans for transforming India into adevelopedcountryby2020–withNationalProsperityIndexasameasure–andacquiringenergyindependencebefore2030.2

On24July2007,PresidentKalamspoketothepeopleonnationaltelevisioninhischaracteristicandbynowverypopularstyle:simplewords,eyecontact,andunabashedrenderingofhisaspirationsofmakingIndiaadevelopednation.Hisconviction about the development of India and his belief in the people of hiscountry was amazing, if not audacious. He, of all the nation’s leaders, couldunderstandthatIndia’saspirationswereinextricablefromthepersonalhopesanddreamsofeachof itsbillion-strongcitizens.And in this,onlyDrA.P.J.AbdulKalamcouldquoteaDisneysong’slyricsinameaningfulway:

Whenyouwishuponastar,MakesnodifferencewhoyouareAnythingyourheartdesiresWillcometoyou.3

ItisimportantthatthisspeechofDrKalamisdiscussedhere,becauseitputsonrecordthepassionofagreatvisionary,whichcontrastswiththeindifferenceofoursystemtowardsdevelopmentandgrowinginstatureasanation.

DrKalamdistilledtenmessagesoutofhisfive‘beautifulandeventful’yearsinRashtrapatiBhavan.Callinghislastdayinofficeathanksgivingoccasion,hesaid that he enjoyed every minute of his tenure. He stated that he had beenenrichedby thewonderfulassociationwithpeopleofhiscountry,hailingfromall different walks of life – politics, science and technology, academics, arts,literature, business, judiciary, administration, local bodies, farming,homemaking, special children, media – and above all, from the youth and

studentcommunity,whohesaid‘arethefuturewealthofourcountry’.DrKalam enumerated the ten imperatives for accelerating development: to

meet the aspiration of the nation’s youth for living in a developed country; toempowerthevillages;tomobilizeruralcorecompetenceforcompetitiveness;todevelop the entire supply chain of seed to food as a backbone for agriculturalgrowth; to defeat problems and succeed; to overcome problems throughpartnership;tohavecourageincombatingcalamities;todevelopconnectivityforsocietal transformation; todefend thenation,whichhesaidmustbeourpride;andfinally,tostartayouthmovementforDevelopedIndia2020.

DrKalam recalledaquestion froma littlegirl–AnukritiofSriSathyaSaiJagritiVidyaMandirSchool,ofDarwavillageinHaryana–whenshecametovisitRashtrapatiBhavanon22May2006.HesaidthatAnukritihadaskedhim,‘WhycannotIndiabecomeadevelopednationbeforetheyear2020?’DrKalamsaid that he had assured her that her dream would be taken to the highestinstitutionofthenation,andwewouldworkforit tobeachievedbefore2020.DrKalamsaidthatthisquestionreflectedhowthedesiretoliveinadevelopedIndiahasenteredintothemindsoftheIndianchildren.Hedeclaredthat

Thesamefeelingsareechoedbyoverfifteenlakhyouth,whomIhavemetsofarandwhorepresentthe dream of the 540 million youth of the nation. The aspirations of the young to live in aprosperous,safeandproudIndiashouldbetheguidingfactorinwhateverprofessionwecontribute.

DrKalammadementionofhisvisittoNagalandon26October2002,soonafterhisassumingtheofficeofpresident.Hesaiditwasauniqueexperienceforhimat Khuzama village to meet tribal village council members and discuss withthemthevillageprogressandthedreamofvillagecitizens.Hewasveryhappyto see the empowered village council functioning with financial powers andtaking decisions. He saw a truly prosperous village, with abundant fruit andvegetableproduction.Itwas,however,aparadiseinisolation.Therewasaneedfor providing a physical connectivity through quality roads for enabling fastermovement of products from villages to themarket. Thatmeeting gave him apowerfulmessageaboutthetransformationwhichcantakeplaceforthe600,000villages of India, if all the villages are empowered to deal with theirdevelopment and are well connected among themselves and with the urbansocieties.

Dr Kalam then discussed the initiative of Periyar Maniammai College ofTechnologyforWomenatVallaminThanjavur.Thisprogrammeisdedicatedtoproviding urban amenities in rural areas involving sixty-five villages with apopulationof300,000.Itincludesprovisionofphysicalconnectivity,electronicconnectivityandknowledgeconnectivityleadingtoeconomicconnectivity.Theprogramme has health care centres, primary- to graduate-level education andvocational training centres. This had resulted in large-scale employmentgenerationandthecreationofanumberofentrepreneurswiththeactivesupportof1,000self-helpgroups.Twohundredacresofwastelandhadbeendevelopedintocultivableland.Thevillagerswerebusyincultivation,plantingherbalandmedicinalplants,generatingpowerusingbiomass,foodprocessing–andaboveall,runningmarketingcentres.AcredibledevelopmentmodelforIndianvillageswasinoperation.

Headded that thevillagerswith technicalsupport fromPeriyarManiammaiCollege of Engineering forWomen had worked with experts from the JapanExternal Trade Organization (JETRO) on various products, for which corecompetence and rawmaterials were available in Thanjavur district. They haddevelopedinternationallycompetitiveprototypesforfifty-fivelifestyleproductswith the support of JETRO specialists and constructive feedback fromexhibitions at Delhi and Tokyo. This cooperative venture had enhanced theinnovative ability of the people of the villages, enabling them to develop andproduce internationally viable products.He said this initiative proved that theurban–ruraldividecouldindeedbebridged.

DrKalam shared his experience ofmeetingmore than 6,000 farmers fromdifferent states andUnion territorieswhohadvisitedRashtrapatiBhavan.Thefarmers evincedkeen interest in theMughalGardens, theHerbalGardens, theSpiritualGarden, theMusicalGarden, theBio-dieselGardenand theNutritionGarden,andinteractedatsomelengthwiththespecialistsmanagingthem.Thefarmersgavemanypracticalsuggestions,whichhesharedwiththeagriculturalscientistsduringanationalsymposiumon‘AgricultureCannotWait’.

Dr Kalam said that there was no other way but to double the agriculturalproductionwithreducedland,reducedwaterresourcesandreducedmanpower.Hedeclaredthatwemustimprovetheeconomicconditionsofthenationthroughtheprincipleof‘SeedtoFood’,sinceagriculturewasthebackboneofthenation.

Weshould empower the farmers to protect andnurture the fertile land for thesecondgreen revolution.Meeting the scientistsand farmershadgivenhim theconfidencethatthenationispoisedtoincreasetheagriculturalGDPgrowthbyatleast4percentperannum.Thiswouldbepossiblethroughthepartnershipoffarmersandagriculturalscientistsandindustry,particularlyforvalueaddition.

DrKalam talked ofmeeting, at Coimbatore,Vidwan S.R.KrishnaMurthy,whohadnohandsorlegs.Herecalled,‘On24February2007atCoimbatore,asmilingpersoninhislatefiftieswasbroughttomeonawheelchair.Hisradiantfacewas revealinghishappy stateofmind. I greetedhimandaskedhimhowthishadhappened.Hesmilinglysaidthatitwasfrombirth.HethankedGod,hisparents,teachersandmanyothersforgivinghimconfidence,trainingandhelp.Iaskedhim,whatIcoulddoforhim.Hesaid,“Idon’tneedanythingfromyou.Iwouldliketosinginfrontofyou.”Ireadilyagreed.HesangmelodiouslySaintThyagaraja’sPancharatnakriti“EndaroMahanubhavulu”.Iwasmovedwiththebrillianceofhisvoice.’

DrKalamasked, ‘What is themessage?’Andanswered ithimself, ‘Despitebeing physically challenged, the latent talent of music could blossom in thispersonwithhispositiveattitudeandperseverance.Nowhewants togive,giveand give his art to inspire others. I invited him to perform in the RashtrapatiBhavanarttheatre.’

Dr Kalam spoke about the indomitable spirit of the people of Jammu andKashmir–particularlythechildren–inthewakeofthedevastatingearthquakein2005.Hesaid,‘IvisitedUrusavillageon26November2005.Ifoundthattheschool building had been severely damaged.However, the classeswere beingconductedintents.IappreciatedthecourageofthepeopleofUrusaindefeatingtheirproblems.Undauntedbytheirlosses,theyhadmasteredtheproblemsandpreventedtheproblemsfrombecomingtheirmaster.’

Highlighting another society at the opposite end of the country, Dr KalammentionedhisobservationsonthepeopleofCarNicobarIsland.Hesaidthatin2005, he met the people of Chuckchucha village there, while variousreconstruction and rehabilitation activities were in progress after the tsunami.During discussions with members of the tribal council, he realized that thecohesivenessoftheirsocietyhadhelpedtheirpeopletosurvivetheaftermathofthetsunami.Eventhoughthereweremanyhumanlossesdueto the tragedyof

26December2004, thepeoplehad takenpossessionof theaffectedvictimsastheirchildren;therewasnothinglikeanorphanageonCarNicobarIsland.

Talkingabout the importanceofconnectivityforsocietal transformation,DrKalamsaid,‘IaddressedthePan-AfricanParliamenton16September2004,atJohannesburg,SouthAfrica.Thiswasattendedbyfifty-threemembercountriesoftheAfricanUnion,whereIproposedtheconceptofapan-Africane-networkfor providing a seamless and integrated satellite, fibre-optic and wirelessnetwork connecting fifty-three African countries, at an estimated cost of 100milliondollars.Thepilotprojectontele-educationandtelemedicineinEthiopiahas already been commissioned. Indira Gandhi National Open University hastakenuptheMBAcourseforthirty-fourEthiopianstudentsofAddisAbabaandHarmayaUniversities.Asregardstelemedicine,DrRajivMenon,CardiologistatCARE Hospital, Hyderabad, visited Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa, andthereafter he and his teamhave been connected livewith their counterparts atBlackLionHospitalsinceNovember2006.’

DrKalamrecountedhisvisittoSiachenGlacierlocatedat17,000feetabovesea level, his underwater journey in INS Sindhurakshak, and his flight in theSukhoi-30 fighter jet.DrKalam said, ‘In these three experiences, I personallyfeltproudofourever-vigilantsoldiers,sailorsandairwarriorsperformingtheirtasks beyond the call of their duty, even in themost adverse circumstances –naturalandman-made.’

Dr Kalam said that during the five years of his presidency, he had theopportunitytopresentcolourstomanyregimentsandparticipatedinanumberofpassing-out parades.He also said hemet troopswhowere going to undertakepeace missions and interacted with the family members of our defencepersonnel. Dr Kalam said, ‘The nation cherishes the valour, commitment anddevotiontodutyofourdefenceforces.’

DrKalam then spoke about the need of a youthmovement for DevelopedIndia 2020. He mentioned a group of dedicated people who are putting intopractice the aspiration of transforming our youth into enlightened citizens.Hesaid,‘TheLeadIndia2020FoundationcreatedbyDrN.B.Sudershanistrainingthousands of students inmanydistricts ofAndhraPradesh in partnershipwiththedistrictadministration.’

Dr Kalam said, ‘I talked to Padma, a student leader fromAndhra Pradesh

TribalWelfare School,Nalgonda. She related how she hadweaned her fatherfromsmokingafterimbibingthespiritoftheten-pointoathfromtheLeadIndiaTrainingCamp.Thisgivesmeanassurancethattheyouthofourcountryareontherightpaththroughthismission-orientedprogramme.Withtheignitedmindsofthe540millionyouthbelowtheageoftwenty-five–whichIconsideristhemostpowerful resourceon theearth,under theearthandabove theearth–wehavetoempowertheyouththroughvalue-basededucationandleadership.’

Dr Kalam concluded by saying, ‘I was touched by the variety of Indianpanorama,emotionalcontentofthetune,culturaldiversityandunityofmindsinthevast landofours. Ihavecited theseexamples just togiveaglimpseof therichnessofourtraditionandeffortbeingtakenbydifferentagenciestopreserveit.Whomsoever Imet, theyconstantlyaskedwhat theycangive to thenation.We should constantly strive to empower such members of society. With thisspirit,Iamextremelyhappythatweareontherightpath.’

Hesaid ina tonereverberatingwithdivineenergy,‘Mydearcitizens, letusresolvetocontinuetoworkforrealizingthemissionsofDevelopedIndia2020.Letusmakeanationwheretheruralandurbandividehasreducedtoathinline,where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy andqualitywater,whereagriculture,industryandtheservicesectorworktogetherinconcert,whereeducationwithavalue system isnotdenied toanymeritoriouscandidates because of societal or economic discrimination.A nation,which isthe best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors,where the best of health care is available to all, where the governance isresponsive, transparent and corruption free, where poverty has been totallyeradicated,illiteracyremovedandcrimesagainstwomenandchildrenareabsentand none in the society feels alienated. A nation that is prosperous, healthy,secure, peaceful and happy and continueswith a sustainable growth path; andaboveall, anation that isoneof thebestplaces to live in, and isproudof itsleadership.’

DrKalam thanked every citizen of India for showering uponhim love andaffection throughout the fiveyearsofhispresidency, and for their cooperationandsupport.HedeclaredthathismissioninlifeistobringasenseofconnectiontothebillionheartsandmindsofthepeopleofIndiainourmulticulturalsociety,andtoinstiltheself-confidenceinthepeoplethat‘wecandoit’.

President Kalam’s farewell speech stands with the ‘India’s Tryst withDestiny’ speechofPrimeMinister JawaharlalNehru and the ‘I have a dream’speech ofMartinLutherKing Jr.Orwas it his ‘oneman’sBible’, as Iwouldknowalittlelater?

SincethetimewewroteWingsofFiretogetherinthe1990s,IhavebecomeDrKalam’s literary assistant.He had been a voracious reader all his life, andtherewasnotadaythathehadnotreadatleastonepassagefromabook;thoughIamsureheneverreadanybookcovertocover.Heamassedasizeablepersonallibrary; but he was far from reverent with the books themselves. He wouldscribbleon themwithouthesitationwhile reading;hewouldmercilessly foldapage to return to that point later and use his airline boarding passes asbookmarks.

It remainedanenigma tomehowhecouldcomeacrossacertainbookandlocateaparticular line–somewhereburied in themiddleof thebook–as themostappropriatemessageatthatpointintime.WhenIaskedhimhissecret,hesaid,‘Ineverchasebooks,thebooksfindme.’

‘Andwhyshouldtheyfindyou?’Iasked.Heanswered,‘BecauseIamseekingthem.’Pityingmyvexedlook,hesaid,‘Buddy,goodauthorsareindeedinstruments

ofGod,andgreatbookswritethemselves.Theycarrymessagesforanysoulthatmaybelookingforsomesolution,someguidance,somesolace.’

SowhenhegavemeOneMan’sBiblewrittenbyNobelPrize–winningauthorGaoXingjian,Iwaseagertoknowthemessageitwasbringingwithit.Ididnothave towait for long. In less thananhour’s time, themessagewas in frontofme:‘Whetherin“beehive”officesinBeijingorinisolatedruraltowns,dailylifeis riddled with paranoia and fear, as revolutionaries, counterrevolutionaries,reactionaries, counter reactionaries, and government propaganda turn citizensagainstoneanother.4

Aftertheswearing-inceremonyintheCentralHallofparliamenton25July2007, the former president and the new president proceeded to RashtrapatiBhavan in a horse-driven carriage as per tradition.Drama remains – only theactorschange.Itwasanexactrepriseof theceremonialon25July2002whenformerpresidentK.R.Narayananbrought the thennewpresidentA.P.J.AbdulKalam from parliament. This time, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalamwas

bringing the new president Smt. Pratibha Patil to her home for the next fiveyears.

Eminent Indian jurist and parliamentarian Dr L.M. Singhvi proclaimed‘WelcomeCitizenKalam’inTheTribune.Hewrote,

PresidentKalamiscompletinghisterminthemidstofacountrywideaccoladeofaffectionforhisintellectualcalibreandwarmhumanqualities.Agloriouspresidentialtermwillsoonbebehindhim.A peoples’ president is how he will long be remembered. With no personal axes to grind, heoccupiedtheaugustofficeandedificeofpresidencywithgreatdistinction.Hecametothatofficewithnoexperienceofpoliticalandconstitutionalintricaciesandmadenomorethanoneuntowardand innocent mistake. Innocence and humility are what mark the man whose warm heart andbrilliantmindhavecarvedanicheforhimintheheartsofthepeople…

Whatdoesapresidentdowhenheretires?Kalamisenergeticandingoodhealth.Iseeforhimtheroleofthenation’sconscienceandthecivilsociety’svoice.Hetellsmehewillteachandwrite.That hemust. But his voice should always be heard above the din of the distorted discourse ofplotting and scheming politicians in our public life. His spiritual and moral energies should beharnessedinawakeningIndiaandrealizingitsspiritual,cultural,economicandsocialaspirations.ThenationneedsthesanityandequanimityofKalam,theaustereandasceticcitizen.5

It was time for Dr Kalam to move on. There were two suitcases he hadbroughtherein2002;andheleftwithtwosuitcases.DrKalamflewtoChennaiintheevening.V.Ponraj,whobynowhadbecomehisprincipalthoughtpartnerin matters of development and politics, and Anna University vice chancellorProf.D.Viswanathanaccompaniedhim.Someofusthinkholdingonmakesusstrong;forDrKalamitwaslettinggo.

PARTSIX

EMANCIPATION

IamawellinthisgreatlandLookingatitsmillionsofchildrenTodrawfrommeTheinexhaustibledivinityAndtakeitafarWaterdrawnfromthewell.

–A.P.J.AbdulKalamWingsofFire

D

6.1

WhereEaglesSoar

Greatmenarelikeeagles,andbuildtheirnestonsomeloftysolitude.

–ArthurSchopenhauerEighteenth-centuryGermanphilosopher

rA.P.J.AbdulKalamwas, in a sense, nevermore in demand than in hisretirementfromnationalpolitics.Atanagewhenmostpeopleareleading

evermore sedate and limited lives, he seemed to be going from strength tostrength–andheshowednophysicalsignsofflagging.Unquestionably,hehadgoodgenetics:hisfatherhadlivedanactivelifeuntilhisnineties,andhiselderbrotherMaracayerwasstillgoingstrongatasimilarage.Butitwasasenseofmission that reallydrove India’smost popular president.He felt that hehad aduty to the nation – and in a sense to the world – and this gave him almostboundlessstamina.Andhewouldcertainlyneeditforthefollowingyears.

DrKalamwasnow free to dowhat he enjoyedmost: talking to our youth;inspiringthemandurgingthemreachtheirpotential.Andthefirstrequestforhistime would be exactly for this purpose. At the sixth convocation of theInternationalInstituteofInformationTechnology(IIIT),Hyderabad,on28July2007,ChairmanRajReddy announced – amidst an uproarious ovation by thestudents – that Dr Kalam would devote part of his time to teaching studentsthere.He said, ‘Wewant the institute,which is at the forefrontof research, tohave the potential to make a major social impact. Our innovative curriculumallowsthestudentsflexibilityinselectingcoursesandprojects,andDrKalam’spresence here would create societally responsible technology leaders oftomorrow.’

Ourformerpresidentwasalsoindemandforsocialprojects.Thegoverning

board of theEmergencyManagement andResearch Institute (EMRI) resolvedon 30 July 2007 to appointDrKalam chairman emeritus. EMRI, a non-profitorganization, had provided comprehensive emergency response services sinceAugust 2005. It had supported the Andhra Pradesh government’s efforts toprovide a free emergency response service of an international standard, to allcitizensofthestate.

Atany rate, the restofDrKalam’s lifewouldbespent inpublic serviceofonekindoranother.On theoccasionof India’s sixtieth IndependenceDay,DrKalamhoistedthenationalflagatIIIT,Hyderabad,beforeanecstaticgatheringof more than 1,000 students. Later in the day, with Chief Minister Dr Y.S.RajasekharReddyandFinanceMinisterK.RosaiahofAndhraPradeshstandingbyhisside,DrKalamdedicated to thepeopleofAndhraPradesh the free108emergency service. He lauded the EmergencyManagement Research Institute(EMRI)forhavingsaved14,000livesduringtheprecedingtwo-and-a-halfyearsand said itwas a goodmodel of public–private partnership for the rest of thecountry to emulate. ‘It is time for putting in place a decentralized nationalemergencymanagementmissiononthelinesof108inAndhraPradeshtosavelivesincriticalsituationslikeroadaccidents,’hedeclared.

On this day, Dr Kalam gathered another in his growing band of disciples:EMRI chief executive officer Venkat Changavalli. Venkat would soon realizethisdream;whenDrKalammadeastatement,itwasblessedwithimpetusandpower.

DrKalamwasinvitedtospeakataninternationalconferenceincelebrationofthe fiftieth anniversary of space exploration – ‘Fifty Years in Space’ – at theCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology.ThiswouldgiveDrKalamanopportunitytomeet the scientists at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the CaliforniaInstituteofTechnology(GALCIT),NorthropGrummanSpaceTechnology,andNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He had been interacting with several ofthem, but had not had an opportunity to visit until now, as there was nopresidentialvisittoAmericaduringhisterm.

DrKalamarrivedinSanFranciscolateinthenightof18September2007.Itravelledwithhim.ItwasaDelhi–NewYorkAirIndiaflightwithastopoveratLondon. There was special status given to Dr Kalam, and the immigrationofficers at the New York John F. Kennedy Airport were most courteous and

stampedourpassports almost instantly.Embassyofficialswerepresent to takecareofDrKalamduringourstopoverofabouttwohoursbeforeweboardedourflight to San Francisco. By the timewe landed in San Francisco, it was pastmidnight there, and itwas thirty-two hours afterwe had boarded the plane inDelhi.

Dr Kalam stayed at Taj Campton Place, San Francisco. The United StatesgovernmenthadassignedDrKalamtwohigh-rankingsecurityofficialstoensurehissafety.Theywouldbehisshadowthroughouthisstay in theUnitedStates.Theseweretall,powerfullybuiltmeninsuits,bearingautomaticweapons.Theywere network-connectedwithGPS and in constant radio communicationwiththepolicedepartment.DrKalamtalkedwiththemashewouldwithanyofthepeoplewemet.HefoundthisexperiencequiteacontrastfromthatofIndia.Foryearshehadbeensurroundedbytwentysecurityofficerswhereverhewent,yethehadneverhadanyrealopportunitytorelatetohisminders.

Afterasleeptoshakeoffthefatiguefromthelongjourney,DrKalambegan19September2007withabreakfastmeetingwithagroupofprofessorsfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,includingProf.BruceAlberts,aleadingbiochemistatUCSF(UniversityofCalifornia,SanFrancisco),andS.ShankarSastry,deanofUCBerkeleyCollegeofEngineering.

We then tooka road trip toCISCO inSan Jose.TheCEOofCISCO, JohnChambers, was standing in the lobby to receive Dr Kalam. I knew of JohnChambers for his annual salary of twenty million dollars, and was thuspleasantly surprised by his simple demeanour and engaging manner. Heexhibitedacompleteabsenceof theairsandgraces thataresocommonin theIndianbusinessworld.Unlessyouwereintroducedtohim,itwouldbedifficulttodifferentiatehimfromanyoneelseinhisoffices.

DrKalamalmostbowledhimoverbyasking,‘Sotellme,John,howdidyoutakeCISCOfromseventymilliontothirty-eightbillion?’HetookamomenttoadjusttoDrKalam’sfranknessandgesturedhimtotheTelePresenceSystem.‘Iwilltellyou,sir,andmore.OurguysinBangalorearewaitingtoseeyou.’

CISCOTelePresenceSystemhadbeenrecentlyintroduced.Itprovidedhigh-definition 1080p video, spatial audio, and a set-up designed to link twophysically separated rooms so that they resembled a single conference room,regardless of the location. Itwas indeed an amazing experience:we faced the

CISCOteamatBangaloreasiftheyweresittingjustacrossthetablefromus.Itwas quite realistic –wewere hooked up tomicrophones to communicate, theimagesizesexactlymatchedthebodysizesofouropposites.Itfeltformelikea‘teleporting’experiencefromascience-fictionfilm.

Inasense,itwasquiteironic,andevenalittlesurreal.Wehadtravelledmostof theway around theworld, deep into thewestern hemisphere, and herewewere, sitting in avirtualoffice speaking to fellow Indians as ifwewere in anattractiveofficeinBangalore.DrKalamwas,asusual,eitheratthecuttingedgeof technology, or anticipating it. At any rate, the Bangalore team secured DrKalam’sacceptancetoinaugurateCISCO’sGlobalizationCentreEastcampusinBangaloreinthecomingmonth.

JohnChambershostedaworkinglunchforDrKalam.Onceagain,therewasno frillsnor the falsepageantryofhierarchy.ChamberspickedupDrKalam’squestionabouthowhetookCISCOfromseventymilliontothirty-eightbillionwithout a reminder. ‘I started my career with IBM selling computers. I wastwenty-sevenanddidnotknowmuchotherthantalkingsweettomycustomers.Somehow theywould buywhatever Iwas selling.After selling computers forabout seven years, I moved to Wang Laboratories. They made me the vice-presidentofUSOperations.Itwasin1987,andIwasjustthirty-fouryearsold.NothingclickedthereandWanghadgonefromaUSD2billionprofitin1989toaUSD700millionlossin1990.AndthenIcamehere.Itisallaboutvisionandhard work, sir. Vision without hard work is useless. Many of our friends inEuropearesufferingfromthat.Hardworkwithvision iswhatbillionsofpooraredoingaroundtheworld.Nobigsecrets.Wangsufferedfromlackofvision;CISCOsucceededbecausewesawthefuturebeforeotherscouldevenguessit.’

Chambersthenasked,‘Whatisyourvision,sir,ifImayask?’IthoughtDrKalamwouldlaunchintohisVision2020monologue;buthehad

alwaysbeenbeyondmycomprehension,andsohewasthatday.Hesaid,‘Look,John,India’sdestinyistoshowtheworldhowtopromoteeconomicgrowthinawaythatenhancessocialequity–thisiswhatIamtryingtodo.Therearethreebillionpoorpeopleintheworld.Thetransformationthatwedoasone-sixthoftheworld’spopulationwillbenefitalltheothernations.’

In the afternoon we went to Stanford University. Dr S.V. Mahadevan, aspecialist in emergency medicine at Stanford Health Care and the visionary

behindtheEMRIsystemlaunchedinAndhraPradesh,welcomedDrKalam.Heescorted us to the chamber of the president of Stanford University, JohnHennessey.Acomputer scientist,Hennesseywasoneof the foundersofMIPSComputerSystemsInc.andhadbeendubbed‘thegodfatherofSiliconValley’.

Leaving Dr Kalam and John Hennessey with their ‘high-level’ talk, DrMahadevan took me around the campus of one of world’s most prestigiousuniversities. We went to see the grand Stanford Memorial Church, calledMemChuon campus, located at the end of the mile-long axis of StanfordUniversity. I had never before seen the likes of its twenty large stained-glasswindows.Thefilteringsunlightthroughvividmosaicsgavetheirsubjectsalifethat transported me to another realm. The breathtaking scenes of TheAnnunciation, The Home at Nazareth, The Sermon on the Mount, ChristCalmingtheTempestandTheRaisingofJairus’Daughterseemedinfusedwithastillpowerandbeing,theirexultantfigurescommunicatingonanotherlevel.Itreminded me of the spiritual essence of my mission with Dr Kalam. Therealwaysseemedtobeahigherpowerguidinghimnow,asifhehadbeenassignedascheduleofworkfromthedivine.

Thencameawonderfulevening–somethingofahomecominginaforeignland. In every country, there are non-resident Indians, and despite ouradaptability and resilience, or perhaps because of it, Indians always seem toretain a distinct Indianness. The sentimental attachment to the motherlandendures,andourpeopleneverforgettheirheritage,regardlessoftheadjustmentsthey make in their new homes. Just as India itself has subsumed so manyculturesandyet remained, so toodo Indians themselvesassumeotherculturesandnationalitiesandremainIndian.Onthisnight,scoresoffamilies–manyofwhom,includingchildren,wereresplendentinsarisandshervanis–hadcometogreetDrKalamat the newly built 800-seat IndiaCommunityCentre (ICC) inMilpitas,neartheSiliconValley.IISc’sNorthAmericanalumni,pan-IITalumniandthedesinetworkTIE(TheIndusEntrepreneurs)co-hostedtheevent.

‘Somethingseems tohappen toyouguyswhenyoucross theAtlantic.Youbecome changedpersonalities. Iwanted to find outwhy,’ saidDrKalam.Thelargeaudiencejust lovedtheopening.ThevibrantIndiancommunityhadbeenwaitingpatientlyformanyyearstoseethisiconofmodernIndia,buthehadnotbeenabletomakeittotheUnitedStatesuntilnow.Today,hewasthereinfront

ofthem,nottalkingabouthimself,butaskingthemthesecretsoftheirsuccess.HewasvintageDrKalam–spontaneous,andradiatinglovingkindness.Maybethe young Indians assembled there saw in him the missing father, thegrandfather,aninspiringuncleoranangel.WhateverpeoplesawinDrKalam,therewassomethingmagicalinhispresence.

DrKalam’snext stopwasLosAngeles,wherehewouldaddress theWorldSpace Conference. The conference had been organized by the prestigiousCaltechUniversitytomarkfiftyyearsofspaceexploration.The‘spacerace’hadbegun with the Soviet Union’s Sputnik endeavour successfully launching thefirst artificial satellite into earth orbit in 1957. Dr Kalam was visiting LosAngeles after twenty-two years. He had been here in 1985 for work at theNorthrop Corporation, and saw that many changes had occurred in theinterveningyears.DrKalamfoundLosAngelesatrulyglobalcity.HefeltthatthediverseeconomyofLosAngeles inentertainment, culture,media, fashion,science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research is trulyunparalleledinworldhistory.

Caltechisoftentoutedasoneoftheworld’sbestuniversities.ThoughCaltechdoes not have a large campus like Stanford University – and there are other,grander ‘Ivy League’ colleges – the students and faculty here have won anastounding thirty-four Nobel Prizes. Years after year, a sizeable number ofUnited States National Medals of Science or Technology are triumphantlybrought back here. Furthermore, there is no national academy in the UnitedStateswithoutaCaltechalumnusonitsfaculty.

Caltechhashadauniqueandintegralrelationshipwiththespaceprogramme.Closely linked to it is theJetPropulsionLaboratory(JPL),whichwas thefirstlaboratory in America to focus on technologies for exploration of the outerspace.TheJPLevenprecededNASA.DrKalamcalledhisparticipationin‘FiftyYearsinSpace’atCaltechandJPLalong-awaitedpilgrimage.Afurtherpleasureforhimwasthesettingforthisevent.HefoundtheopenskiesandpicturesquedowntownareaofPasadena, flankedby theSanGabrielMountains,especiallyappealing.

Dr Kalam attended the keynote address by Michael Griffin, administrator,NASA,likeanattentivestudent.HeevenscribbledsomeofGriffin’ssentencesonhisnotepad:‘Tounderstandwherewemightgo,wemustunderstandwhere

wehavebeen,andIthinkweneedabetterunderstandingofourhistorythaniscommonlythecase,’Griffinsaid.‘Inthenextfiftyyearswereallycancelebratetheone-hundredthanniversaryofSputnikwith the twentiethanniversaryof thefirsthumanlandingonMars.Itisuptoustomakeitso.’1

Dr Kalam admired Griffin’s far-sightedness. The other speakers includedYannickD’escatha,presidentoftheCentreNationald’ÉtudesSpatiales,France,Jean-JacquesDordain,directorgeneral,EuropeanSpaceAgency.AndthencameDrKalam’smoment.EveryoneexpectedDrKalamtotalkaboutISRO,whichheeventually did. But he first set his agenda about the imperative of a globalperceptiveofspaceresearch:

PlanetEarthhas twinhumanneeds.Oneisprotectionof theearthenvironmentfor livingandtheother is energy independence. Earth is experiencing both stratosphere cooling (due to the ozonehole) and tropospherewarming (due to increased greenhouse gases). Energy production throughfossil fuels leads to thegenerationof thirtybillion tonnesof carbondioxideannually.Can spacescienceandspacetechnologyassistinmeetingthesetwinneeds?2

DrKalamcautionedthatthegeosynchronousorbitregionwasalmostcompletelyfull, with 240 satellites frommany nations. Thereweremore than 800 activesatellitescurrentlyinvariousorbits.Thesatellitepopulationincludesanumberof military satellites for communication and reconnaissance. He stated thatmankind’s technological assets in space were extremely costly and quiteindispensable. Protecting these assets and ensuring continuity of services,withoutanyimpedimentorinterference,wasnowofparamountimportance.

The audience of scientists listened to his speechwith an attentiveness thatwas more of emotional connection than intellectual engagement. Despite hisintellectualvigourand scientificproclivity,DrKalamwouldoften speakmorefrom his heart than his scientific mind. He touched an emotional chord witheverybody present there as he likened the worldwide fraternity of spacescientiststoafamily:

WhenIamwiththespacefamily,IamremindedofmyjointfamilyinRameswaram,asmallislandin thesouthernpartofIndiawhereanumberofbrothersandasister livedtogether. Iamthe lastfellow.Iwitnessedhowmymotherconnectedandbroughttogetherhersonsanddaughter,inspiteofmultiplevariationsintheirneedsandpersonalities.

Similarly, during the last five decades, I havewitnessed how successes and failures of space

programmes connect the countries on the planetEarth.Wherevermajor space events take place,suchas–manlandingonthemoon,thefirstseriesofcommunicationsatellitesingeosynchronousorbit or remote sensing satellites in polar orbit or NASA astronauts including Sunita Williamsdescendingtotheearthonarainyday;thesecapturetheattentionofthefamiliesandthechildrenofthewholeplanetEarth.

Iwill say the events in space and the actions in space have in oneway integrated thewholeworld, likeamotherunifying thefamily.Now,canweusespacewithmotherlycharacteristics totransformtheplanetEarth–prosperitywithoutpoverty,peacewithoutfearofwar–andmakeitahappyplacetoliveforthewholeofhumanity?3

Dr Kalam returned to the United States again in October 2007 and in factcelebratedhisseventy-sixthbirthdayatGoddardSpaceFlightCentreofNASAatGreenbelt,Maryland.Hehadbeenhereasayoungmanin1963andthisvisitwasnaturallynostalgic.Muchhadtranspiredintheinterveningdecades,andhiscareerhadtakenhimfarbeyondanyofhisimaginingsfromthosetimes.Buthisenergy and passion for life were still strong, despite his years; and he stillnurturedhope,somethingthathaslongabandonedmanyintheirsenioryears.

In any event, Dr Kalam was still learning, engaging, and receivingrecognition.TheCarnegieMellonUniversityconferredanhonorarydoctorateinscienceandtechnologyonDrKalaminaspecialceremonyon17October2007.‘Asengineer,educator,leaderofagreatnationandworldstatesman,DrKalamhas inspired millions with his commitment to science and technology asinstrumentsofpeaceandglobaldevelopment,’ saidCarnegieMellonpresidentJared L. Cohon. ‘We especially honour his unswerving belief in thetransformativepoweroflearning.’4

Sunil Wadhwani, chief executive officer of iGate Corporation and a vicechairmanofCarnegieMellon’sBoardofTrustees, laudedDrKalamasboth astatesmanandaneducator.‘Heistrulyaremarkablehumanbeing,whosetsaninspiring example of how much can be accomplished in one life. PresidentKalamhasshownitispossibletohavebigdreams,makeadifferenceanddoitwithoutcompromisingvalues.’

Inhisacceptancespeech,DrKalamunveiledhisideaofa‘societalgrid’.Thiswould consist of: a ‘knowledge grid’ interconnecting universities with socio-economicinstitutions,industriesandresearchanddevelopmentorganizations;a‘healthcaregrid’interconnectingthehospitalsatdifferentlevelsofcaredelivery,namely primary, secondary and tertiary care, with research institutions,

educational institutions and ultimately pharmaceutical research institutions; an‘e-governance grid’ interconnecting the central, state, district and town-leveloffices, and a ‘rural development knowledge grid’ connecting the ruraldevelopmentcentreswiththedomainserviceproviders.5

Earlierintheday,DrKalampresentedtheCarnegieMedalofPhilanthropytoRatanTatainanawardsceremonyattheCarnegieMusicHallinPittsburgh.‘Itis a great honour and happiness for me to witness the scene of Ratan Tatareceivingthe2007CarnegieMedalofPhilanthropy,’DrKalamsaid,andhewasspeakingfromthebottomofhisheart.Hehadbeenagreatadmirerofthehouseof Tata, and saw the family as among the great visionary builders ofmodernIndia.Hetoldmelaterinthenight,‘Anationisnotdefinedbyitsbordersortheboundaries of its landmass, and a nation builder is not some political leaderholdingontoahighoffice.Rather,anationisdefinedbydifferentpeoplewhohavebeenunifiedby a cause and a value system.Andnationbuilders are thepeoplewhoarecommittedtoavisionforthetypeofsocietytheywishtoliveinandgivetothefuturegenerationstocome.’

At the RiceUniversity inHouston, Texas, on 18October 2007,DrKalamcalledforthecreationofaWorldSpaceCounciltospeeddevelopmentofextra-terrestrial travel and industry. Speaking before a near-capacity crowd in theStudeConcertHall,heoutlinedWorldSpaceVision2050,hisvisionforusingspace as a stimulus for international cooperation and problem-solving.Combining large-scale societal missions with low-cost access to space,comprehensivesecurityandexplorationandcurrentapplicationmissionscouldhaveaprofoundeffectonmankind,hesaid.‘Achievingextraterrestrialprojectsthatwillbenefitallofsocietywillrequirereducingthecostofaccesstospace.There is definitely a need for spacefaring nations towork together to developreusable launch vehicles,which can bring down the cost of payloads in orbit.More global interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research is also needed torealize ideas like delivering energy from space and desalinating seawaterwithsolarpower.’

Forspacetechnologytobenefitlifeonearth,spacemustremainweapon-free,DrKalam said, and the international communitymustwork diligently to keepgeopolitical conflicts from spreading into outer space, which belongs toeveryone.Tothisend,DrKalamsuggestedcreatinganInternationalSpaceForce

toprotectspaceassetsinaccordancewithinternationallawandintheinterestsofinternationalpeaceandcooperation.6

Before returning to India, Dr Kalam visited the University of Arkansas atFayetteville on 19October 2007.B.S. Prakash, the consul general of India inSanFranciscoatthattime,bestdescribedthesetwogroundbreakingvisitstotheUnitesStates:

It was my good fortune as the resident diplomat to accompany (Dr Kalam) from function tofunction.Wehadstartedfairlyearlyinthemorningwithoneappointmentaftertheother;hemusthavestartedhisdayevenearlier;anditwasnowevening.

At each venue he had been mobbed like a rock star. There were tumultuous demands forautographs, photographs, andnodsof encouragement,wordsofwisdom.Throughout theday,DrKalamhadobligedeveryone,constantlysmilingforphotographs, rememberingnamesandplaceswhichpeopleinvokedtoremindhimofapastconnection,andaboveall,remainingreceptiveandcurious.7

OnhiswaybacktoIndia,anhonourwaswaitingforDrKalamatLondon.Theprestigious Royal Society King Charles II Medal was awarded to him at theRoyalSociety in thepresenceofLordKaranBillimoria,LordSwrajPaul,andLord Meghnad Desai – three jewels of India in the United Kingdom. LordMartinRees,thepresidentoftheRoyalSocietyofEngland,said,

PresidentKalamhadledIndiaatatimewhenscienceandtechnologyinvestmentinthecountryhadradicallyincreased.HehasplayedamajorpartinpreparingaroadmapfortransformingIndiafromadevelopingintoadevelopednation.Asascientisthimself,hehasalsomadeagreatcontributiontoscientificadvancesinhiscountry.8

IntheplaneonourwaybacktoDelhi,wehadadiscussionwhichstartedlikeanappreciationofavianaeronautics,butwasreallymuchmoreprofound:

Kalam:Buddy,haveyoueverwatchedaneaglesoar?Arun:No,sir.Kalam:Funnyguy.Visualizeaneagleflyingnow.Itisflyingveryhigh.It isglidingmotionlesson thewinds, farabove thegusts thatwhip thesurfaceoftheearth.Lookatitsmovements!Howgraceful!Lookhowitisyieldingtotheflowofthewindsandletsthemcarryit.Arun:Yes,sir,Iamvisualizing.Kalam:That’sthewayitiswithfaithfulpeople.Whenwerelinquishour

lives to the movement of God’s spirit as did ProphetMoses, ProphetJoshua,ProphetMuhammad,GautamBuddha andMahatmaGandhi, agreattransformationhappens.Arun:Didyouexperienceit?Kalam:Ohyes.Icantellyoufrommyownexperiencestheconsequenceof resistingGod’s presence in the innermost recesses of our lives, andtheinexpressiblechangesthatcomewhenweyieldtoGod’swill.

Godwas never far fromDrKalam’s thoughts, even as his relentless schedulekepthimmovinghereandthere.AspromisedattheCISCOheadquartersinthepreviousmonthviaourcurious‘teleporting’experience,DrKalamattendedthecompany’s event inBangalore.There,he inaugurated theGlobalizationCentreEaston30October2007,withabeamingJohnChambersstandingbyhisside.DrKalamwasnowagloballeader.

T

6.2

IntotheUncharted

Don’tkeepforeveronthepublicroad,goingonlywhereothershavegone.Leavethebeatentrackoccasionallyanddiveintothewoods.Youwillbecertaintofindsomethingyouhavenever seen before. It will be a little thing, but do not ignore it. Follow it up, explore allaroundit;andbeforeyouknowit,youwillhavesomethingworththinkingabout.

–AlexanderGrahamBellScientistandinventorofthetelephone

hetwovisitstotheUnitedStatesmadeDrKalamrealizetheuniquepowerof the Indian mind in the computer sciences. Indians were truly making

wavesinthisexcitingarea.Notonlyhadtheyacquiredimportantpositionsintheindustry, theyhad alsomade theirmark in the computer business.ShivNadarwasonesuchbrightstarintheworldofcomputing.Afterestablishinghimselfinthe international market, he was setting up international technology centresacross India. His first centre would be in Noida in Uttar Pradesh, which hadbecomebythistimesomethingofasatellitetownofNewDelhi.

Shiv Nadar, a graduate in electrical and electronics engineering from PSGCollege of Technology, Coimbatore, started his business career selling digitalcalculatorsintheIndianmarket.In1976,hefoundedHCL.Sensingaboominthe information technology sector much before anyone else, he expanded hisinformation technology services business internationally. In 1996, Shiv Nadarfounded SSN College of Engineering in Chennai in the name of his fatherSivasubramaniya Nadar. He has since remained focused on developing theeducationalsysteminIndiathroughtheShivNadarFoundation.

DrKalam inaugurated theHCLTechnologyHub atNoida on 1November2007,withtheUnionfinanceministerP.ChidambaramandtheUnioncommerceand industry minister Kamal Nath. Dr Kalammade mention of Shiv Nadar’s

achievements:

Iamwitnessingtoday,howthedreamofsixyoungentrepreneurs in1976–wholeft theirsecurecorporatejobswithadreamthatthe‘microprocessorcouldchangetheworld’–hasbroughtthemtothe top three slots in the IT industryof India andnumberoneposition in thepersonal computersegmentconsecutivelyforsixyears…amongtheTopITindustriesinIndia,HCLtopsthelistwiththepercapitaemployeeoutputofUSD82,000.1

HCLhadstartedasadreamofafewyoungmen,anditsstellarperformanceonthe world stage showed what Indian youth were capable of, given somedirection.DrKalam had always advocated nurturing the talent of the nation’syoung.Heincreasinglyfeltatthistimetheimportanceofconnectingwiththem;theybecamehishighestpriority.Thepolitical leadershad theirownconcerns,bureaucracyhadtheirownsystemsandeducationalinstitutionshadbecomebothconditioned and commercialized. Someone had to reach out to the nascentcreativity of young minds and encourage their innocent enthusiasm before itwithered away. He could only speak at so many events and connect with somanyindividuals.Howcouldheplayagreaterroleasamentorforchildren?DrKalam contemplated this for some time and, predictably perhaps, arrived at atechnologicalsolution.

DrKalamhandpickedanumberofjournalists,scientistsandtechnologiststooverseethecontentanddesignofanelectronicnewspaper,andlaunchediton14November2007atKarimnagarinAndhraPradesh.ThepaperwasnamedBillionBeats anduplinked towww.abdulkalam.com.DrKalamdecided itwouldbe aplatformforhighlightingsuccessstoriesofIndiansfromallfronts:‘Nopolitics,nocrime,nonegativenews.EveryIndianwhoiskeentoputthecountryonthedevelopment track will have a say in Billion Beats.’ He entrusted themanagement of Billion Beats to V. Ponraj and M. Anantha Krishnan. In thelaunchissue,DrKalammappedtheprofileofavibrantIndiainaten-pointplananddevotedittothenation’sschoolchildren.

In November 2007, Dr Kalam flew to Jakarta to speak at the nationalcongressof theIndonesianInstituteofScience.DrKalamwasgreatly inspiredbytherole thatdaringpilotpatriotBijuPatnaikplayed inIndonesia’sfreedomstruggle.Hewonderedhowthebondbetweenthe twocountrieshadweakenedoverthedecades.Hedecidedtoemphasizetheneedforsocietaltransformation

beforethecongress:

Emphasisinoursocietaltransformationisonfullutilizationofthenaturalandhumanresourcesofthenationtomeetthedemandsofthemodernsociety.Thenaturalresourcesincludemanagementofwater,mineralsandmaterials,multipleagro-climaticconditionsandlargebio-diversity…Indiaisattempting to fully utilize the five hundred and forty million youth by empowering them withquality education, with vocational skills and value-added employment in the agriculture,manufacturingandservicesectors…Certainly, thisexperiencemaybeofuse to Indonesia in itsmissionofsocietaltransformationtowardsaknowledgesociety.2

DrKalamfeltthatthereismuchcommongroundbetweenIndiaandIndonesia.HewastoldthatmorethanamillionpeopleofIndianoriginliveinIndonesia.They had merged and assimilated with the indigenous population over thecenturies, and were now undistinguishable from native Indonesians.Furthermore,alargenumberofIndiannationalsliveandworkinIndonesia.TheIndiandiasporaincludesadventurousOriya,TeluguandTamilpeople,whohadarrivedtherebyseamanycenturiesago.IndonesiahadseenaninfluxofnorthIndiansinthetextileindustryandSindhitradingfamiliesinmorerecenttimes.DrKalaminteractedwiththestudentsofGandhiMemorialInternationalSchoolinJakarta,andsawaminiIndiainfrontofhim.

DrKalamwas invited todeliverakeynoteaddressbyGoogleIndiaat their‘BetheChangeEmployeeSummit’in2007.On3December2007attheGoogleCentre in Hyderabad, Dr Eric E. Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google,received Dr Kalam amidst the thunderous applause of hundreds of youngengineers.DrKalamrecalledhismeetingwithLarryPageandSergeyBrin,thefounderduoofGoogle,on11October2004atRashtrapatiBhavan: ‘Theyhadbeenscouting for someof theirglobaloffices.Theycommissionedacentre inDublin, Ireland, and were in India to set up another one. They were seeingservices getting localized and catering to special requirements, particularlyadvertisements.TheyexplainedtomehowGooglecouldbeusedasaresearchtoolforstudentsandresearchers.’

Theaudienceeruptedwithraucous laughterwhenDrKalamsaid thatLarryand Brin shared with him their adventure of touring Hyderabad in anautorickshaw to finalize the location of their centre. Dr Kalam recalled thatgmailwasnot launchedat that time,andLarryandBrinsaidtheywerestill inthestagesoftestingitandimprovingitsfeatures.

Inajovialvein,DrKalam‘lamented’thedrasticreductionofhissupportstaffsince leaving the presidency in July, and thanked Google’s search engine forbeing a trustworthy ‘friend’ throughout the transition. Though Dr Kalam’slecture touched on many topics, he focused on how the ability to access,comprehend, and effectively utilize information can be an instrument ofeconomicgrowthandnationaldevelopment.

DrKalamargued that deliveringvaluable informationover the Internet canboost creativity, innovation and competitiveness, leading to the creation of a‘knowledge society’. ‘The challenge is not the technology alone, but how theapplication and service are facilitated or delivered to the people as per theirrequirements,’hesaid.Further,henoted:

In a knowledge society, we have to make innovations continuously. Innovations come throughcreativity.Creativitycomesfrombeautifulminds.Itcanbeanywhereandinanypartoftheworld.Googleisbornoutofcreativity…Googlethoughtleaders,whohaveassembledhereofcourse,areinsearchofcreativity.Creativityisaprocessthroughwhichwecancontinuouslyimproveideasandfinduniquesolutionsbymakinggradualalterationsandrefinements toourworks.The importantaspect of creativity is: Seeing the same thing as everybody else, but thinking of somethingdifferent.3

Dr Kalam offered three recommendations to the information andcommunications technology industry: First, industry should lead society’s keystakeholdersinbroadlyacceptingtheInternetas‘thenewwayofliving,thewayoflearning,thewayoftradingandbusiness,thewayofsocializingandthewayofgovernance’;second,heencouragedthe industry tofacilitate thecreationoflocalcontentonlinethatcouldbringeconomicprosperitytoaparticularregion,and third,heasked the industry topromotepublicpolicychanges that addressissues such as authentication, security, intellectual property rights and thepreventionofabuseonsocialnetworkingsites.

DrKalamurged‘Googlers’totacklesomebigproblems:thedevelopmentofspeech-recognition and speech-production technologies that would create‘language-independent access to knowledge and information’; the creation ofdigital libraries of information for science and engineering students in thedevelopedanddevelopingworlds,and thebuildingofa system thatgenerates,collectsanddistributescleanenergy.WhilewewereleavingtheGooglecentre,Ioverheardayoungengineertellinghiscolleague,‘He’sthedudethatsparkeda

fire,andliterallychangedthebalanceofpowerintheAsiaregion!’IfeltthatthiswasafairsummationofDrKalam’swork.Now,therocketsweregonefromDrKalam’slife,andhewassparkingadifferentkindoffire.

TataConsultancyServices(TCS)invitedDrKalamtobewiththemontheirfifteenthanniversarycelebrationsintheBeneluxregionon5December2007,atAmsterdamintheNetherlands.ApartoftheTataGroup,TCS,hadatthattimeover100,000oftheworld’sbest-trainedITconsultantsinforty-sevencountries.TheseconsultantsgeneratedconsolidatedrevenuesofmorethanUSD5billionintheyearended31March2007.

Without hesitation and with childlike curiosity, Dr Kalam asked, ‘What isBenelux?’HewasspeakingwithGirishRamachandran,director,TCSEurope.

Ramachandran replied, ‘Sir, Benelux is a politico-economic union of threeneighbouringstates–Belgium,theNetherlands,andLuxembourg.Actually,sir,thenameBenelux is formed from joining the first twoor three lettersof eachcountry’sname.’

‘Fantastic!’ Dr Kalam said, and an instant bond developed, with smileslightingupeveryfacein thelargegathering.‘Whoareyourclients?’DrKalamasked. Ramachandran recited a litany of names, which included the mostprestigious companies of Europe – Philips, Belgacom,ABNAMRO,Colruyt,RabobankandtheINGGroup.

‘Whatmakesyouunique?’‘Our success here has beenbuilt on theprinciples of integrationwithin the

localeconomyandcommunityfromwhereaconsiderableproportionofourstaffisrecruited,’saidRamachandran.

‘Youaregoodguys,’complimentedDrKalam.Inhisspeech,DrKalamchosetotelltheincredibleTatastory.

DrKalamalsoaddressedthemeetingoftheFoundationforCriticalChoicesfor India (FCCI) at TheHague. The FCCI is a think tank and focal point forinitiating and implementing studies and programmes on issues of strategicimportancetoIndiainthesocial,politicalandeconomicfieldsbymobilizingtheresourcesofIndianslivingabroad.

DrKalamsaidthatpeopleoftenvoicedtheirconcerntohimaboutthelargenumber of professionally qualified peoplemigrating to foreign countries fromIndia.Theyaskedhimifthis‘braindrain’wasasignificantlossforthecountry.

Hesaidhisanswerhadalwaysbeenaresounding‘no!’OftheIndianpopulationofmore than one billion people, about twenty-threemillion are living abroad,spread across the planet. They have certainly been contributing to the nationswheretheyhavesettled.Buttheyhaveequallymaintainedtheirconnectionwiththeir parents and the educational institutions of India, thereby enriching boththeir countries. He then recited a famous saying of Avaiyyar, the great Tamilpoetess:

Themissionoflifeshouldbetoearnknowledgeandwealth,evenifitneedscrossingtheoceans.

DrKalamnotonlydeliveredacandidandinspiringspeechatTheHague,healso highlighted his vision for a developed India afterwards. He interactedextensivelywith the sizeable audience that had come to listen to his inspiringwords.Appreciatingtheworkofthefoundation,hesuggestedthatweshouldall,likethefoundation,payattentiontothesocialproblemsinIndia.Thefoundationhasfollowedthecompellingissuesofsecurityofwomen,civicawareness,urbandevelopment,waterandwastemanagementinIndia.

The Nyenrode Business University, Amsterdam, conferred upon Dr Kalamanother honorary doctorate degree. In his acceptance speech,DrKalam spokeabout‘NationalProsperityandEnergyIndependence’.Hesaidthatnationalismandglobalizationcouldcoexistandevenbecomemutuallyadvantageous,iftheupliftmentandprosperityofhumanityasawholebecomestheirguidingvision.HecalledupontheNyenrodeUniversitytocarryoutresearchforthebenefitoftheentireworld.Hesaidthattheirinternationalenvironmentandexperienceinmeetingchallengesofnationalprogressgave themamplequalification for thistask.

InFebruary2008,SouthKoreanpresidentLeeMyung-bakhostedDrKalamduring his inauguration as the chief executive, as a personal guest. Severalmonthsbeforebecomingapresidentialcandidate,MrLeehadtravelledtoIndiaandcalledonDrKalam,whowasthenthepresidentofIndia.Hehadwantedtoknowmore aboutDrKalam’s initiative for aworld knowledge platform.Thiswasaproposalthatcouldbringuniversitiestogetherwith‘corecompetencies’indifferentspheres.MrLeewasnowplanningtosetupan internationalscience-

technology-businessentitythatmightbemodelledonDrKalam’sidea.WhileDrKalamwas given pride of place at the function,AmbassadorN. Parthasarathiformally represented theGovernment of India.After the ceremony,DrKalamvisitedtheKoreaInstituteofSciencesandTechnologyinSeoulandmetagroupofscientists.

Wherever he travelled, Dr Kalam was inevitably sought after by variousgroupsoftheglobalfraternityofscientists,especiallyintheaerospacefield.Hefeltanenduringaffinitywithhisfellowscientiststhroughtheworld,andseemedtohaveneverlostthechildlikewonderfornewdiscoveries.Hiscontributiontosciencenowwouldno longerbepracticalor theoretical, though. Itwould takethe same form of his work in all other spheres: exhorting, inspiring,prognosticating; giving a spark that would ignite a desire in individuals hetouchedtostriveforgreateraspirations.

FromSeoul,DrKalamproceededtoTelAvivonatwo-dayvisittoIsrael.DrKalamhadbeen invitedas thekeynote speakerat a conference inviewof thereputation he commanded in aerospace sciences.Naturally, his contribution tostrengtheningIndo-Israelicooperationwasafactorinhisinvitation.

Addressing the Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences on 27February2008,DrKalamcalledforthecreationofa‘WorldSpaceCouncil’tocarryout tasks like large-scale societalmissions and low-cost access to space.Hesaidthataerospacescienceandtechnologyhadbeenacradleforanumberofinnovations. It had fostered a culture of a number of disciplines workingtogether, because this had been the only manner of achieving state-of-the-artsystems.Ithadconnectedpeoplefromtheremotestpartsoftheworld.Healsocautioned,however,thatthedreamsofaerospaceresearchhadcreatedamindsetof unnecessary rivalry and possessiveness, and this has led to theunderutilizationofitspotential.DrKalamemphasizedcooperationatthegloballevel and said, ‘standing alone has caused certain feelings of insecurity andsuspicion’.

DrKalamwasinvitedtothetwelfthannualWhartonIndiaEconomicForumatTheWhartonSchoolinPhiladelphia,USA.On22March2008,around1,000peoplegatheredtocontemplatetheambition,frustrationanddevelopmentinthelivesofabillionIndians.Theconferencethemeof‘IndiaIImagine’wasfittingforthecountry’szeitgeistofaspiration.Theforumbroughttogetheraneclectic

array of Indian leaders from across the political spectrum. Students, faculty,guests and speakers came together for a stimulating discussion about differentaspectsoftheIndiangrowthstory.

DrKalamspokeabouttheinceptionofthe‘DevelopIndiaby2020’conceptinanoptimisticgovernmentintheearly1990s,whenthecurrentrateofgrowthwouldhaveseemedquiteimplausible.HepaintedapictureofIndiaasitistoday,with its failures andhisdreams forprogress, and thewill to achieve inclusivenational prosperity by 2020. He spoke passionately about the need for anintegrated action plan for developing India in the five areas discussed in thisbookalready.

Unerringly genialwith the press aswith the public,DrKalam accepted animpromptu request for an interview from Knowledge@Wharton, the school’sonlinebusinessanalysisjournal.DrKalamenumeratedsixessentialqualitiesofaleader,andgaveapowerfulendorsementofrenewableenergy:

Knowledge@Wharton: How did you come to become India’spresidentinJuly2002?Whatleadershipqualitiesdoesoneneedtoleadacountryaslarge,complexandchaoticasIndia?Kalam: Well, I won’t call India chaotic, because order comes fromdisorder.Thatiswhatishappeningnow.IwaselectedpresidentofIndia–from2002to2007– throughawell-structuredelectionprocess.Anyleadership–whetheritispoliticalleadershiporleadershipintechnology–requiresthattheleaderhavesixtraits.Whatarethosesixtraits?First,the leader must have vision. Without vision, you cannot be a leader.Second, the leader must be able to travel on an unexplored path.Normally,thetendencyisforpeopletotravelalongwell-laid-outroads.Third, the leader must know how to manage success, and even moreimportantly, failure. The fourth trait is that the leader should have thecourage to make decisions. Fifth, the leader should have nobility inmanagement. Every action of the leader should be transparent. Andfinally,theleadershouldworkwithintegrityandsucceedwithintegrity.Knowledge@Wharton: If you could rewind and replay your years aspresident,whatmightyoudodifferently?Isthereanythingyouwantedtoaccomplishthatyouwereunabletodo?Kalam: I came up with an idea that I should power the Rashtrapati

Bhavancompletelywithsolarpower little late.For that, Iworkedonaproposalaftercompletingfouryearsofmypresidentialterm,andatthebeginningofthefifthyear.Butthentheenvironmentalagenciesraisedalot ofquestions.Before I could answer them,my termended. Iwouldhave liked the Rashtrapati Bhavan to be the first home in India to bepoweredcompletelybysolarenergy.4

On24March2008,theUniversityofKentuckyrolledoutthe‘blue’carpetforDr Kalam. The term had come from the Bluegrass region in the state ofKentucky,whereamajorityofthestate’spopulationhaslivedanddevelopeditslargestcities.BeforeEuropeansarrivedhere,thisregionwasmostlyasavannahofwidegrasslandsinterspersedwithenormousoaktrees.Europeansnamedthisregionfortheblue-floweredPoagrassthattheyfoundinabundancehere.

The university conferred upon Dr Kalam an honorary Doctor of Sciencedegree.TwoIndianAmericans–S.MelappalayamandSowmyaVijayaraghavan–giftedonemilliondollarstoestablishthePresidentA.P.J.AbdulKalamIndiaStudies Endowment Fund. Their gift would help to support endowedprofessorships for the proposed Centre of Excellence for India Studies, andsupport research in India business studies through the Gatton College ofBusiness and Economics. ‘The receipt of this gift is the next major step inallowingourcurriculumtobecometrulyinternationalandhelpstoreinforceour“world-ready” theme at the Gatton College,’ said the dean, DevanathanSudharshan.5

In1967,tocommemoratethefiftiethanniversaryofFinland’sindependence,theBankofFinlandmadeanendowmentof100millionmarksforthecreationofanorganizationbythenameofSITRA.SITRAisanacronymfortheSuomenitsenäisyyden juhlarahasto (Finnish National Fund for Research). SITRAwastasked with promoting Finland’s stable and balanced development, economicgrowthandinternationalcompetitivenessandcooperation.In1991,SITRAwastransformed into an independent fund that reports directly to the Finnishparliament.By2008,SITRAendowment capitalwas valued atmore than600millioneuros.

In 2005, SITRA launched an ‘India Programme’with a view to expandingFinland’srelationshipwithIndia.Over theensuingthreeyears, theprogramme

had provided the Finnish public with information about India and presentedFinnishexpertise to Indians.Environmentandhealthcarehademergedas twowin-win industries forwhich India had a need andFinlandhad correspondingcompetence.ForthefinalseminarfortheIndiaProgrammeattheUniversityofHelsinkion15April2008,SITRAinvitedDrKalamtospeak.Hewouldsharehis views on the theme of inclusiveness and on how the fruits of Indianeconomicgrowthcouldbeequallydistributedtoallsegmentsofitssociety.

Dr Kalam arrived in Helsinki a day before the event to meet the FinnishprimeministerMattiVanhanenandhisteam.Vanhanenwasknownforbeingateetotaller,andthatbecamethefirsttalkingpointbetweenthesetwoabstainers.MrVanhanen had been depicted in themedia as a bland leader, lacking bothcharismaandpersonalcharm,andhehadbeenquotedassayinghenever tookadvice.ButallthisseemedatoddswiththegraciousmanwhometDrKalam.Avery tall Mr Vanhanen (at 6 feet 6 inches) stooped to shake hands with DrKalam,whowasatleastafootshorter.HewarmlysoughtDrKalam’sviewsonsocialequity.MrVanhanenwasflabbergastedthatIndia,acountryofmorethanone billion people, could contemplate a social equity programme, when nocommonwillcouldbemusteredinFinland,whichhadjustfivemillionpeople.

The next day Dr Kalam spoke on the topic, ‘The role of technology inensuringaninclusiveandsustainablefuture’.Hiscontentwasatoncebroadandenlightening, imparting sound principals for sustaining technological projectsfromconceptualizationtorealization:

I want to convey to you what I have learnt from these three programmes (space, defence, andnuclear)basedonmypersonalexperience.Wherever there isadreamin life, it transforms intoavision.High-level thinking transforms thevision intomissions.Next is acquisitionofknowledgefromallsources,thenworkingandworkingwithoutboundaryconditionstilltherealizationofthemissionbringssuccess.Absorptionofthefailuresandtakingtheresponsibilityandgivingthecreditforsuccesstotheteamwhileexecutingthemissionmakesthesuccesspermanent.6

DrKalamhaddescribedaprovenwayofachievingenduringsuccessinalmostanyendeavour.AndhewasansweringtheissueraisedbyPrimeMinisterMattiVanhanenattheirmeeting.Heknewhowtotakewhatseemedlikequixoticideasthroughtofulfilment;andhehadpersonallyexperiencedallthetribulationsthatthisentails.Thathecouldcrystallizehisexperience intowords thatwere truly

meaningful,andnottheleastbittrite,wasatributetotheinspirationguidingtheman.His gift was surely not from academic learning or some tapas (spiritualtraining)–itwasaspringfromadivinesource.DrKalamhadbynowbecomeasaintscientist.

D

6.3

Transformers

Thenumber one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to dowhattheywant todo.It letspeoplebecreative.It letspeoplebeproductive.It letspeoplelearnthingstheydidn’tthinktheycouldlearnbefore,andsoinasenseitisallaboutpotential.

–SteveBallmerCEOofMicrosoft(2000to2014)

rKalamflewfromFinlandtoToronto.HehadbeeninvitedbytheCanada-India Foundation to present ‘Chanchlani Global Indian Award’ to

SatyanarayanGangaram‘Sam’Pitroda.DrKalamgladlyacceptedtheinvitation,forhehadadmiredPitroda’smissionaryzealinusingtechnologyforthepublicgood.Years earlier, he had read Pitroda’s book,ExplodingFreedom:Roots inTechnology, and admired his insights into the application of technology forsocietaltransformation.Pitroda’sprincipleshadinstantlyresonatedwithhisownpersonal calling around the same time, of developing civilian spin-offs ofdefencetechnologies.DrKalamhadhighlightedthefollowinglinesinthebook,ashefeltasifthesewerewrittenforhim:

Inmypersonaladvancement, technologygaveme the tools to fightpoverty,cutacrosscasteandcommunitybarriersandbringprideinperformance.Technologywashelpfulinnotonlygeneratingpersonalwealthbutalsogeneratingideasandexploringnewconceptsrelatedtoproducts,services,markets,growth,developments,valuesandwork.Technologytaughtmeagreatdealofdiscipline,goodinterpersonalrelations,teamwork,managementandasystematicapproachtoproblem-solvingwithfocusonclearobjectives,measurablemilestonesandcommitmenttoreachfruition.1

SamPitroda had travelled to Chicago in 1964 to study electrical engineering.BorninOrissain1942inasmallvillage,sinceearlychildhoodhehadnurtureddreamsoflivingintheexcitingworldofcitiesandfarawaylands.Aftergoingto

the USA and then succeeding there, he had experienced the agony ofdisconnection that those living away from their Indian families experienced inthose times.The lackofavailabilityof telephones in Indiameanthecouldnoteventalktohisparentsduringtheirillnesses.Andwhenhewouldvisitthem,hewouldbemostlyunabletocontacthisfamilyinChicago.

Until the 1980s, the Indian telephone network functioned on anelectromechanicalswitchsystem.Telephoneswereaprivilegeoftherich.Therewere barely 2.5 million telephones in the country, and almost all of thembelongedtobusinesspeopleandgovernmentofficialsandleaderslivinginurbancentres. The service was truly appalling. With no foreign exchange in thetreasury to import digital switches from the US, Japan or Europe, the Indiangovernment was helplessly looking for ways to modernize the nation’stelecommunications.

Indigenization was to be the answer. A swadeshi approach had workedwondersinaerospace,anditwoulddosointelecommunications.In1984,PrimeMinister Indira Gandhi invited Pitroda to return to India. She asked him todevelop a digital switching system suited to the Indian network. Pitrodasuggested establishing a Centre forDevelopment of Telematics thatwould becalledC-DOT.PrimeMinisterGandhiwas firmwithher support.C-DOTwaspromptly registered as a non-profit society, funded by the government butenjoyingcompleteautonomy.Bythistime,PitrodawasanaturalizedUScitizen.ButherenouncedhisUScitizenshipandresumedhisIndiannationalityinorderto work in the Indian government. There was to be no looking back. Pitrodaextendeddigitaltelecommunicationstoeverycornerofthecountry,includinghisvillageinOrissa.

Dr Kalam awarded the first Canada- India Foundation Chanchlani GlobalIndianAward to Sam Pitroda on 18April 2008, in the presence of the primeministerofCanada,MrStephenHarper.DrKalamcalledSamPitroda’sworkintransforming the Indian telecom system a long walk to freedom. He quotedNelsonMandelafromhisbookofthesamename,‘Andasweletourownlightshine,weunconsciouslygiveotherpeoplepermissiontodothesame.Asweareliberatedfromourownfear,ourpresenceautomaticallyliberatesothers.’2

The followingday,DrKalamvisited theSwaminarayan temple inToronto.SadhuJnanpriyadaswelcomedhimamidstthunderousapplausefromthousands

ofIndo-Canadians,bothyoungandold.ThetempletrusteesguidedhimandtheAttorneyGeneralofOntario,Hon.ChrisBentley,throughtheCanadianMuseumof Cultural Heritage of Indo-Canadians located in the temple. Dr Kalam wasverypleasedtoseehisdearfriendPramukhSwamiji’sphotographinthetemple.PramukhSwamijiwasalsoreachingmillionsofpeoplesuffering themiseryofspiritualisolation,andconnectingthemwiththedivine.

SpeakingattheUniversityofToronto,DrKalamproudlydeclaredthatIndiatoday possessed a constellation of six remote sensing satellites and elevencommunicationsatellites.Thesewereservingapplications likenaturalresourcesurveying, communication, disaster management support and meteorology.Moreover, satellites supported a comprehensive tele-education systemconnecting 27,000 classrooms, and a telemedicine network connecting 250hospitals in remote areas to large teachinghospitals in themetropolitan cities.‘Our country is in the process of establishing 100,000 Village KnowledgeCentres across the country throughpublicprivatepartnerships toprovide real-timeknowledgeinputtoruralcitizensusingspaceandICT,’hesaid.

Dr Kalam visited Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, about 70 kilometres north ofDelhi, on27May2008.Hewas there to address aNationalSeminaronTotalQualityManagement(TQM)inpedagogyatMeerutInstituteofEngineeringandTechnology(MIET).TheMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopmenthadrolledout a Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) thatentailed systemic transformation of the technical education system – and DrKalamwasplayingacrucialroleinthismission.

IreceivedacallfromDrKalamtojoinhim.Herememberedthatitwasmybirthplaceandwantedtomeetmymother.Ihesitatedandsaidthatshelivedinasmallhouseandwouldnotbeabletohandlethevisitofacelebritylikehim.DrKalam airily brushed asidemy concerns, saying, ‘Her house can’t be smallerthanmyhouse inRameswaram.’Wedescendedonmyhumbleancestralhomewith the usualmotorcade and security detail,whichwas incongruouswith thesleepy small town ambience ofMeerut outskirts. The entire population of thesuburbemergedfromtheirhomesandabandonedtheirworksforthespectacleofthisgreatman’svisit.

Asalways,however,thesoundandfurysurroundedhim;buthewashimselftheeyeofcalminastormofactivityandwonder.Hetoldmymother,‘Yourson

isagoodguy.’Heatethekheershehadpreparedandhappilymingledwithmysiblings –my sister Seema and brothersVarun and Salil – and their families.That day, I understood themeaningofSaintAugustine’s saying, ‘Itwaspridethatchangedangelsintodevils;itishumilitythatmakesmenasangels.’Asmymothersaidlater,‘Godinhumanformhasvisitedmyhousetoday.’

InJune2008,theLiverpoolHopeUniversityintheUnitedKingdominvitedDrKalamtotheGlobalYouthCongress,‘TheBigHope’.Morethan600youngmen and women from fifty-five countries attended the event. The vicechancellor,Prof.GeraldPillay,said,

Manyofyouareconsideredtobeyourcommunities’futureleaders.SowhatisTheBigHope?Allthestrandswillconsider threequestions:howwedevelopahumaneglobalsociety;howmayweensure that there is integrity in public life; and what can the individual do? Dr Kalam is herebecausehemadeanindelibleimpressiononmillionsofyoungmindstoimprovetheircommunities.

DrKalamsaid,

Nowthequestionis:Howdoweinculcaterighteousnessintheheart?Inmyopinion,therearethreesourcesthatcanbuildayouthwithrighteousnessintheheart.Oneismother,thesecondisfatherandthethirdandthemostimportantistheteacher,particularlytheprimary-schoolteacher.Alsotoprovide righteousness in the heart to the youngminds,we should have an environment of greateducationandaspiritualwayoflifeandspiritualenvironment.

Inhisownsimpleway,DrKalamhadpinpointed thevery factor thatWesternsociety was missing in its homes. He continued touching on emotionallysensitive topics throughout his speech.Hiswords brought tears to the eyes ofmany of the youths in the audience, and defying the ‘stiff upper lip’ thatpervadesBritishpubliclife,theywerenothidingthem.Theirtearswerenotthemark of weakness, but of power that Dr Kalam had helped to revivify. Theywereindeedthemessengersoftheirgrief–andoflovethatneededexpression.

BackinIndia,apoliticalcommotionwasthreateningtoturnintoanoutrightrevolt. The issue of contention was the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement. Anassortment of political parties and activists were staunchly opposed to theagreement,rightfromthedayitsframeworkwasannouncedon18July2005.Inaccordancewith the framework, India agreed to separate its civil andmilitarynuclearfacilitiesandtoplaceallitscivilnuclearfacilitiesundertheInternational

AtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)safeguards;andinexchange,theUnitedStatesagreedtoworktowardsfullcivilnuclearcooperationwithIndia.

Theprimaryoppositionto thenucleardeal inIndiahadcomefromtheLeftparties.Theyhadbeenhopingthatitwouldnotprogressbeyonddiscussion,andthepowerfulanti-IndiaforcesintheUnitedStateswouldstrikeitdownbeforeitbecame operational. President Bush, though, ensured it was endorsed by theUnited States establishment. Now known as the ‘123 Agreement’, it neededratificationbytheIndianparliament.On9July2008,theLeftFrontwithdrewitssupport to the UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inprotest; the nuclear deal – indeed the government itself –was in peril. PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh later recalled this crisis, and the role that thepragmaticelderstatesmanDrKalamplayedinresolvingit:

WhenIfacedavoteofconfidence,hewasnotthepresidentbuthestillplayedanimportantrole…the situation was difficult… I was discussing these matters with Amar Singhji, and MulayamSinghji…withgreatdifficultywemanagedtopersuadethemtorelookattheirstand.ItoccurredtomethatMulayamSinghhadgreatregardforKalam…(I)thenurgedtheSPleaderstomeetKalam.TheywenttoseeAbdulKalam…hetoldthemthisdealisinthenationalinterest…andwewonthevoteofconfidence.3

Dr Kalam would lend his support to the government again regarding nuclearpower,butthistimeinhishomestate.VillagersatKudankulaminTamilNaduhad launched a series of bitter and highly charged protests in October 2011,demanding thehalt of theupcomingRussian-built nuclearpowerplantprojectthere.DrKalamvisitedthevillagestoallaytheirfearsregardingnuclearenergy.‘ThepeopleofKudankulamdonotevenneed tohavea“nano-sized”doubtattheproject’ssafety,’4DrKalamdeclared.‘Weareallcaughttoomuchwiththedisease of fear and danger. Cowards do not make history. Sheer crowd sizecannot bring about changes. Only thosewho think everything is possible cancreate history and bring about changes,’ Dr Kalam said after visiting theKudankulam plant on 6 November 2012.5 He had played a vital role in thehistoryoftheIndiannuclearenergyprogramme,andwasconsistentthroughoutinhissupportofnuclearenergyasameansoffacilitatingdevelopment.

Lesscontentious,butneverthelesssignificant,dutiesawaitedDrKalam.Theprime minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Abdullah Bin Haji Ahmad Badawi,

invitedDrKalamtoMalaysia’sfiftiethanniversaryofindependence.Ontheeveofthecelebrations,DrKalamwenttoGeorgeTown,Penang,tomeettheIndiancommunity.FlankedbyChiefMinisterLimGuanEng,SecondFinanceMinisterTan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Indian high commissioner to Malaysia,AshokKantha–andfollowedbymorethanahundredlocalpeople–DrKalamvisitedeachoneofGeorgeTown’s ten famous religiousestablishments.Theseare located along the roadoften referred to as the ‘Street ofHarmony’.Therewere lion dances, lively tunes of nadaswaram and a percussion brass bandplayingduringhishalts.

It was a vibrant demonstration of inter-religious fellowship, something DrKalamhadalwaysheldparamount.AforeignMuslimdignitaryvisitingtemplesandchurchesandmosqueswithequaldeferencestruckachordintheheartsofmanyinMalaysiaandwaswidelyreportedinthemedia:

His humble acts of respect and reverence within the holy temples, mosques and church clearlyechoes the glaring shortcomings within our own citizenry and leaders who have been insteadmakingclarioncallsalongdivisivereligiousandraciallines…OurleadersmustquicklylearnandemulatewhatAbdulKalamhascomefromsofartoremindusofourGod-givengiftof‘unity’and‘harmony’.6

The Universiti SainsMalaysia (University of ScienceMalaysia) conferred anhonorary degree of Doctor of Science upon Dr Kalam on 30 August 2008.Earlier, Dr Kalam had been awarded an honorary degree of Doctor ofEngineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore on 26 August2008.

India’s most popular president had become something of an internationalambassadorofgoodwill,andhewouldusehisstatustoraiseissuesthathefeltneededhisinfluence.DrKalamdeliveredthefourteenthconvocationaddressatKathmanduUniversity inNepalon18November2008.Heused this forum tocall for a paradigm shift in higher education. Dr Kalam raised an importantquestion.Whileweareenjoying the fruitsof technology–expandingphysicaltravelandconnectivitybeyondanyrealmofimagination–andhumanitycouldbe proud of this kind of exponential growth of opportunity, are we up to thechallenges that confront us today? Dr Kalam felt that universities needed tomove in step with a changing world, delivering education to meet modern

challenges:

Ifweconsideranyissuebeitenergyindependenceorenvironmentprotectionorunderstandingtheatmosphere or exploration of outer space or increasing the outreach of science or equitabledistributionofprosperityandwealthordealingwithdeadlydiseasesorweaningpeopleawayfromdrugsorcombatingterrorismorpreservingfamilyties,theyallrequirethecreativityofthebestofmindsfromanypartoftheworld.

Thequestionwehavetoaskourselvesiswhethertheuniversitiesprovideanadequatebreedinggroundforsuchminds…Itisnatural,therefore,thattheuniversitysystemitselfhastomeetnewrequirements in the twenty-first century. The universities, in my view, need to address fourimportant criteria: The education has to address the needs of the citizen for contributing to thesustainablegrowthinvariousareasofnationalandglobaldevelopment;ithastomeetthediversecultural needs; it should ignite the minds towards research and enquiry; and it has to be costeffectivefordeservingstudentstotakeupsubjectsoftheirchoice.

Aftertheconvocation,DrKalamvisitedKa-NyingShedrubLingMonasteryinBoudhanathandmetChökyiNyimaRinpoche.Hecarriedforwardthequestionsheraisedattheuniversitytothereveredmonk.

Kalam:ReveredRinpoche!Therapidadvancesoftechnologyhavecreated the challenge of complicated changes in lifestyles, values,behavioursandworkethics.Becauseofthefastpaceoflifeanddemandsof multitasking, people are confronted with greater uncertainty. Whatcanbedone?Rinpoche: You are a very wise man, Dr Kalam. You have asked themostimportantquestion.Doingallthegood,notdoingalltheevils,andpurifyingyourmindarefundamental.Kalam:Whatisgood?Whatisevil?Rinpoche:Goodisthatwhichproducesgoodeffectsandrelievesoneofsorrow and stress; evil generates ill effects and prolongs the agony ofsufferingandstress.Kalam:Whatkindofchangesshouldbemadeinoureducationsystem?Rinpoche:Wehavetogiveknowledgeofvarioussubjects,butalsomustteachastudenthowtolivehislifebydevelopinghismindandequippinghimtodealwithreality.Whatuseisthesubjectknowledgewithoutthis?Kalam:Andhowcouldthatbedone?Rinpoche:Bymakingstudentslivebydiscipline,byteachingthemhow

to meditate and by sharing with them the ancient wisdom. This isfundamental.Therestisallacquisitionofknowledgeforearningmoneyandtoliveinworldlycomfort.Kalam:Whatisdiscipline?Rinpoche:Eatonlywhenhungry.Sleeponlywhentired.Donotspeakunlessaskedfor.Kalam:Whatismeditation?Rinpoche:Toknowyourfeelings.Tohearyourinnervoice.Kalam:Buttherearetwoinnervoices.Oneifofthesoul,buttheotherisofShaitan.YouandIknowthedifference,buthowdoesachildoranuntrainedpersonknowwhichvoicetofollow?Rinpoche:Followthevoicethatsaysgive,forgive,letgo,moveon.Donotfollowthevoicethatsaystake,seekrevenge,holdgrudgesandsettlescores.Thereisnothingtosettle.Acceptwhatisasthefinalsettlement.

In March 2009, Dr Kalam met about 1,000 students who came from 120countries to the ‘Education Without Borders’ event in Dubai. The HigherColleges of Technology (HCT) had been organizing this international studentconferenceeverytwoyears.Thethemeofthisconferencewashowtomaketheworldabetterplace.BesidesDrKalam,theCEOofRolls-Royce,SirJohnRose,PrincessAstridofBelgium,andthefirstfemaleself-fundedspacetravellerandfirstMuslimwomaninspace,AnoushehAnsari,weretheotherguestsinvited.

In his inaugural speech, Dr Kalam raised the question:What could be themethodology for evolving a happy, prosperous and peaceful society on ourplanet? He then answered by calling this methodology the ‘Evolution ofEnlightenedSociety’.Hesaidhesharedthesethoughtswithmanyintellectualsinnationalandinternationalspheresandarticulatedthreecomponents:educationwith a value system; religion transforming into spirituality; and economicdevelopment for societal transformation. ‘Whichever nation adopts these threecomponents in an integrated way, they will be able to evolve an enlightenedsociety,’hedeclaredwiththefinalityofaprophet.Hefurtherairedhisthoughtsonaglobalizedworld,andtheneedforgreaterresponsibilityinthisnewregime:

Borderlessnessdoesn’tcomewithoutapricetag.Theeconomiccrisis,whichstartedintheUnitedStatesbecauseofborderlessness,affectedmanycountries.Itwillcontinuetohaverippleeffectsand

sympathetic oscillations on other countries.Hence, it is important that in a connectedworld themembers behave with responsibility and ensure that only good effects are propagated andcommunicatedthroughtheborderlesssystem.7

In April 2009, Dr Kalam was invited by Bill Gates to meet MicrosoftprofessionalsandalsotheBillandMelindaGatesFoundationteaminSeattle.DrKalamhadmetBillGatesyearsearlierinNovember2002,inwhatwasbilledasanexaltedmeetingofminds–theheadoftheworld’slargestsoftwarecompanymeeting a visionary ‘techie’ president. That meeting, however, turned frostywhenPresidentKalamadvocatedopen-sourcesoftware.Thisisunquestionablyaboon for users, but anathema to software moguls at the time. It would allowanyonewiththetechnicalknowledgetochangeaprogrammetosuittheirneeds.DrKalamfeltthatopen-source-codesoftwareinIndiahasitsplaceinensuringbenefitsforallofourbillionpeople.Andhehadbeenquitepreparedtoraisethiswith one the world’s richest men, Mr Bill Gates; even if this did vitiate theatmospheresomewhat.8PerhapsDrKalamwassimplyaheadofhistime;open-sourcesoftwarehasbecomeincreasinglycommercializedinrecentyears.

In any event, MrWilliam H. Gates, father of Mr Bill Gates, andMr JeffRaikes,CEOofBillandMelindaGatesFoundation,hadaprivatemeetingwithDr Kalam on 22 April 2009. Dr Kalam raised three issues of particularimportance–preventionofHIV/AIDS,creationofthePURAruraldevelopmentandtheSocietalGrid.Attheendofthemeeting,theseniorGatespresentedDrKalamShowingUpforLife,hisbookscheduledforreleaseintheensuingweek.Intheforeword,MrBillGateswrote,‘Dad,thenexttimesomebodyasksyouifyou’retherealBillGates,Ihopeyousay,“Yes.”Ihopeyoutellthemthatyou’reall the things the other one strives to be.’ Dr Kalam addressed theMicrosoftprofessionalsthenextday,andlatermetthefacultyandstudentsofUniversityofWashingtonandmembersoftheGreaterSeattlearea.

The president of Boeing India and vice-president of Boeing InternationalTrading,DineshKeskar, tookDrKalamaround theBoeingEverettFactoryon24April2009.Thisfactoryisthelargestbuildingintheworldbyvolume,at4billioncubicfeetbuiltarea,situatedon100acresofland.Thewide-bodyBoeing747,767,777,and787aircraftareassembledhere.Attheplant,DrKalammetthe eighty-eight-year-old Joseph ‘Joe’ Sutter, who once headed the 4,500-memberdesignteamoftheBoeingcompanyandwasdubbedthe‘fatherofthe

747’aircraft, the largest commercial airlinereverbuilt.DrKalamwasgivenapersonalguidedtourofthefirstBoeing787aircraft–thelong-range,wide-bodyjetairliner.Itwasthefirstofthetwenty-sevenaircraftthatwerejoiningtheAirIndiafleetandwascalled‘theDreamliner’.

On 28 April 2009, Dr Kalam joined a veritable league of illustriousAmericans, including three former US presidents, when he was given theprestigiousHooverMedalfor2008forhisservicestohumanity.Hereceivedthemedalataceremonyat theColumbiaUniversity inNewYork.HebecamethefirstAsiantoreceivetheHooverMedal,whichisanhonourthathasbeengivenannuallysince1930bytheAmericanSocietyofMechanicalEngineers.BeatriceHunt,chairpersonoftheHooverMedalBoard,handedthemedalandacitationtoDrKalam.

In his acceptance speech, Dr Kalam talked about the challenges modernsocietyisfacing,andmadementionofthefundamentalroleofbiologyinhumansuffering:

Advancesingeneticshavedemonstratedgreatsimilaritiesinthegenomesofmanandanimalsandshowedthat‘thelimbicbrain’perhapsisthecauseforallconflict,withinandoutside.Itcouldbeseenmoreclearlynowwhyhumansociety,fromitsoriginuntilnow,hasalwaysbeenatwarwithinandbetweengroups– and this has led to twoworldwars.Presently, terrorismand low-intensitywarfareareaffectingmanypartsoftheworld.

Although such suggestions could appear fatalistic, Dr Kalam was at pains topointoutthatourintellectcanrationalizepasttheseatavistictendencies:

Simultaneously,thebrainhasintelligencetounderstandthepricethathumanityhaspaidbecauseofsuchconflictsand ifonly thisattention isdiverted todevelopment, thehumancivilizationwouldhavetakenashapeleadingtopeacefulcoexistence.

Wehavetoanalysewhywarshaveoccurredsofarinhumanhistoryandseehowtoavoidfutureconflicts.Paucityofresources,inequitablegrowthwithincountriesanddifferentpartsoftheworld,deprivation,depletingresources,andegoareamongthereasonsforconflicts,alongwithremnantsofhatredfromhistoricalfights.Itbecomesnecessarytoanalysepotentialsourcesofconflictsinthetwenty-first century for us to spot problem zones and avoid conflicts, as far as possible.Man isfightingawaronallfronts–environmentaldegradationanddiseasesononeside,andterrorismontheotherside,

DrKalamnotedthatinclusiveandequitabledevelopmentcanfacilitatepeacein

ourworld.Hewasnowquitevocalwithhisbelief:‘Theimprovementofqualityofhumanlifeacrosstheworldisinthebestinterestoftheentirehumanity.’DrKalam’svisionof India as a developed countryhadnow transcended to usingtechnology as a non-linear tool tomake this planetmore liveable and humansociety prosperous and harmonious. The spiritual ascent of Dr Kalam wasreflectedinhisdreamoftheascentofhumanity.Hewasnolongertalkingaboutfiveprojectsorsomeintegratedprogrammeoramission.Hewastalkingaboutthevictoryofconsciousnessoverblindforces–innature,insocietyandinmanhimself.

A

6.4

ProveAllThings

Thoughmyviewisasspaciousasthesky,myactionsandrespectforcauseandeffectareasfineasgrainsofflour.

–SogyalRinpocheTibetanlama

visit to Trinity College at Dublin in Ireland on 12 June 2009was like apilgrimageforDrKalam.Sinceitsestablishmentin1592,TrinityCollege,

Dublin, has endured over the centuries and even prospered, despite Ireland’shistoricaltribulations,tobecomeamodernuniversitywithanillustrioushistory.With more than 16,000 students representing in excess of ninety differentnationalities, TrinityCollege is indeed aminiworld. It has a connectionwithIndiadatingbackto1762,whenitestablisheditschairoforientallanguages.Inthesecondhalfofthenineteenthcentury,whenTrinityCollegehostedanIndiaCivilServiceSchool,itsuppliedover150graduatesforthebureaucraticservicethatrantheBritishRaj.

When Dr Kalam entered the beautiful Trinity College campus escorted byProvostJohnHegarty,itsmotto,HantaAokimazeteToKaaonKatexetecapturedhis attention.Forever a student– andneverhesitantof askingquestions aboutwhathedidnotknow–DrKalamrequestedtheprovosttoexplainthemeaningof the phrase.Prof.Hegarty explained to him that itmeans: ‘Prove all things;holdfastthatwhichisgood.’

‘Whatistheidea?’DrKalamasked.‘It isaBiblicalphrase.Menareprone togo toextremes in theirbeliefs.St

Paulseemstohavebeenguardingagainstthistendencywhenhewrote,“Despisenottheprophesies;proveallthings;holdfastthatwhichisgood.”’1

The discussion continued over tea. In the early days of Christianity, there

werethosewhoclaimedtoprophesybytheSpirit,andactuallydidso.Buttherewerealso thosewhoclaimed toprophesyby theSpiritanddidnot.The resultwasthat,atleast,somedespisedallprophecybyreasonofthefalseclaimsofthepretenders.SuchawholesalerejectionofallprophecywasthoughtbyStPaultobe unreasonable and even unsafe. It was neither justified to reject those whoweretrulyprophesyingbytheSpiritbecausesomewerenot,nortoacceptthosewho were falsely prophesying because some were truly prophesying. St Paulindicated the safe course: ‘Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.’ Astherehasalwaysbeenevilmixedwiththegood,thisadmonitionisadvicefortheages.

Dr Kalam was taken through the newly set up 75-million-Euro researchinstitute for nano science. Speaking on ‘The Vision Elevates the Nation’, DrKalam presented a vision for transforming India into a developed nation by2020,usingthemultidisciplinaryspecializationsavailable in thecountry.Morethan 400 people attended his lecture. The university announced theestablishmentofanIndiachairandapostinIndianstudiestocommemorateDrKalam’svisit.

Afterhis speech inDublin,DrKalamheaded toNorthern Ireland, andwasconferredanhonorarydegreeofDoctorofLawsfordistinctioninpublicservice,at a ceremony at Queen’s University in Belfast. Earlier, on 9 June 2007 DrKalamhadbeenhonouredwiththeInternationalMedalof theRoyalAcademyof Engineering, one of Britain’s top engineering awards, at a gala dinner inLondon.FormerchiefexecutiveofBritishPetroleumandtheAcademypresidentLordJohnBrownepresented theaward.According to theRoyalAcademy, theInternationalMedalisawardedoccasionallytoanindividualresidentoutsidetheEuropeanUnionforhisorher‘outstandingandsustainedpersonalachievementinthebroadfieldofengineering,includingcommercialoracademicleadership’.TheAcademy’sseniorfellow,PrincePhilip,husbandofQueenElizabethII,waspresentatthedinner.

Whereverhewent,DrKalamwouldfindideasandconceptsthathefeltcouldbenefit his country. For him, these events were not exercises in self-congratulation as perhaps theywere to some eminent people.Hewasmeetingwithsomeoftheworld’sgreatestminds,andhewouldmakethemostofeveryopportunitythathewasafforded.DrKalamwasparticularlyimpressedwithone

practical scheme that he encountered when he was invited to the firstconvocationof theUniversityof InformationTechnologyandSciences (UITS)in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in July 2008. While he was in Dhaka, he met NobellaureateMuhammadYunusattheMirpurheadquartersofGrameenBankon18July 2008. Prof.Yunus briefedDrKalam about the activities of theGrameenBankandtheconceptandpracticeofsocialbusinessaswaystotacklepovertyand other social problems in South Asia. Dr Kalam said he wanted to learndetails of the workings of Grameen Bank so that the system could beimplementedinIndia.ProfessorYunussaidthatGrameenwouldbedelightedtohelp set up microcredit programmes in India, as one was already in place inKerala.

ProfessorYunusraisedtheissueofstrengtheningtheSouthAsianAssociationfor Regional Cooperation (SAARC). He explored possibilities for SAARCpassports and SAARC scholarships to facilitate the free flow of people foreducation. Additionally, he felt that joint water management and powergeneration for the countries of the region would greatly help improve theirpeoples’ quality of life. Dr Kalam said he fully supported the idea of closercooperation within SAARC. Professor Yunus was very pleased to receive theHindieditionofhisbookBankertothePoorfromDrKalam.

Later,DrKalamattendedadinnerhostedbyPrimeMinisterSheikhHasinaandPresidentZillurRahman.ThehostsknewaboutthevegetarianfoodhabitsofDrKalamandtookgreatcaretoservehimfoodthatwasofhisliking.DrKalamtalkedwithPrimeMinisterSheikhHasinaaboutherhusband,nuclear scientistDrM.A.WazedMiah.HehadbeenengagedinresearchworkattheNewDelhi–based laboratory ofAtomicEnergyCommission of India during 1975–82 andlater became the chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina briefed Dr Kalam about the Rooppur NuclearPowerProjectthatwasinprogress.

PresidentZillurRahmansatbyDrKalam’ssidethroughouttheconvocation.Dr Kalam saw the respectful homage paid to Srijnan Atish Dipankar, poetRabindranath Tagore and scientists Acharya Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose andSatyendraNathBose,whowereallseenasBangladeshiicons.Itresonatedwellwith the theme of Dr Kalam’s lecture:‘Science is borderless’. Dr Kalamobserved that in response to amore integrated world economy and improved

travel and communications technology, almost every government around theworld ismaking an effort to internationalize higher education.The number ofinternationallymobilestudentsisexpectedtoalmostdoubletoeightmillionby2025.

Dr Kalammentioned the success story of Indian private universities.Withrapidgrowthinstudentnumbersandconstrainedgovernmentbudgets,therehasbeenashifttowardsfundinghighereducationfromprivatesources.Indiadidnotopenitsdoortoforeignuniversities,followingapolicyofself-relianceinhighereducation. Dr Kalam said that India would be among the top five globalscientific powers by 2020, and there is no reason why India and Bangladeshshouldnotbecomeonegreatknowledgesystem.

EngagementsatinternationaluniversitieswouldtakeDrKalamfarandwide.InMay2011, theUniversityofTechnology,Sydney(UTS),conferreduponDrKalam an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering. Founded in 1850, it isAustralia’sfirstuniversityandisregardedasoneofitsmostprestigious.UTSisrankedamongtheworld’sfiftymostreputableuniversities.In2011,ithadmorethan 32,000 undergraduate and more than 16,000 postgraduate students. ViceChancellorProfessorRossMilbourne announced the creationof theDrAbdulKalam International Scholarships to celebrate Dr Kalam’s commitment toeducation, and his endeavours to support outstanding students to develop asfuture leaders. Since then, ten scholarships have been given to students forundergraduate and postgraduate coursework programmes every year. The highcommissioner for India in Australia, Smt. Sujatha Singh was present at theceremony.

Dr Kalam visited the Harvard Business School on 27 September 2011 todeliverthe2011HarishC.MahindraLecture.Hespokeon‘EmpoweringThreeBillion’. Professor Drew Faust, the president of Harvard University, TarunKhanna,directoroftheSouthAsiaInstitute,andProfessorJorgePauloLemannreceived him. Tarun Khanna would later reminisce of Dr Kalam’s gift fordeliveringsimple,powerfulmessagesinhisspeeches,thatcouldtoucheventhemosteruditeandscepticalaudience:

Mostly,hismessagewassimple.InhisHarvardtalk…heemphasizedtheimportanceofleadership,andkeptreturningtotheideathatleadershipwasaboutbeingmagnanimous,beingcompassionate,andcreatinganatmospherewhere therewas awin-winapproach toproblemsolving.Not rocket

science, this, even from themissileman. Yet, coming from someonewho had accomplished somuch,itdidnotdegenerateintomaudlinsentimentality.Therewasanairofauthenticity.2

In March 2012, the Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav won athumpingmajority in theUttarPradeshassemblyelections.This led tohissonAkhileshYadav’selectionasthechiefministerofIndia’smostpopulousstate.Atthirty-eight,hewastheyoungestchiefministerthestatehadseen.HeinvitedDrKalamtogiveUttarPradeshavisionfordevelopmentandorganizedaconclavewith the help of theHindustanTimes, the leading newspaper in north India. Iwasalsoinvitedtospeakattheconclave.

DrKalamhadalwaysfirmlybelievedinthepowerofIndia’speopleandthepotentialofitsyouth.UttarPradeshhadplentyofboth,andmore.Attheoutset,DrKalampointedoutthatthestateofUttarPradeshhadbeenthesecond-largesteconomyinthenationandwasrichlyendowedinnaturalandhumanresources.Withits100millionyouth,UPisthehometoeveryfifthyouthinthenation.DrKalamsaidthatby2016,ofevery100skilledjobsbeinggeneratedworldwide,abouteightcouldcomedirectlyfromUttarPradeshalone.ButDrKalamhadhisownwishforthestate.‘Howcanthepresentpercapitaincomeof26,000rupeesbeincreasedto100,000rupees?Thisshouldbeourmission,’hesaid.

DrKalampointedoutthatUttarPradeshhadneverbeenabackwardstate,buta land where skills of different kinds had blossomed over the centuries. Thecarpets of Bhadohi, brassware ofMoradabad, glassware of Ferozabad,mangoproductsofMalihabad,scissorsofMeerut,locksofAligarh,ceramicpotteryofKhurja, leather work of Kanpur and Chikankari of Lucknow had historicallybeen industries of worldwide fame. Dr Kalam saw these as a wellspring ofeconomicandsocialpotential tobetapped:‘Hadthefameof theproductbeenmatched by the economic activity?Howmany relatively unknown arts, craftsand cuisines had the potential to turn into a vibrant industry with support ontechnologyandmarketingfronts?Wealsoneedacarefullydrawneconomicmapof the stateacrossvariousdistrictsandskill zones, according to thepercapitaincomeandhumandevelopmentindex.’

Dr Kalam even exhibited a map showing areas for possible development.‘Superimposing the skill map and the economic map can identify the gapsbetween thepotentialand realizationof theskill,’hesuggested.Nobodycouldquestionhis thoroughness.Andhewasaware that forprogress, amultifaceted

approachwascalledfor:

Finally,academia,industryandadministrationneedtocometogetheratthedistrictleveltoplanonwhat is thesustainablemethodtobridgethegapbetweeneconomicrealizationandskillpotentialacross their respective districts. This may require targeted training across the industrial traininginstitutes (ITIs), youth workshops, marketing and distribution support, investments intotechnologicalprocessenhancementsandotherinterventions.

In thisway, each districtwill clearly identify its skill sets, its potential and how to go aboutachievingthemissionofdevelopinganeconomybasedaroundtheavailableskills.Also,theycanbenchmarkthemselvesagainsteachother,andfindavenuesofcollaborationtowardsthecommongood of the state. This will lead to the formation of industrial hubs in many areas includingLucknow,Kanpur,Noida,Meerut,Mirzapur,Bhadohi,Moradabad,Aligarh,AgraandSonebhadra.

Furthermore, Dr Kalam proposed the launch of a mission of socialentrepreneurshipforyouth.Thiswouldrequirethesettingupofatotalofabout100,000 social enterprises across the state to serve its 200 million people innumerous crucial aspects. These would include food and nutrition; access towater (bothpotableand for irrigation);access tohealthcare;access to incomegenerationcapacity;accesstoeducationandcapacitybuilding;accesstoqualitypowerandcommunicationapplicationsandaccesstofinancialservices.

Cognizant of theneed for effective leadership for suchventures,DrKalamemphasized the need to develop creative leaders through nurturing talent, andpromotinginnovationineverysector.Theemergenceofcreativeleaderswouldfacilitateglobalcompetitivenessandhelpintransformingthestate.Moreover,heknewthatalltheimperativesandresourcestoattainsuccessarehere–inUttarPradesh as in India. His early successful indigenization endeavours haddemonstratedthistohim.TherewasnoneedtolookoutwardforthesolutionstoUttarPradesh’sproblems–theyarehere:‘Youhaveeverything,allingredientsofprosperityarehere,resources,youngpeopleandprovenskills.Itistimetoprovethem to theworld.Themissing linksare financial inclusionof thepeopleandcompetitivenessofthelocalenterprise.Don’tlookoutsideandfeeldespondent,lookinside,transformyourpotentialintoactuality,competewiththeoutsideandconquerthem.’

DespiteDrKalam’sunequivocalretirementfromnationalpolitics,therewerestill attempts to lurehimback toRashtrapatiBhavan. InJune2012, the rulingUnitedProgressiveAlliance (UPA)declaredPranabMukherjee their candidate

in the forthcoming presidential elections. The opposition parties viewed DrKalamastheirpreferredcandidate.TrinamoolCongresschiefMamataBanerjeetooktheleadinattemptingtopersuadeDrKalamtoagainstandforoffice.TheBharatiyaJanataPartyleaderL.K.AdvaniandSamajwadiPartychiefMulayamSinghYadavalsometwithhim.Thepossibility thatDrKalamcould return tothe presidency created euphoria amongst the nation’s youth, and the mediastoked public sentimentwith speculation. The people had always been on hisside,andmanywouldhavelikedtoseehiminofficeagain.HewasseenasthepeerlessiconofmodernIndia.

ButDrKalamwashavingnoneofit.Breakinghissilence,DrKalamon18June 2012 declared that he would not contest the presidential poll. ‘I haveconsidered the totality of this matter and the present political situation, anddecided not to contest the presidential election 2012.’ He seemed to haveinternalizedthemessagehelearntattheTrinityCollegeatDublin,‘Despisenottheprophesies;proveallthings;holdfastthatwhichisgood.’PranabMukherjeewaselectedthethirteenthpresidentofIndiaandwassworninon25July2012.

AwayfromthehustleofNewDelhi,DrKalamattendedthefirstconvocationof the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST),Thiruvananthapuram, on 28 June 2012. The IIST was established by theDepartment of Space in 2007. Dr Kalam was appointed chancellor of IIST,which had become a deemed university in 2008, when the first batch ofundergraduate students was inducted. The institute started three postgraduatecourses inradiofrequencyandmicrowave,adoptiveopticsandsoftcomputingforthedegreeofMasterofTechnologyin2009.

ItwasadreamcometrueforDrKalamtoseethefirstbatchgraduatingfromtheworld’s first space university. He could see his younger self in the fresh-facedgraduates.DrKalamhadbeenblessedwiththefinesteducationofhistimeatMIT,andthishadpreparedhimthoroughlyfor therigoursof thepioneeringyears of Indian aerospace. From its humble beginnings, he and his colleagueshad applied all the knowledge and energy they couldmuster in their quest toestablish India’s spacefaring capability. India’s young scientists could now beaffordedindigenoustrainingthatwouldpropeltheIndianspaceprogrammeintothemiddleofthetwenty-firstcentury.Andthisengenderedamyriadofexcitingpossibilities.Alwaysforward-thinking,DrKalam’svisionsforaerospaceinthe

following generations would differ little from the aspirations of his youngcharges:

When I saw you all, I was askingmyself, what type of missions you young graduates will getfocusedonandwhattypeofinnovativerevolutionyouwillcreateinspacescienceandtechnology.Will you give leadership and newknowledge for spacecraft to reach geosynchronous orbit at aneconomiccost?WillyouworkforthecreationofSpaceSatelliteServiceStationsforextendingthelife of satellites through in-orbit maintenance?Will you be responsible for building the launchvehicle to launch the spacecraft to reachMars and theMoon for studying thepossibility of newhumanhabitats?Willyouberesponsibleforbuildingreusablelaunchvehiclesthatwillresultinthereduced orbital cost of USD 500 per kilogram instead of today’s USD 6000? Of course, thechallenges inspacescienceand technologyaremanyandyouareuniquelyfortunate,whenIndiahasestablisheditscredibilityasaspacefaringnation.3

Dr Kalam attended the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of SwamiVivekanandaon11September2012,attheRamakrishnaMissioninNewDelhi.HebeganhisdissertationwiththewordsspokenbySwamiVivekanandaonthisdatein1893atChicago:‘Helpandnotfight’,‘assimilationandnotdestruction’,‘harmonyandpeaceandnotdissension’.

Inaspeechwithpassionandidealismthatwouldhavemadethesaintproud,DrKalamgaveaclarioncallforamoreharmoniousworld.Hepointedoutthattheworld is still besetwithconflicts arisingoutof language, religion, culturaldisparities and poverty encompassing around half the global population.Moreover,ashortageofwaterforasimilarproportionoftheworld’speople,asignificant portion of the population suffering from new diseases – and mostimportantly,theplanetsufferingtheeffectsofclimatechangephenomenaduetoindiscriminate use of fossil fuel – could give rise to greater, unprecedentedconflict.Ourcountry’sgreatscientistandsagewasconcernedfor thefutureofhumanitywiththetrialsheenvisaged:

In thisenvironmentof struggles, I amaskingmyselfwhile remembering (SwamiVivekananda’s)famousChicago speech, canwe collectivelymake it possible in every part of theworld, peoplelivinginagreenenvironmentwithoutpollution,havingprosperitywithoutpoverty,peacewithoutfearofwarandahappyplacetoliveforallcitizensoftheworld?4

Dr Kalam visited Canada in October 2012 to deliver the inaugural DhahanMemorialLecture atCarletonUniversity inOttawa, and received an honorary

doctorate fromSimonFraserUniversity inVancouver.Hehadbynowcreatedenthusiasm in the Indian diaspora about the India 2020 vision, particularly inNorth America. Hope was now replacing the earlier disbelief. Dr Kalam’snumerous visits had generated a singular optimism in the overseas Indiancommunities.Themoodwasbecoming‘Yes!Somethinggoodishappeningbackhome;letusdoourbit.’

Much of the optimism that Dr Kalam evoked lay in his quite uniquecombinationofspirituality,technologicalprowessandinspiration.Butmorethanthat, he possessed a native wisdom and practicality that underpinned all histhinking. He identified the energy deficiency in the Indian economy as thebiggesthindranceforitsdevelopment.Hewasawarethatnovision,norhetoric,no mission or plan would make any real difference unless there is sufficientenergy. Indianeededagooddealmore energy topower its industry andbringwatertoitsvastdrylandsforagriculture.

Unquestionably,theIndianeconomywasbleedingfromthecostlyimportoflargequantitiesofoilandgas.Therehadbeendelaysand inefficiencies in thedevelopment of abundant indigenous coal reserves.The greater use of nuclearpowerwasmiredininternationaltreatiesrestrictingthesupplyofuranium.Andthe renewable resources of solar and wind power could not yet conceivablyhandlethequantumoftheexpandingrequirementforelectricity.Outdatedpowergeneration infrastructure continued to falter with an ever-growing demand,causing voltage fluctuations and regular shutdowns throughout the country.Worse,300millionpeople still lackedaccess to thegrid.Thecountry’spowergenerationregimesimplydidnotmatchitsaspirationsforindustrialgrowthandurbanexpansion.

DrKalamwasnaturallyhappyforanyopportunitytoprovidefurtherimpetusfor this crucial issue, and this was duly presented to him by The EconomistGroup.ThisBritishmultinationalmediacompanyisbestknownasthepublisherofthehighlyregardedTheEconomistmagazine.Thecompanyinvitedhimforakeynote interview, followedby the launchof itsWhitePaper inNewDelhionhis eighty-first birthday. He was given an advance copy of the White Paperprepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit. TheWhite Paper examined theprospects for India’s future energy system, from source to generation todistributiontoconsumption.

The birthday boy Kalam converted the sombre gathering of experts andstalwarts–withtheirpinstripedsuitsandguardedstances–intoafree-flowingconclave, with his characteristic spontaneity and his grounded approach. Hispresentationwaseminentlysensible.

He said that human society had seen four levels of fuel.The first fuelwaswood,whichbeganwiththediscoveryoffiresomeonemillionyearsago.Thesecondfuelwasoilandrelatedpetroleumproducts,whichwasasnewasthelatenineteenthcentury–onlyabout100yearsold.Thethirdfuelwasnuclear,barelyfiftyyearsold.Nowweareexploringthefourthfuel,termedgreenenergy,likesolarandwind,whichhasbeenbecomingincreasinglycommerciallyviableandtechnologicallyfeasiblewithinthelasttwodecades.‘Now,letmetalkaboutthefifthfuel–whichisnotahardwarefuelintheconventionalsense–itisenergyefficiency,’hesaid.

DrKalamtold theexpertaudience thatbuildingenergyefficiency is indeedthemosteconomicallyfeasibleandconvenientwayto‘generate’energy,simplyby saving it.More than any form of technology,what is needed is the socialawareness and incentives for industries and homes to save energy. In thedistribution of power alone, the losses are in excess of 40 per cent in manystates. There is also an immense scope for energy efficiency at the householdlevel.Ranging fromcooking fuels to smartbuildings,up to50percentof theenergy consumed in homes can be saved with cost-effective and judiciousinnovations. And by merely replacing incandescent lamps with LED lamps,using analogue chips to start electric pump sets in agriculture, regulatingdomestic fans and making air conditioners and refrigerators intelligent, Indiacoulddoubleitsenergyavailability.

Dr Kalam was an agent of opportunity. Apart from his prognostications –such as those in the realm of space,many ofwhich behold a distant future –everythingheadvocatedwascurrentlyfeasibleandrealistic.Andmuchofwhathe suggested could be quite easilymandated or brought into beingwith somecooperation,effortandcoordination.Butwiththesystemitselfhamperedbyitsowninertiaandweddedtopoorchoices,therewaslittleimmediateprospectofimprovementinmostpartsofthecountry.

W

6.5

LiveablePlanetEarth

We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity.We cannot remainlookinginwardsatourselvesonasmallandincreasinglypollutedandovercrowdedplanet.

–StephenHawkingBritishphysicist,cosmologist

henan invitation arrived togive a special address at theBeijingForum2012, Dr Kalam could barely contain his enthusiasm. Since the

publicationofhistwobooksinChina–WingsofFirein2002andGuidingSoulsin2007–hehadwantedtovisitthecountry.Chinahadbeenanenigmaforhim.HewasimpressedwiththelongevityoftheChinesecivilizationandintriguedatitsriseasaworldpowerintheprecedingthirtyyears.TheBeijingForumisaninternational academic forum sponsored by Peking University, the ChineseMinistry of Education, and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies topromoteacademicdevelopmentandsocialprogressaroundtheworld.

Asmuchasanyone,DrKalamwasawarethatprogresscanbehardtodefine.HehadnotedinIndia2020thateconomicfigurescanthemselvesbedeceptive,andhideallmannerofhumanmisery.FollowingtheWorldWarII,developmentlargelyreplacedtraditionalconceptsofprosperity,andGDPbecamethemeasureofprogressandwell-beingofanation.Thisservedasameansofperpetuatingthepowerofthewar’svictors.Sincetheyhadnotonlythepowerandresourcesto produce but also to determine prices, developing countries were cleverlysubjugatedasconsumermarkets.China’sleadershipunderstoodthedynamicsoftheglobalizedeconomicsystem.TheyturnedthetablesontheWesternbloc,andbecamethemanufacturinghuboftheworldforlow-pricedconsumergoods.

As briefly discussed earlier, there is an international elite influencing theaffairs of this world. The World Economic Forum (WEF) is one venue that

representstheelite’sinterests.ItisaSwissnon-profitorganization.EveryyearitinvitespeopleinbusinessfromallovertheworldtoDavos,amountainresortintheeasternAlps regionofSwitzerland.Anopposing force is theWorldSocialForum (WSF),which is based in the city of PortoAlegree, Brazil. TheWEFproclaims that accumulation of wealth by market rules is the only way forhumanity to improve; and there is no other alternative. The WSF seesdevelopment as the antithesis of enhancing humanity’swell-being. It fights toprotectlocalformsofsocial,culturalandeconomicorganizationfromtheglobalmarketforces.

PerhapsagoodmeasureoftheBuddha’smiddlepathherewouldyieldlastingprosperity for humankind.Our scientist sage could see both perspectives, andwouldnotsubscribewholesale to theviewsofeitherof theseorganizations.Athoroughgoingproponentofhardwork,hesupporteddevelopment;butonlythatwhichwas inclusive, sustainable and harmonious.His own efforts had helpedbring prosperity to countless people through indigenization, and his naturalpragmatism saw the benefits of development. Development, to Dr Kalamhowever,engenderedmuchmorethangeneratingmoney.

Hedeliveredthekeynoteaddresson2November2012inthepresenceofUNSecretaryGeneralBanKi-moonand formerprimeministerof theRepublicofKoreaRo Jai-bong, among other distinguished speakers.DrKalam shared hisvision of a Liveable Planet Earth as a global scale-up of his India 2020development plan: ‘Nations unite when they share a common urge. Withpressures as pertinent as the climate and the environment, I urge delegates toconsidera“LiveablePlanetEarth”,whereweaddressproblemsofmanagement,water,energy,healthcare,andeducationforsevenbillionpeople.’1

DrKalamsatthroughthelecturesandcapturedtheessenceofChina’srapideconomic growth of more than thirty years. He realized that in its rapideconomic ascent, China could scarcely avoid the knotty problems ofurbanization. Rural areas in China were now confronted with sociologicaldilemmas: young peopleweremigrating to its cities, and only old people andchildrenwere left in thevillages to facebleak realities.Mucharable landwaslyinguncultivated.ThemessageDrKalambroughtbackfromtheBeijingForumwas that his PURAmission is not only relevant for Indian villages, it is alsorelevantthroughouttheworld–andcertainlyinChina.

Later,DrKalamvisited theChinaAcademyofSpaceTechnology (CAST),the space agency of China under China Aerospace Science and TechnologyCorporation (CASC). The CAST designed and manufactured the Dong FangHongsatellites.Thenameof the satellitemeans ‘theeast is red’. Itwas takenfrom a song that was the de facto anthem of the People’s Republic of Chinaduring the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Dr Kalam was told that afterreachingorbiton24April1970, theDongFangHongsatellite transmitted thesong‘Theeastisred’continuouslyfortwenty-eightdays.ThePeople’sRepublicofChinawasmakingitspoint.ItwasaremarkabledayforDrKalam.HesawmuchofChina’saerospacehistoryfromtheerathatcorrespondedtohistimeatTERLS,whenhewasdrivingtheefforttolaunchtheindigenousRH-75rocket.Intheevening,ambassadortoChinaSubrahmanyamJaishankarhostedadinnerreceptioninhishonour.

Thenextday,DrKalammetwithmembersoftheChinesePeople’sInstituteofForeignAffairs (CPIFA) over lunch.Vice chairperson of the eleventhNPC(NationalPeople’sCongress)StandingCommittee,MsYan Junqi, the chair ofthe PekingUniversity Council,Mr Zhu Shanlu, and vice-president of CPIFA,Ambassador Lu Shumin, were present. Dr Kalam discussed with his learnedcounterparts theattributesof the IndianandChinesecivilizations.Specifically,thegatheringwasconcernedwithfactorsthathadallowedthegreatnessofthesetwo civilizations to endure. Notwithstanding that no single ruler had evercommanded the entirety of either of these vast countries until modern times,their resiliencewassuch that theysurvivednumerous invasionsandperiodsofforeignrule.Twoimportantpointsemergedfromthisbilateraldiscussion.

The first of thesewas the issue of the peoples’ traits. Ifwe enumerate thecharacteristics of Indian and Chinese people, we would likely find commoncharacteristics–simplicity,loveofnature,patience,indifferencetointernationalaffairs,a‘thiswouldnotwork,Iknow’attitude,fertility,industry,frugality,loveoffamilylife,pacifism,contentment,humour,conservatismandsensuality.Theorder and intensity of these traitswouldvarybetween regions, but theseweresomevitalcommontraits.TheymadeIndianandChinesepeopledifferentfromtheMongolsandEuropeanswho,atleastforsometime,governedtheiraffairs.

The second important point of this discussionwas the quality of these twoancient cultures that had convincedmany invaders to settle in these countries,

rather than return to their erstwhile lands.Conversely,howwas it possible fortheIndianandChinesecivilizationstosurviveperiodicpoliticaldisasters?Howdid they sustain, where other ancient civilizations, such as Rome, weresubsumedbytheirinvaders?Whatmadethetwogreatlandssoculturallystable?

The consensus was that the factor that had allowed these great cultures toendurewastheprominenceofthefamilysystem.Thefamilysystemwassowelldefined and organized in both India andChina as tomake it impossible for aman to forgethis lineage.This formofsocial immortality–which the Indiansand Chinese prized above all earthy possessions – had something of thecharacterofareligion.Itwasenhancedbytheritualofancestorworship,andtheconsciousness of it had penetrated deep into the collective soul of both theIndian and the Chinese people. The invaders were all too anxious to join thelocal families to claim part of this immortality. Either consciously orunconsciously,theywereenamouredofthefeelingthatwhenonedies,onedoesnotdie,butone’sselflivesoninthegreatstreamofthefamilylife.

Dr Kalam attended the World Confluence of Humanity, Power andSpirituality in Kolkata on 22 December 2012, organized by the SERIFoundation.AfterponderingthediscussionattheBeijingForum,DrKalamhadaskedhimselfhowtheevolutionofanenlightenedsocietymighttakeplace.Hesaid that until now,wehavenot enjoyed anything approaching an enlightenedsociety. Despite the best efforts of the many religious leaders, scientists,reformers andother inspirational figures, the enlightened societyhas remainedelusive.Heproposedsomebroadconditionsunderwhichanenlightenedsocietycouldthrive:

I would like to put forward for this important gathering a methodology for evolving a happy,prosperousandpeacefulsocietyonourplanet.Enlightenedsocietywillhave threecomponents–educationwithavaluesystem,religiontransformedtospiritualityandeconomicdevelopment.Withpovertyyoucannothavepeaceorspirituality.2

Peace itselfcanbeelusive for thebestofpeople.Aswithallofus,DrKalamfaced losses thatwould disturb his equilibrium and lead him to deep spiritualcontemplation. Dr Kalam’s close friend and colleague since 1982, Gen. R.Swaminathan, passed awayon15February2013.Swaminathanwashis right-hand man in managing the Defence Research and Development Laboratory

whenDrKalamwas the director there, and theDRDOheadquarterswhen hetook over as the director general. And he had remained with Dr Kalamthroughout.HewaswithhimatRashtrapatiBhavan,andhelivedintheannexeof his post-presidency house in New Delhi till his last day. Swaminathan’spassing seemed for a time toweigh downDrKalam’s irrepressible buoyancy,and he spoke of his profound sadness at Swaminathan’s loss on severaloccasionsthereafter.Aftersometimethough,hewasbacktohisusualself,andhehadputthedeathofhisfriendinperspectivespiritually:

Arun:Swaminathansufferedforayearwithpain.Heisnowfree.Kalam:Heneverlethispaininterferewithhiswork.Arun:Whydogoodpeoplesuffer?WhydoesGodallowthemtosuffer?Kalam:Sufferingteststheworthandmettleofaperson.Arun:Isitnecessary?Kalam: God has power over all things. The reason why God allowsdiseases and calamities in a particular situation is beyond ourcomprehensionandforreasonsthatmaynotbeapparent.Arun:Butsufferingisapparent.Kalam:This lifeofsixty, seventy…evenahundredyears, isnothingcomparedtothetimeofBarzakh.Thespiritsofgenuinebelieversdonotweakenundersuffering;nordoessufferingfrightenthemormakethemdesperate.Swaminathanwasatruebeliever.

Around this time, the nation was reeling under scandal and blatantmismanagement. In the nation’s capital,massive street demonstrations againstendemic political corruption forewarned of a greater showdown between thepeople and thepolitical classes.Thegeneral electionswereayear awaywhenIndiaTodayorganizedaconclaveon‘ReinventingDemocracy’.DrKalamwasinvited to open the discussions with his keynote address on 15 March 2013.Chairmanof the IndiaTodayGroup,AroonPurie,welcomedhimwith a tersesummation of the failure of the Indian democratic system to deliver goodleaders:

WhentheyoutheruptedanddefiedthebarricadesandwithstoodteargasshellsinDelhi,nopoliticalleader, young or old, had the courage or credibility to face them. The platitudes of politicians,utteredfromthecomfortzoneofpower,soundedsillyandempty.Thereseemstobeawideninggap

betweengovernmentsandthepeople.3

DrKalam opened his speech by quoting British historian Tony Judt from hisbookIllFarestheLand.

Ifyoudonottalkdifferently,Weshallnotthinkdifferently.

In this book,Tony Judt projected lessons learned fromhistory to forward andchallenge readers todebate ‘what comesnext?’Thebookmade the case for asocial democratic society based on social justice within the framework of acapitalist economy. He envisioned prosperous people taking care of the poorsections of society in an institutionalized framework, not as some optionalcharitable activity. He envisioned high-technology-based enterprises withemployeesnotstrippedoftheircollectivebargainingarrangementsandworkingwithoutthefearof‘pinkslips’.Heenvisionedregulationoftheeconomyinthegeneral interest –notbypoliticalparties fundedby ‘bigmoney’. IfDrKalamhad anypolitical vision, itwas not far removed from the social democracyofTonyJudt.

Heindeedspokeplainlyattheconclave.DrKalamhadneverbeenpartofthepoliticalestablishment; remaininganoutsideralwaysallowedhimtospeakhismindandmaintainhis integrity.Hesaid that ideally, a leader should spend30percentofhistimeonpolitics.ButIndianleaderswerespending30percentoftheirtimeondevelopmentand70percentoftheirtimeonpoliticsandservingnotnationbuttheirvotebanks.

DrKalamsaidthathebelieveditwasimportanttoengageyoungmindswithaninspiringvisionfor thinkingandaction.‘Manyacivilizationdisappearedintheworldbecauseoftheabsenceofavision,’hesaid.‘Letusmoveonwiththespiritof“Icandoit,wecandoitandthenationcandoit”,’hedeclaredamidstloudapplause.WhenaguestaskedhowmanymarksDrKalamwouldgive totheIndiandemocraticsystem,hesaid‘fiveoutof ten’,andthenquipped,‘justpassmarks’.

DrKalamchampionedtheideaofPURAthroughouthispresidency.HelatermadeitthethemeofhisbookTarget3Billion4 thatheco-authoredwithSrijanPal Singh, a management graduate from the Indian Institute of Management,

Ahmedabad.Buthiseffortswereinvain.Exceptforafewmodelsdevelopedbystronglocalorganizations likeShreeTatyasahebKoreWaranaSahakariSakharKarkhanaLimitedinKolhapur,Maharashtra,andPeriyarManiammaiUniversityinThanjavur,TamilNadu,themodeldidnotfindmanytakers.StandingbeforeahugeposteronPURAwithapictureofKalaminKeralainFebruary2012,theUnionruraldevelopmentministerJairamRameshdeclaredwithmorethanahintofglee,‘thePURAlaunchedbyKalamhasfailed’.5

DrKalam took it all in his stride, and gave little thought to theminister’scomments.Hewasnotdeterred.Thiswasamanwhohadknownthedespairoffailure aswell as the exultation of success.He had seen one of his cherishedrocketscrashtopiecesoftwistedmetalintothesea,andyethehadseenmanyotherssoarbeyondearthlyrealms.Inhisyoungestyears,hehadexperiencedthedesolationofalivelihoodlaidwastebyanactofGod,withthecyclonethathadwreckedhisfather’sboatanduprootedthefamily’scoconutpalms.Hisfather’sstoic responsehadbeena lifetime template.Hehadsimplyutteredaprofounduniversaltruth–‘Innalillahiwainnailayhiraji’u’–‘WearefromGodandtoGodweshallreturn’.Jainulabdeenhadthencalmlysetaboutrebuildinghisboatwithoutcomplainingabouthisfate.AmongthemanylessonsimpartedtoyoungAzadwas one that had helped take him from a fishing village to the highestofficeinthenation;andthatlessonwasperseverance.

From all hiswisdomof eight decades,DrKalamknew that the inspirationthat drove one to persevere – ‘To strive, to seek to find and not to yield’ inAlfredLordTennyson’swords–camefromawellspringdeepwithin,fromthespirit.Thiswassomethingthatmustbetapped–intheindividualasmuchasinthenation.Hehad tapped this sourcehimself, andhe saw it ashismission toevokethisinthelivesofothers,andinthespiritofthenation.Anditwouldbehismissiontothelast,untilhisfinalbreath.

Hismessagewasnothing ifnotconsistent.Hespokeon theoccasionof theProf. P.V. Indiresan Memorial Lecture at the Leadership Conclave 2013,organizedbyIITDelhiAlumniAssociationon20April2013.Hecounselledthatfor realizingchallengingmissions likePURA,whatweneed isan indomitablespirit.HeinvokedamessageofMaharshiPatanjali2,500yearsago:

Whenyouareinspiredbysomegreatpurpose,someextraordinaryproject,allyourthoughtsbreaktheirbounds.Yourmindtranscendslimitations,yourconsciousnessexpandsineverydirection,and

youfindyourselfinanew,greatandwonderfulworld.Dormantforces,facultiesandtalentscomealive,andyoudiscoveryourselftobeagreaterpersonbyfarthanyoueverdreamtyourselftobe.6

DrKalamsaidthathehadworkedcloselywithProf.Indiresanintwoimportantareas – one being the evolution of the technology vision of the India 2020document,and theother thepioneeringworkonsustainable ruraldevelopmentthroughPURA.Hecalledon IITAlumni to ‘carry forward thevisionofProf.Indiresan to realization by establishing PURAs in India and other developingnations, wherever your business and industrial presence is there as a part ofsocial entrepreneurship’. I saw Dr Kalam’s crusade for the PURA idea as ashiningexampleofthevirtueofperseverance.Andhehelpedmeunderstanditsdynamics.Heshowedeveryonebyexample that it isnotabout runninga longrace – perseverance is actually runningmany short races, one after the other,nevergivinguprunning.

In2013,DrKalamwasawardedtheWernhervonBraunMemorialAwardbytheNationalSpaceSociety(NSS),USA.Hereceivedtheawardon24May2013atthethirty-secondInternationalSpaceDevelopmentConference(ISDC)atSanDiego, California. The theme of the conference was ‘Global Collaboration inTwenty-First Century Space’. Dr Kalam turned nostalgic in his acceptancespeechandrecalledhismeetingthelegendaryrocketguruvonBraun.

On20July1969,theSaturn-VboosterinjectedthelunarmoduleoftheApollo11Rocketwithtwoastronauts,NeilArmstrongandBuzzAldrin,andhistorywasmadewhenArmstrongwalkedonthemoon.Forthewholeworld,vonBraunbecameaheroformakingtherocketthattookmantothemoon. At that time, I was a young fellow. I had just entered into the aeronautical profession,buildinghovercraftandmeteorologicalrockets.Itwasagreatsurpriseandfulfilmentinmymindtomeetmyhero,whenvonBraunvisitedIndiaattheinvitationofProf.VikramSarabhai.Ibecamehishost.7

ThenDrKalamrolledouthisvisionof‘SpaceSolarPower:KeytoaLiveablePlanet Earth’, which had been germinating in his mind since his visit to theChina Academy of Space Technology (CAST) in November of the previousyear. Great thoughts are like seeds. Once implanted in themind, they remainalive and wait for the right time to burst open into a great vision. Dr Kalamlearned this by his own experience. All that is needed is perseverance – andaboveall,purityofmind.Ifthemindisinthegripofan‘Iandme’malaise,the

visioncannot thrive. If it is fedby thedestructiveemotionsofattachmentandaversion,anger,prideanddoubt, theseedof the thoughtwillbepoisoned,andthevisionwouldneverflourish.

Some ofDrKalam’s visionswere doubtless a little beyond their time.Butthat is thenatureofvisions.Nonetheless, theywere invariablypure; the intentdriving him was for the betterment of his people and humanity. He saw theunparalleled potential for this in space. As a young man, he had helped hiscountryreachbeyondearthlybounds.Nowthatthiswasachieved,hesawthatanew paradigm of worldwide cooperation could immeasurably improve thequality of human life. Space endeavours in his early years under Dr VikramSarabhai had fostered international collaboration. Similarly, the potential forspace to bring mankind together now to solve issues facing the whole ofhumanityneededacoordinatedplanbetweentheworld’snations:

LetushaveaWorldSpaceVision2050structuredtoenablemankindtoformulateandimplement:largescalesocietalmissions(includingaSpaceSolarPowermission)enabledbylow-costaccesstospace;evolutionofacomprehensivespacesecuritydoctrine,policyandprogramme,andexpansionofspaceexplorationandcurrentapplicationmissions.

SuchaWorldSpaceVision2050wouldenhancethequalityofhumanlife,inspirethespiritofinternationalcollaborativespaceexploration,expandthehorizonsofknowledgeandensurespacesecurityforallnationsoftheworld.8

Before returning to India, Dr Kalam visited JSS Spiritual Mission inGaithersburg,Maryland,andSriVenkateswaratempleatMinneapoliscreatedbyMadhuReddy,founderchairmanofUSElectronicsandotherIndiancommunitymembers.DrKalamwasalwaysenthusiasticaboutmeetingnon-residentIndiansoverseas.Hewasthrilledtoseethatnotonlyhadtheymadetheirmarkinotherlands, theywere livingby theirown traditions.Familieswere their sanctuariesandcommunityandtempleservicestheirmeansofconnectingwiththeirroots.TheIndiandiasporaintheUnitedStatesisseenasanassettotheUnitedStates’neweconomicmachine,basedoncomputerscienceandinformationtechnology.The days of brute military force – nations conquering others to control theirnatural resources–aregivingway toayearning foranewharmoniousworld,wherelivescanbebetterforeveryone.Itisnotaquantumleap–itisagradualtransformation,perhapspartof theevolutionaryprogressionof thehumanraceitself.

I

6.6

SettheBallRolling

The requirements for our evolution have changed. Survival is no longer sufficient. Ourevolutionnowrequiresus todevelopspiritually– tobecomeemotionallyawareandmakeresponsiblechoices.Itrequiresustoalignourselveswiththevaluesofthesoul–harmony,cooperation,sharing,andreverenceforlife.

–GaryZukavAmericanspiritualteacherandauthor

n the Darbar Hall of Taj Krishna, Hyderabad, on 30 June 2013, renownedscientist Prof. D. Balasubramanian launched our book Squaring the Circle:

Seven Steps to Indian Renaissance before 200 academicians, journalists,scientists, engineers and medical professionals. The event also celebrated themilestoneof thebookWingsofFire,which has sold in excess of onemillioncopiesallovertheworld,andbeentranslatedintothirteenIndianlanguagesandsixforeignlanguages.

DrD.Balasubramaniansaidthatitwassignificantthatthebookhadcomeoutinanatmospherecloudedwithnegativity.HecalledKalam’spositivityblendedwith personal experience, science and faith as the most potent energy in ourtimes. In this book, written in a question-and-answer format, Dr Kalamexpresses his concerns on what ails our country at the systemic and theindividuallevels.Moreover,hesuggestswaysfortranscendingtheseillsthroughanIndianrenaissance.

Explainingthat thebookhadbeenintendedasaguideperse,but isnot theanswertoalltheproblemswearecurrentlyfacing,DrKalamsaid,‘Themessageisarticulated in thebookbut it isnot fullydeveloped, for it isbeyondus. I’msettingaball rollingandIhopeyou’llallhelp itmoveforward.’Hewasbeingrealistic:hecouldinspire,igniteminds–hecouldenlightenthemassesoftheir

potential–buttheyhadtofollowuphissuggestionswithactions.Histime,wenowknow,wasrunningout.

ThechiefministerofGujarat,NarendraModi,invitedDrKalamtoaddressaconclavetodiscuss‘HowgovernmentandbusinesscanchangetoprovideIndianyouth with the opportunities they deserve’. The conclave was hosted by theCitizensforAccountableGovernanceatAhmedabad,on29June2013.

I accompanied Dr Kalam on this visit. Dr Kalam gave Narendra Modi asigned copy ofSquaring theCircle, and said that hewas a leaderwho couldaccomplishhismissionofmakingIndiaadevelopednationby2020.DrKalamenumeratedthesevenstepshehadoutlinedinhisbook:

1. Gain understanding of the irrefutable law of cause and effect in all matters. Voting for thewrongleaderbringsnotonlymiseryandgloombutwillalsoalterthedestinyofademocraticnation.

2. Face the truth of socio-economic inequality and the history of Partition and undertakereconciliationbydevelopingtheminorities,marginalizedandpoorwithagenerousmindsetandbyspecialeffort.

3. Correctourmisplacedworldviewsbyrevampingtheeducationsystemforthedevelopmentofacreativemind,awell-integratedself,andtheabilitytobeausefulpartofsociety.

4. Encourageandfostersocialenterprisetotacklesocialproblems,improvecommunitiesandtheenvironmentbyconvergenceoftechnologiesatthebottomofthecommunitypyramid.

5. Achieve energy independence by 2030 through nuclear, solar, wind and renewable energyroutes.Providelifelineenergytoallourcitizens,irrespectiveoftheirabilitytopay.

6. Indigenizeourtelecommunication,ITandelectronicsmanufacturingandproactivesecurityforthenation’sinterestsagainstcyberandterroristattacks.

7. Integratewithworldeconomy,followingthepathofsocialdemocracy,andassumeleadershipoftheworldinmakingourplanetearthmoreliveable.

At the conclave inAhmedabad,DrKalam spokewith passion in front of thelarge gathering of youth leaders from across India. The massive MahatmaMandirconventionhallwasreverberatingwithyouthfulenergy.DrKalamtoldhisyoungaudiencethatpovertyandterrorismarethetwobigenemiesofIndia–therestinnoise.

HesaidthattheIndianpsycheisgenerallysavings-oriented,andlivingwithinone’smeansisapartofthenationalmindset.Heexplainedthatthe400-million-strong middle class is a world in itself, with its purchasing power, and allmultinational companieswould comewith their peddling carts to our nation’s

doorstep. It is there that they belong,DrKalam declared.Wemust guard ourdoorsandneverallowthemtoenterourhomes.

DrKalam said that there is a famous hadith of ProphetMuhammad: Sallallahualayhiwa-alehewa-sallam–paradisecanonlysurviveundertheshadeofswords.Unlessourcountryissecure,howwouldourpeoplegivetheirbestandprosper? How can we allow our enemies to walk into our lanes and kill ourpeople?Hecalledforanationalcampaigntoeradicateterrorism:

I believe that time has come, apart from our multiple agencies forecasting and handling of theterroristactivities,whereweneedtoevolveanaggressivemissioncalledtheNationalCampaigntoEradicateTerrorism(NCET),withamission-orientedintegratedmanagementstructure,dulypassedasabillbytheparliament.

DrKalamwasthechiefguestat thefirstconvocationoftheIndianInstituteofTechnologyatBanarasHinduUniversity(IIT-BHU).WereachedVaranasion10July 2013. The JeevanVidya crusader Prof. Rajeev Sangal had taken over asdirectorafter the institutewasdeclaredanautonomous institutionandmadeasotherIITswere,independentoftheBHUsystem.Prof.RajeevSangalwasverykeen to relive the triumphant experience of Dr Kalam attending the firstconvocation of the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT),Hyderabad, in2003. I felt that Ihadbeenblessed,beingpresentonboth theseoccasions, separated by more than a decade. As expected, it was a gloriousevent. Dr Kalam was in his usual fine form, painting his vision with broadbrushstrokes and fine touches. His delivery was characteristically warm andinspiring,andIwasupliftedatleastasmuchasthestudents.

Hardworkovermanyyearswasshowingitsresults.TwoeventsonasingledayinAugust2013affordedDrKalamthesatisfactionofagrandfatherseeinghistribegrowing.

On26August 2013DrKalam inaugurated the InternationalConference onComputationalandData IntensiveScienceatNAL,Bangalore, in thepresenceof his friend Prof. N. Balakrishnan, who was associate director of the IndianInstituteofScienceat that time.DrKalamrecalledthatJimGrayofMicrosoftfamewaslostatseanearSanFranciscoon28January2007,duringashortsolosailing trip to scatter his mother’s ashes. In the ensuing search and rescuemission,whichwas sadly unsuccessful, extensive usewasmade ofGPS data.

Thisforeshadowedtheshifttothefourthparadigmofdiscovery,basedondata-intensivescience.

Increasingly, scientific breakthroughs will be powered by advancedcomputing capabilities that help researchers manipulate and explore massivedata sets. NAL, Dr Kalam said, was well placed to harness this emergingtechnology in India. In an age when everything in the world – the energy athome,refrigerators,carcomponents,apparel,medicalmonitoringdevicesinthehumanbodyandtheGPS-assistedmovementofpeople–allbecomepartofthenetwork,Indiacannotaffordtoremainabystander.Nowdatacomesinshapes.Youcan’tvisualizethemwithoutbigdatatoolslikesupportvectormachines.Itistimetothinkinpictures!

Atthesilverjubileecelebrationson26August2013oftheResearchCentreImarat (RCI),DrKalamgave the largegatheringof scientists and engineers agoldenjubileemissionfortheinstitute.Beingthecreatorofthisinstitutioninthe1980s,DrKalamwasathisnaturalbest.Hespokeformorethananhour,withtheexcitementofayoungscientistthrilledwithhislatestdiscovery:

Recently, Iwas in theHarvardUniversitywhereKoreanAmericanprofessorofchemistryandofphysics,HongkunPark, showedmehis invention of nanoneedles,which can pierce anddelivercontentintoindividualtargetedcells.That’shownano-particlescienceisshapingthebiosciences.ThenImettheProfessorofchemicalengineeringandphysics,VinothanManoharan,whoshowedhow the biosciences are in turn shaping the development of new materials. He is using DNAmaterialtodesignself-assemblingparticles.WhenaparticulartypeofDNAisappliedonaparticleattheatomiclevel,heisabletogenerateapredeterminedbehaviourandautomaticassemblyfromthem.

I saw how two different sciences are shaping each other, without any barrier between thetechnologists.Thisreciprocatingcontributionofsciencestooneanotherisgoingtoshapeourfutureand industryneeds tobe ready for it.Friends, areyou ready tobringdown thebarriersbetweenvarioustechnologicalgroupsinyourinstitute?

DrKalamthensuggestedagoldenjubileemissionforRCItobecometheworldleaderintheconvergenceofnano-bio-info-ecotechnologiesinavionics,feedingsocietalspin-offsbeyondourcomprehensionatthistime.

Despiteahecticschedule,theyearswerepassingforDrKalam,andmanyofhis contemporaries had passed on or were suffering the ravages of the years.Fromtimetotime,hewouldtalktomeabouthislatefriendandright-handman

Swaminathan. Perhaps Swaminathan’s passing away added urgency to hisconcern when he heard that his close friend and spiritual mentor PramukhSwamiji was seriously ill. Pramukh Swamiji was bedridden and had stoppedeating.Hewasnowsustainedmerelyby thefluids thatwereadministeredhimbyhisworriedfollowers.DrKalampromptlydecidedtovisithim.

WetravelledtoSarangpurnearRajkotinGujaraton11March2014.DrY.S.Rajan was already there and greeted us. In spite of his condition, PramukhSwamijiwashappyandradiant.Heexudedpeaceandenlightenment.Therewasnotevenaflickerofpainorsenseofanycomplaintinhim.Hedidnotspeak,butlooked intoDrKalam’seyesandheldhishand formore than tenminutes.Hegavehimarosaryandsmiled,tothedelightofallthesadhuspresent.

DrKalamaddressedagatheringof2,000sadhus,devoteesandstudents.Herecollected his visit to the Akshardham Cultural Complex, New Delhi, on 6November2005.Onthatday,hesaidhereceivedtheanswertothequestionthathad troubledhim throughouthis life:Howcouldone integrate spirituality andsocial service?Hecouldnever revere religiousmasters living in seclusionandmeditatinguponGod,withoutanythoughtforothers.ForDrKalam,servicehadbeen the highest form of worship. He believed any form of worship wasincomplete without deeds that benefitted humanity. After meeting PramukhSwamiji and studying the work done by the BAPS organization under hisleadership,DrKalamrealizedthatworshipandservicewereindeedindivisible.Thosewhowishedtosincerelyservesocietymustbespirituallypure,andonlythosewhowerespirituallypurecouldsincerelyservesociety.

Dr Kalam quoted a passage from the book Satsang: ‘What is left with aperson who has given his all? Nothing! But this nothing becomes everythingindeed.Itbecomesanoceanofgoodness,ofpurityandhumility,anessenceofspirituality that is enough to inspire millions.’1 He declared that PramukhSwamiji had now reached the supreme state of personhood, which needs norank, no recognition; not even veneration. Pramukh Swamiji has become thenoble soul. He now lives in this awakened state, not moving anywhere, notsayinganything,notdoinganything,andyetoverseeingallthatisbeingplanned,createdandmanaged.Hislifeisanexampleofselflessserviceandthecreationof excellence. ‘In his presence, I have becomemuchmore aware of my realself!’DrKalam proclaimed.DrKalam gaveme the task ofwriting about his

spiritual experiences with Pramukh Swamiji, and thus was born the bookTranscendence.

By this time, the Indian higher education system, comprising over 31,000institutions,wasexhibitingimpressivegrowth.Ithadbecomeoneoftheworld’slargestprovidersofhighereducation.On2April2014,DrKalamattendedthetwenty-eighth annual convocation of T.A. PaiManagement Institute,Manipal.ThechancellorofManipalUniversity,DrRamdasPai,receivedhim.TheIndianhighereducationsystem isplaguedby three fundamentalchallengesofaccess,equityandquality.TheManipalGrouphaddonecommendableworktoaddresstheseissues.

DrKalam,spokeabouttheimportanceofbeing‘goodleaders’besidesbeingprofessionalmanagers.Heemphasizedthatamongstthevariousresourcesinthecountry, ignited minds are the most powerful. He said that there is a globalawarenessemerginginIndia,andmanyworldleadershavestartedvaluingIndiaasaleaderofSouthAsiannations.HesharedafamoussayingofAlexandertheGreat,whosaidthathewasnotafraidofanarmyoflionsledbyasheep,buthewasafraidofanarmyofsheepledbya lion.Indianeeds leaderswhodeveloptheir teams, rather than glorify their own roles and seek personalaggrandisement,DrKalamsaid.

DrKalamreferred to theemergenceofanewworldwhereeducation isnotmarkedbyboundaries.Heenvisionedadeveloped Indiaby2020,achievedbyconcrete integrated action plans. He highlighted the importance of achievingenergy independence over energy security by the judicious usage of naturalresources. In making mention of student activities, he gave accolades to theeffortsoftheSocialEndeavourGroupineducatingunderprivilegedchildren.DrKalamexhortedthemtoworkforthebettermentofthecountrythroughthefieldofmanagement,inanethicalandresponsiblemanner.

InMay2014,DrKalamwasinvitedtothenewlyestablishedEdinburghIndiaInstituteat theUniversityofEdinburghinScotland.The institutewasworkingwith the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, the TataInstituteofFundamentalResearch, theDelhiUniversity, theIndianInstituteofScienceandtheNationalCentreforBiologicalSciences(NCBS).Internationallyacclaimed universities have started coming to India, and are now tapping theimmenseyouthfultalenthere.

TheUniversityofEdinburgh, founded in1582, played an important role inaffordingEdinburghitsreputationasachiefintellectualcentreduringtheAgeofEnlightenment. Its alumni have included physicist James Clerk Maxwell,naturalist Charles Darwin, philosopher David Hume and inventor AlexanderGrahamBell.ViceChancellorSirTimothyO’SheaescortedDrKalamtovariouslaboratoriesoftheuniversity,andconferreduponDrKalamanhonorarydegreeof Doctor of Science. Dr Kalam was aware of the scramble to attract Indianyouth to the campusesof all theworld’s great universities.While he acceptedinvitations from these universities – to make connections with some of theworld’s finest minds, to help inspire the youth of the world and to maintainprotocol–hewasadiehardbeliever in indigenouseducation.DrKalamneverceased delivering his message that Indian universities can – and indeed theymust–risetotheveryhighestofworldstandards.

The result of the nation’s general electionswas declared on 16May 2014.The incumbentUnitedProgressiveAlliance (UPA)was soundly defeated.TheBJP hadwonwhatwould be described –without any sense of hyperbole – alandslide victory. On 26 May 2014, Narendra Modi became the new primeminister of India. He invited heads of state of all the SAARC nations andMauritiustohisswearing-inceremony.

Leadersfromthecountriesoftheregionattendedthisgrandevent,whichwastelecast around the country with patriotic pride. President Hamid Karzai ofAfghanistan, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan, President AbdullaYameen ofMaldives, PrimeMinister SushilKoirala ofNepal, PrimeMinisterNawazSharifofPakistanandPresidentRajapaksaofSriLankawereallpresentto witness Modi take his oath of office. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ofBangladeshwasonaprescheduledvisittoJapan;theSpeakeroftheBangladeshparliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, attended in her stead. Prime MinisterNavin Ramgoolam of Mauritius also attended the event. Finally, India wasbehavinglikeacountryofabillionpeople.

W

6.7

MadeforLife

Historyneverreallysaysgoodbye.Historysays,“Seeyoulater.”

–EduardoGaleanoUruguayanjournalist

hen the Sitaram Jindal Foundation (SJF) approached Dr Kalam for hisconsent to receive the first SJF Prize of one crore rupees set up as an

annualrecognitionofsociallyusefulworkin2011,herespectfullydeclined.Butwhenthefamilyarguedthathisacceptanceof thefirstSJFawardwouldbringglory to the subsequent recipients, Dr Kalam reconsidered. He would onlyaccepttheaward,hesaid,ontheconditionthathewoulddonatetheentiresumtoorganizationsofhischoice.Thiswasgladlyacceptedbythefoundation,andon the very day he received the one-crore-rupee prize, Dr Kalam made fourdonations of twenty-five lakh rupees each to charitable organizations he hadselected.

The names of the four organizations are notmentioned here, honouringDrKalam’swish forkeepinghisdonations anonymous.Hebelieved that publiclyacknowledgedcharitablebequestscanbedangerouslyinebriatingforone’sego.Dr Kalam’s actions do not find many parallels, and some may not evenunderstandhislogic.Butwhatwashislogic?

DrKalambasedhislifeonrighteousnessandrespectforothers,traitsthatheimbibed from his parents and which were later fostered by his teachers atSchwartzandStJoseph’s.Heacceptedtheawardoutofrespectforthegreatlifeof SitaRam Jindal. But he had to give it away to adhere to his own code ofconduct.Hisfatherhadtaughthimnevertoacceptanuntowardgift,andhesawa cash award as just that. He distributed the amount such that a number of

organizationswouldbenefitequally,inamannerthatwouldnotbelittletheSJFaward. Moreover, he felt that taking public credit for the bequests he madewouldsimplybeanotherformofuntowardbenefit.

DrKalamwasformeashewasforothers–athoughtful,warmandkindlyman.Whenitcametomattersofprobity,hewasinsightfulandunyielding,evenstern–andhisconductwasinscrutable.IwouldalwaysseekDrKalam’scounselon suchmatters, because he possessed awisdombeyond allmeasure, yet hadsuchasimplemannerofexplanation.Ourdiscussionsonphilosophicalconcernswouldusuallytaketheformofamaster–pupildialogue:

Arun:Whatisagoodlife?Kalam:Agoodlifeisanefforttoachieveabig,nobleaim.Arun:Includinggettingrich?Kalam:Yes.Butwhyyouwanttogetrichisimportant.Arun:Okay.ButsupposeIwanttogetrichtodogoodtoothers,woulditmakeagoodaim?Kalam:Itinvolvesconsiderationofendsandmeans.Supposeyouwantacar–thecarisyourend.Youcantakeabankloan,orsaveoveryearstobuythecar,orsteal,oracceptitasgiftfromsomeone–theseareyourmeans.Arun:ButsupposeIgetmycarbygoodmeans.Thecarnowbecomesameanstoanotherend,say,goingtoworkfaster.Andofcoursegoingtoworkfasteristhemeanstodomorework.Butthatdoesnothappen.Thecardoesnotremainameansoftransportanymore.Itbecomesamovingcorridorthatprotectsthecarownerfromthemiserablehumanityaroundhim.HowdoIkeeponmindingthegoodnessofmymeans?Kalam:Moneyisdefinitelynotanend.Itisalwaysameans.Itderivesitsvaluefromtheenditleadsyouto.Arun: Is there any final or ultimate end, an end forwhich everythingelseisameans,andanendthatisnotameanstoanythingelse?Isthereisanultimateend,goalorpurposeforhumanlife?Kalam:What is really good for you is thatwhichmeets your naturalneeds – food, clothing, a house – these are the same for all humanbeings.Givingawayanythingmoreisaplanforlivingwell.Consuming,acquiringandhoardingthatwhichisnotneededisabadplan.

Our sage scientist hadquite a penchant for attracting thosewho livedwell bythisdefinition.DrKalamhada long-standing friendshipwithRev.FrThomasFelix,aCatholicpriestinThiruvananthapuram.FrThomasFelixhaddevotedhislifefortheworthycauseofhelpingmentallydisabledchildreninIndia.FrFelixwas the founder of the Central Institute on Mental Retardation (CIMR), avoluntary social serviceorganization.ThegoverningboardmembersofCMIRareselectedfromtheparentsofchildrenwhoarementallychallenged.Theaimsofthisorganizationaretoworkforthetotaldevelopmentofmentallychallengedpeoplebyacquiringanddisseminatinginformationonmethodsfortheircareandeducation, and to promote awareness of their issues to the public. Dr KalamparticipatedinthegoldenjubileeofFatherFelix’spriestlyordinationon28May2014.

Dr Kalam wanted people to offer more than kind words and sentiment tosocialwelfare.Heasked the audience, ‘Whatwecanoffer toRev.FrThomasFelix,suchagreatsoul!Will itbeflowers?Shallwepaytribute?Idon’t thinkanyof thiswill bring smiles to the faceofFrFelix.But definitely smiles andhappinesswillcome,iftodayeveryoneofustakesasingleoath.Shallwedoit?’

Theoathwassimple:Todayonwards,Iwillgivepartofmytime,partofmywealthandpartofmyservice,togivevalue-basedqualityeducationtoatleastonespeciallyabledchildinmylife.1

That day I understood the meaning of a good life. A good life is findingsatisfaction in giving a littlemore than you take. It is not only aboutmoney;giving money is relatively simple. It is about giving away your time, givingawayyourskills,yourknowledge–andaboveall,givingothersrespect,courageandhope.

DrKalamcomparedlifetoavastdesertunderablazingsun,ahumanbeingjustabirdflyingoveritsscorchedsands.Thebirdhastwowingsuponwhichitis carried aloft by unseen currents: one wing of gratitude and the other ofpatience–shukrandsabr.Agoodman liveswithpatienceandkeepsworkingwithout complaining about what he does not have in his life. He lives withgratitude for all that he has already been given – his life, parents and family.Foolswithoutsufficientpatienceandgratitudetokeepthemselvesairborne,willsurelyplungetoanunforgivingearthbeneaththem.

OnewaythatDrKalamexpressedhisgratitudeforallthathehadbeengiven

was through his work with children. He never tired of visiting schools andinteractingwiththem.IseenoparallelofDrKalam;thereisnootherpersonofhiseminence,withthefullcalendarofengagementsthathehad,whohasspentasmuchtimewithchildren.HewouldquoteAfricanAmericansocialreformerFrederickDouglass:‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair brokenmen.’

DrKalaminauguratedthe150thanniversaryofBishopCottonBoy’sSchool’sfoundinginBangaloreon29June2014,andthe175thanniversarycelebrationsoftheStMary’sAnglo-IndianHigherSecondarySchool,Chennai,on21August2014. He had evolved a simple equation of ‘Knowledge = Creativity +Righteousness + Courage’, and children were grasping it easily and withenthusiasm.DrKalam’sunaffectedmannerandsinceritywere indeed reachingthe hearts of children. By being truly there with them and unmindful of hiseminence,hewasexpressinghis love for them.Andchildrenappreciatedhim.DrKalamwasgivingthematasteofwhatagreatlifecouldbe.Hetoldmeonce,‘I amsure someofwhat I tell children theycarryhome, andmaybe theyareeducatingtheirparents.’

In September 2014, Dr Kalam attended the Round Table on Strategies forDrug-resistant and Abro-microbes at the Institute of Microbial Technology(IMTECH),Chandigarh.DrGirishSahni,wholaterbecamethedirectorgeneraloftheCouncilofScientificandIndustrialResearch(CSIR),hostedthemeeting.Sitting on the round table were eminent scientists, medical experts, andveterinarians from various organizations, including Dr Kalam’s friend Dr G.Padmanabhan.UnionministerforscienceandtechnologyDrJitendraSinghwasalsopresent.

Theproblemsofvirulentvirusesandbacteriajumpingfromanimalstohumanbeings–andknownbacteriasuchastuberculosisbecomingresistanttodrugs–wasdiscussedat length.Antibioticshavedoubtless enabledphysicians to treatmany of the scourges of humanity, including tuberculosis, pneumonia,meningitis, tetanus,syphilisandgonorrhoea. Itemergedat theroundtable thattheyhavebeenusedmuchtoocasually.Antibioticshavebeenusedasaquickfixfor simple illnesses like colds, the flu andbronchitis.Theseare indeedmostlyviralinfections,andwouldbemanagedbythenaturalimmunityofthebodyinafewdaysatanyrate,withoutantibiotics.

The use of antibiotics has proliferated to the extent that somewhere in theorderof50percentofallantibioticsprescribedforhumanuseareunnecessary.Doctorshavegivenscarceattentiontobacteria’snaturalproclivitytomutateandbecomedrug-resistant indirectproportion to theirexposure toantibiotics.Andthe greed of the poultry and meat industry has compounded the problem.Antibioticshavebeenmixedwithanimal feedformoreprofits,andantibioticshave thus entered human bodies with milk, eggs andmeat – by stealth, as itwere.

DrKalamwasnotmerelyconversantwiththelatestwisdomonhowtobestdealwiththe‘superbugs’themedicalindustryhasbeenunwittinglybreeding.Hewaslookingintothefuture:

Ireallybelievewe’veonlytouchedthetipoftheiceberg.Rightnow,we’reonlylookingatasubsetofthevirusesknowntocausedisease.Weneedtofigureoutwhattherestoftheicebergis.Astherearewires,transistors,relays,valves,diodes,electronicswitchesinengineering,sointhebiologicalsystemstherearegenes,proteins,RNAs,promoters,inducers,repressorsandsoon.Agoodbiotechlaboratorywillbeabletoengineeraproteinthatcanactasanactivatororrepressorswitchbetweenmultiplepathwaysasisdoneonarailwayjunctiontodirecttrainsbetweentracks.Indiashouldnotmisstheboat.2

Asaintscientistwasrightinfrontofmyeyes.Hewasspeakingasifchannellingavisionof the future fromahigher power.DrKalammade another propheticdeclaration on 22 February 2015 during the chancellor’s address at the thirdconvocation of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST),Thiruvananthapuram.Heproclaimed, ‘Space-basedsolarpower is thekey toalivableplanetEarth.’

Thespace-basedsolarpowerconceptwasbasedonthepremisethat if largesurfacesforcollectionofsolarradiationareplacedinanearthorbit,theywouldreceive uninterrupted solar energy directly. Therewould be no losses of solarradiationduetoobstructionssuchasatmosphericgasses,clouds,dustandotherweatherevents,allofwhichreducetheefficiencyofthecollectionontheearth’ssurface. Moreover, a satellite collecting solar energy would receive the sun’senergyalmostallthetime,andnotonlyduringthedaytimeasonearth.

Powercouldberelativelyquicklydirectedtoareasthatneeditmost,withoutexpansive networks of transmission lines. Power would be directed based ondemandatparticularsurfacelocationsbasedonthebaseloadorpeakloadpower

needs.Thiswouldnotinterferewithplantandanimallife.Space-basedsolarpowerwouldrequirethedevelopmentofthreetechnology

systems: a system to collect solar energy in space; ameansofwireless powertransmissiontoearthbymicrowaveorlaser,andstationsforreceivingpoweronearth.Forthistitaniceffort,allspacefaringnationswouldneedtoworktogetherandpooltheirhumanandfinancialresources.

Inmid-April 2015,DrKalam and I submitted themanuscript for the bookTranscendence:MySpiritualExperienceswithPramukhSwamiji,andworkonthe typesetting and printing was quickly under way. Dr Kalammonitored theprogressalmostonadailybasisandassoonasthebookcameinhishandson15June 2015, he called Sadhu Brahmaviharidas to organize his meeting withPramukhSwamiji.

WetravelledtoAhmedabadon19June2015.Thatnight,almostat1.30a.m.he called for the first copy of the book and began to sign it for PramukhSwamiji.‘HowshouldIaddresshim?’heasked.

‘Youcanwrite,“Tomydearfriend”,’Isaid.‘Whatafunnyguyyouare;heisnotmyfriend;heismyteacher,myultimate

spiritualteacher,indeed,’DrKalamsaid.Sheridonsuggested,‘Thenwrite,“Myspiritualteacher”.’DrKalamretorted, ‘Why just“My”spiritual teacher?WhoamI?He is the

greatspiritualteacherofeveryone,thewholeworld.Iamanobody.’Hence,he removed‘My’andpersonallychose towriteon thebook: ‘Maha

PramukhSwamiji,Reveredspiritualteacher.Myrespects.’HefirmlyrefusedtouseahelicoptertogotoSarangpurfromAhmedabadand

decidedto travelbyroad.WhenSadhuBrahmaviharidasonceagainrequested,keeping inmindthemonsoonrains, roughroads, long journeyandhisage,DrKalamreasoned,‘Thisisapilgrimageandapilgrimageisbestdoneonfoot;ifIhaditmyway,IwouldwalktoSarangpur…atleastIhaveacar!’

On 20 June 2015, Dr Kalam presented the autographed copy to PramukhSwamiji.

DrKalamsaid, ‘Thishasbeenaverydearproject formanyyears.ThedayAkshardhamwas inaugurated inDelhi, Imadeapromise toPramukhSwamijithat Iwouldwriteabookonhisgreat spiritual life.Today Ihave fulfilledmypromise.’While handing over the book to Pramukh Swamiji, Dr Kalam said,

‘Youareagreatteacher,agreatspiritualteacher.I’velearntagreatlessonfromyou:howtoremove“I”and“Me”(I-nessandMy-ness).’

DrKalamreadsomepassagesfromthebookbeforeSwamijiandaskedhimtoblessallthosewhohadhelpedhiminmakingthebookpossible.

Afterthemeeting,DrKalamwaswelcomedinanassemblyofSwaminarayansadhusand3,000youths.First,hedescribedhisfulfillingmeetingwithPramukhSwamiMaharajand then Iwassurprised thathechose theoccasion tonarratethestoryofhisownlife,somethinghehadnotdonebefore.

‘When I gave thebook,PramukhSwamiji smiled.That smile,whatdoes itmean? Everybody smiles, but when Pramukh Swamiji smiles, it meanssomething.IwasinthecompanyofPramukhSwamijiforfiftyminutes.Attheend,Iunderstoodagreatmessage,somethingIhadreadaboutandoftensaid.’

Wherethereisrighteousnessintheheart,therewillbebeautyinthecharacter.Wherethereisbeautyinthecharacter,therewillbeharmonyinthehome.Wherethereisharmonyinthehome,therewillbeorderinthenations.Whenthereisorderinthenations,therewillpeaceintheworld.3

‘BymeetingPramukhSwamiji,Isawrighteousnessinhisheartandpeaceintheworld.ThatiswhatIsawtodayandfeltbliss.’

Hecontinued:

IwasbornintheislandofRameswaraminthevicinityofgreatShivatemple.Irecall,asaten-year-oldboy,Iwasseeing threepersonalitiesmeetfromtimeto timeinourhome:PakshiLakshmanaShastrigal,theVedicscholarandheadpriestofthefamousRameswaramtemple;Rev.FatherBodal,whobuiltthefirstchurchinRameswaramIsland,andmyfather,whowasanimaminthemosque.Thesethreepersonalitieswouldsitinourcourtyard,eachwithaglassofbuttermilkoracupoftea,andwoulddiscussandfindsolutionstothevariousproblemsfacingthecommunity.

I have been blessed with some great teachers, who shapedme at different stages of my lifestartingwithmyfather,Jainulabdeen.Myfathertaughtmetoviewone’sroleinlifeasthatofaninstrumentorvessel, throughwhichone takeswithonehandandgiveswith theother. ‘There isonlyonelight,youandIareholesonthelampshade,’hewouldsay.Myfatherlivedasimplelifebutneverlostsightoftheunderlyingdivinity.Throughoutmylife,Itriedtoemulatemyfatherinthisregard.

Asayoungengineer,IworkedwithDrBrahmPrakash.Hetaughtmehowtoleranceofothers’views and opinions is essential in building teams and accomplishing tasks that are beyond theindividuals’ capacities.He taughtme that life is a preciousgift, but it comeswith responsibility.Withthisgift,weareexpectedtouseourtalentstomaketheworldabetterplace,toliveanethical

andwell-balancedlife,andtoprepareforthespirituallife,whichiseternal.Asaprojectdirector,IworkedwithProfessorSatishDhawan,whotaughtmethatagoodleader

takestheresponsibilityforthefailuresofhisteam,butgivesthecreditofhissuccesstohisteam.WhenIaskedhimthesecretofhisbrilliance,hetoldme:‘Academicbrillianceisnodifferentthanthebrillianceofamirror.Oncedustisremoved,themirrorshinesandthereflectionisclear.Wecanremove impurities by living pure and ethical lives and serving humanity, and God will shinethroughus.’

Later,ImetJainMuniAcharyaMahapragya,whomademerealizetheaffirmationofadivinelifeuponearthandanimmortalsenseinmortalexistence.Hetaughtmethatourconsciousnessisthebirthplaceofourethics.TogetherwewroteabookFamilyandtheNationandhighlightedtwostepstotheprocessoflisteningtoourconsciencetobecomeself-awaresothatwecanconnecttoourconsciences,andtoactonwhatourconsciencessay.

Itwasan importantspiritualdayofmylifewhenI firstmetPramukhSwamiji.Afterourfirstmeeting and over the next fourteen years,wemaintained a close spiritual connection.Last year,whenIwashere inSarangpuron11March2014toseePramukhSwamiji, Ihadadeepspiritualexperience.Swamijiheldmyhand for tenminutes.Nowordswerespoken.We looked intoeachother’s eyes in a profound communication of consciousness. In these moments, a world visionbased on Mother Earth was intuitively communicated to me by spiritual connectivity with amessage‘Unity–Unity–andUnityofMinds’.

Inarevelatoryflash,Irealizedthatthestrugglebetweenhappinessandunhappinessthathadsofarbeen the storyofhumanexistenceand the strugglebetweenpeaceandwar thathadbeen thehistoryofthehumanracemustchange.Inthesilenceofhisgriponmyhand,Iheard:‘Kalam,goand telleveryone that thepower thatwould leadus toeternalvictoryamid thesestruggles is thepowerofgoodwithinus.Communicatetohumankindthevisionofaharmoniousworld.Thisvisionwouldbegreaterthananyothergoaleveraspiredtobyhumanity.’

Inconclusion friends, Iwould like toaskyou,whatwouldyou like todo tomake thisplanetEarthliveable?Youhavetoevolveyourselfandshapeyourlife.Youshouldwriteitonapage.Thatpagemaybeaveryimportantpageinthebookofhumanhistory.Andyouwillberememberedforcreatingthatonepageinthehistoryofthenation–whetherthatpageisthepageofinvention,thepageof innovationor thepageofdiscoveryor thepageof creating societal changeor apageofremoving the poverty or the page of fighting injustice or planning and executing themission ofnetworkingriversandthepageofevolvingacleanenvironmentwithsolarenergyforgeneratingaliveableplanetEarth.

On our way back from Sarangpur, I asked, ‘Sir, now that this project issuccessfullycompleted,what is thenextwritingwork I shoulddo?’DrKalamsaid, ‘I always talked about elevating religion to spirituality but I never had aclearpictureinmymindandthatiswhyithasnothappened.AfterstudyingthemissionofPramukhSwamijiandseeingits impactonhisdevotees,allblessed

withpeaceandprosperity,IrealizedthattheEkantikdharmaofSwaminarayangurusisthatmodelofelevatingreligiontospiritualitythatwaseludingme.So,youshouldmeetallSwaminarayanSadgurus,sitat their feetandcapture fullytheessenceofEkantikdharmaandpresentittotheyouthinalanguagethattheycanunderstand.’

‘Sir,willyoubetheco-author?’He did not answer immediately and kept looking at me. It was a strange

pause,andIfeltuneasy.Hesaid,‘IdonotknowwhenPramukhSwamijiandIwillmeetagain.Wehaveestablishedadivinebonding,whichisforever.Hehasindeedtransformedme.Heistheultimatestageofthespiritualascentinmylife.PramukhSwamijihasputme inaGod-synchronousorbit.Nomanoeuvresarerequiredanymore,asIamplacedinmyfinalpositionineternity.’

Hewasrecalling thewordshehadwritten inTranscendence,and their toneandfinalityscaredme.‘Nomorebookswithme,buddy,beonyourownnow.Becomeagreatauthor.Todayeveryoneknowsyouasmyco-author.Adaywillcome when while reading your books, people will say, “Kalam was his co-author.”’

ThiswasmylastmeetingwithDrKalam.Wespoke,though,almostdaily.On26July2015,hecalledmeintheafternoon.IwassittingwithmyfamilyatmysonAseem’shouseinBangalore.‘IamgoingwithSrijantoShillongtomorrow.IamspeakingontheLiveablePlanetEarth.Anythingyouwantmetoadd?’heasked.

‘Sir,youintroducedthisideainBeijingin2012,theworldneedstoactonit,nothingneedstobeaddedforthespeech.’

‘Funnyguy!Eachonehastoplayarole.Thingswillhappen.’Srijanrecalledthenextday,27July2015,asfollows.

Ourday,27July,beganattwelvenoon,whenwetookourseatsintheflighttoGuwahati.DrKalamwas1‘A’andIwas1‘C’.Hewaswearingadarkcolour‘Kalamsuit’…Long,twoandahalfhoursofflyinginthemonsoonweather.Thatwasfollowedbyanothertwo-and-a-halfhoursofdrivingtoIIMShillong…after this,wewent to the lecturehall.Hedidnotwant tobe latefor the lecture.‘Studentsshouldneverbemadetowait.’4

AthunderousapplausefromhundredsofstudentswelcomedDrKalam.Hestoodbeforeapackedauditorium.

‘ThetopicIhaveselectedis:“CreatingaLiveablePlanetEarth”.Dearfriends…

B

6.8

Aalam-e-Barzakh

Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death theywould be asked two questions and theiranswerswoulddeterminewhethertheycouldcontinuetheirjourneyintheafterlife.Thefirstquestionwas,”Didyoubringjoy?”Thesecondwas,“Didyoufindjoy?”

–LeoBuscagliaAmericanauthorandspeaker

eforeastunnedgatheringof500studentsandteachers,DrKalamstaggeredand fellbackwards, crumpling to the floorof the stage.Thehallwas still

with anuncertain silence.His finalmomentswithusdidnot lookdramatic; itseemed tomany thathehad fainted.Onemoment therewasvintageDrA.P.J.Abdul Kalam – resplendent in his tailored ‘Kalam suit’, charismatic andengaging, his quiet measured tones entrancing the audience – and the nextmoment he was no more. India’s most beloved scientist, politician, sage andvisionary – the nation’s inspiring bachelor uncle – had departed. And he hadgoneinthemidstoffulfillinghisquesttoenlivenIndia’syouthwithapassionforlearning,forstriving.Hisworkwasnowdone.Itwas6.30p.m.on27July2015.

Therewasnothinganyonecoulddo.Numbedbydenial,hisaidessummonedan ambulance, and he was taken to the Bethany Hospital. He was franticallyrushedintotheICU,whereateamofdoctorsmadealast,futilebidtobringhimback to life. The news flashed on television at around 8 p.m., and a shockednationpausedtoassimilate,reflect–andgrieve.Tributesofflowersandcandlesappeared below billboard-sized portraits; mourners took to the streets. TheIndianpeoplehad losta familymember,and theywouldhave toobserve theirownrites.

TheUnioncabinetmetanddeclaredaseven-dayperiodofnationalmourning.

PrimeMinisterNarendraModisaid,

India mourns the loss of a great scientist, a wonderful President and above all, an inspiringindividual.Mymind is filledwith somanymemories, somany interactionswith him. I alwaysmarvelledathis intellect; I learnt somuch fromhim.Heenjoyedbeingwithpeople;people andyoungstersadoredhim.Helovedstudentsandspenthisfinalmomentsamongthem.1

The Indian Air Force flew the mortal remains of Dr Kalam, wrapped in theIndiantricolour,toNewDelhi.DrKalamwasnotamanforpageantry,buttheardentpatriotthathewas,hewouldsurelyhaveappreciatedthenationalflagashisshroud.PrimeMinisterModireceivedthemortalremainsat theairport.DrKalam’sbodywaskeptinstateathisresidence,wherethousandsofpeoplecametopay their last respects:politiciansacross the spectrum,officials, friendsandordinarycitizens.Therewerequeuestillpastmidnight.Intheearlyhoursof28July 2015, his grand-niece sat by the coffin and recited verses from theHolyQuran.

Kullu nafsin tha-iqatu almawti wa-innama tuwaffawna ojoorakum yawma alqiyamati famanzuhziha AAani alnnari waodkhila aljannata faqad faza wama alhayatu alddunya illa mataAAualghuroori

Every human being is bound to taste death: but only on the Day of Resurrection will you berequitedinfull[forwhateveryouhavedone]–whereuponhethatshallbedrawnawayfromthefireandbroughtintoparadisewillindeedhavegainedatriumph:forthelifeofthisworldisnothingbutanenjoymentofself-delusion.2

SomeonebravelyaskedDrB.SomaRaju ifDrKalamwassufferingfromanyunattendedillness.DrSomaRajugavehimacoldstareandsaid,‘Illnessisnotaprecondition fordeath,which is asnatural an event as birth.Everyonewho isbornhastodieoneday.Actually,DrKalamdiedagreatdeath.Doingwhatheloved most, in full view of people, without suffering for a moment.Withoutinconveniencinganyone.Hisdeathwasasopenandpureaswashislife.’

Dr Kalam was laid to rest on 30 July 2015 at 11.30 a.m. with militaryhonours.PrimeMinisterNarendraModigaveDrKalamthelastsalute.SeveralUnionministers,governors,chiefministers,thechiefsofthearmy,navyandtheairforce–andpredictably,hundredsofthousandsofcommonpeople–gatheredatthePeiKarumbuGroundatRameswaramIslandtobidfarewelltothisgreat

sonofIndia.Itwasindeedaseaofhumanity.Thesightofpeoplefromallwalksof life – cutting across caste, creed and religion–biddingDrKalama tearfulgoodbyeinapeacefulandrestrainedmannerwouldbetheenvyofthemightiestofthisworld.

When Iwas crossing the Pamban bridge onmy return from the burial, thevastexpanseofseastaredatme.Myeyeswelledupattherealityofaboybornhereon the island;Iwas leavinghimbehind, finallyreturned to itssands.ThewordsofSufiSaintBabaFaridechoedinmyheart:

SaysFarid,youmustfathomtheocean;itcontainsallyouneedanddesire.Whysoilyourhandssearchingthelittleponds?SaysFarid,theCreatorisinthecreationandthecreationintheCreator.WhomshallweblamewhenHeiseverywhere?

ThestoryofthemanKalamendshere,butthestoryofthesoulKalamwillcontinue. Different religions offer different descriptions of the afterlife. Therearetwobroadbeliefsystems.Oneisthatafterdeath,thesoulreincarnateswithanewbodyandsustainsthisthroughanendlesscycle,untilitattainsthepurityofmergingwiththeAbsolute.Theotheristhatthesoullivesinthegraveandwaitsfor the resurrection on the Day of Judgement by the Almighty. The evil aredestroyed inhellfireand thegoodareadmitted intoparadise.Theexistenceofthesoulandtheafterlife,inanyevent,isacceptedinbothbeliefsystems.

The period from the moment of burial to the resurrection on the Day ofJudgementiscalledBarzakh.TheexistentialrealmofspiritsiscalledAalam-e-Barzakh.Thisunseenrealmisfarlargerthantheseenworldofours,alongwithitsvastlandsandskies.ComparedwiththerealmofBarzakh,thisworldislikeatinyplantinaninfinitelyexpansiveforest.Whenonedies,hebecomesfreeuntothisvastworldofthespirits.

The soul body in Barzakh has the same attachment with this world as thebody has with amother’s womb.We are created in the womb, complete andperfect–butoncewearebornoutofit,wecannotgobackthereandliveaswehadbeencreated.Soitisthecasewithapersonburiedinthegrave;thereisnoreturn to thisworld for repentanceor correction.Onemustbecome reconciledwiththeconsequencesofone’sdeeds.

Thephysicalbodydecomposesinduecourseandturnsintodust,yetthesoul

bodyremainsalive.Thesoulbodyisfinerthanair.Forit,therearenobarriersthat our physical bodies face in this material world. The soul body can seeanythingandeverythingfromeverywhere.Ofcourse,thesoulbodyremainsinthisveryworldanddoesnotgoawayandoutofit,butnowithasnolimitationslike time and space. Just as the sun that remains in the sky covers thewholeearth with its rays, the soul body remains in the grave, but it can be presentanywhere.

WhatcanmillionsofDrKalam’sadmirers,followersandfriendsdotoreflectthe light of his soul body into their inner world and upon the people aroundthem?Inraising thisquestion, Iamalsoquestioningmyownself.TheanswerliesintheunderstandingofDrKalam’slegacy.WhatisthesumandsubstanceofthelifeofA.P.J.AbdulKalam?Reflectingonhislife,fromhisultimatecallforamore liveableplanetEarthandenlightenedcitizenryback tohisearliestyears,we can perceive the unmistakeableworkings of threemodes of living derivedfromthreedivinefoundations.

ThethreedivinefoundationsofDrKalam’slifewereimagination,piousnessand faith in God. From these emerged righteousness, integrity and courage.ThesethreemodesoflivingorqualitiesdrovehisconvictionformakingIndiaadevelopedcountryby2020.They later ignitedhisdesire forevolvingaglobalmovementtomakeourplanetmoreliveable,usingtechnologiestomitigatetheeffects of climate change, grow more food and enjoy a clean environment.Beforeconcludingthisbook,somementionofthemannerinwhichthesethreefoundationsandthreemodesoflivingweremanifestinDrKalamisappropriate.

Imagination,piousnessandfaithinGodwereinculcatedinDrKalamearlyinhis lifebyhis father.His father taughthim that imagination is the facility thatdifferentiates human beings from other animals in the world. Imagination isindeed a faculty of the soul. It is the imperative duty of parents and earlyteacherstoensurethatchildrenusetheirimaginations.DrKalamwoulddevotemuchtimeinaskingchildrenwhattheywanttobecomeintheirlaterlives.Hewouldsaythatifachilddoesnotknowtheanswertothisquestion,itisaseriousissue.

DrKalam’sfathertoldhimthataccordingtoImamNawawi’sHadithQudsi,Allah declared, ‘NeitherMy Earth norMy Heavens can containMe, but theheart of a Believing Servant can.’3 Why did Allah say this? Allah said this

becauseHegrantedhumanbeingsthepowerof imagination.Therealityof thetrue nature ofman’s heavenly origins is his imagination,which has no limits.ThatanunlimitedcapacitytoimagineisbestowedbyAllahisindeedanhonourfor us. Through imagination, man is gifted with an understanding that isprofound–farabovetherestofcreation.

For this reason, Dr Kalam conveyed the importance of imagination tomillionsofchildreninhiscountlessvisitstoschools.Hedevelopedanalgorithmofapplyingimaginationinreallife.Hesaid,‘Dream,dream,dream;dreamsleadtothoughts;thoughtsleadtoaction;actionbringschange.’ThedreamDrKalamwasreferringtomustnotbeconfoundedwithfantasy.Hisideaofdreamingwasanexerciseof thought firmlygroundedbynature.DrKalam’s call to childrenabout dreaming was meant to connote that which is normally inaccessible tosenseperceptionandcannotbeperceivedwithoutimagination.

The second divine foundation for Dr Kalam was piousness. He asked mewhileweweretakingteatogetheronthelawnsofRashtrapatiBhavan,‘Tellme,buddy,wouldyoupourtheteaintoadirtycup?’

Isaid,‘Howcouldanyonedothat?Thecuphastobecleanedfirst,andonlythenteacanbepouredintoit.Eveniftheteaispouredinanuncleancup,itcan’tbeconsumed.Itmustbethrownaway.’

Dr Kalam then said, ‘Fantastic. Similarly, Allah does not pour heavenlygrants of pure illuminated knowledge into the hearts of dirty ones; only thosewith pure and clean hearts will receive heavenly grants. Allah looks into thehearts ofman andHe chooseswho amongst themwill be recipients of divinehonourandgrants.’

DrKalamwondered,‘Itissuchasimplefact–howcouldanyoneignoreit?Ilearnedveryearly in life that thosewhoseekknowledgefromthedivinemustknowthatitisonlypouredintopurehearts.’

The thirddivine foundation inDrKalam’s lifewas faith inGod.Allahhadgivenmanthehigheststationandrankofallofcreationandthecapacitytobearwitness toHis oneness in all creatures. But despite his high rank and station,man always remained weak. Dr Kalam shared with me an insight from hischildhood.DrKalam’sfatheroncetoldhim,‘Seeyourselfalwaysasazero,andAllahastheone.Nowifthezeroisplacedontheleftoftheone,itremainsasone.Thisistheoriginalpositionofman–azero.ButifAllahwantstobestow

upon a person any grant,Hemoves this zero to the right of the one, and youbecometen;younowhavevalue!’

DrKalamhadnever forgotten this.Heunderstood that it isbyGod’sgracethatwearegiveneverything;andconversely,withoutGod,wearenothing.HisfaithinGodwasimmovable.Everydaywhenheawoke,heremembereditwasGod thatmade him capable ofwhat hewas doing, seeing, understanding andknowing. Throughout his life, without ever straying from this morningreflection,DrKalamobeyed,respected,submittedtoandworshippedAllah.

In2002, IvisitedChina inconnectionwith the translationofWingsofFireinto Mandarin. For President Kalam, the publishers sent back with me aselection of books from the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. Theprinciples of ‘Li’ and ‘Yi’, explained by Confucius in his book Analects,captivatedhim.

‘Li’ishuman-heartedness,empathy,orhumaneness,and‘Yi’isrighteousness.Confuciusdefined‘Li’astheabilitytoempathizewiththediscomfortandpainofothersaroundyou.Ontheotherhand,righteousnessistheabilitytobehaveinaccordance with the demands of a given social situation. In the interest ofcollective and societal well-being, the righteous person is the one who iscognizantof‘Yi’–whatoughttobedone.But‘Yi’isthusplacedfrequentlyinopposition to ‘Li’, meaning the benefit of those who are family members,relativesandotherknownpeople.Confucius stated that the righteousand thussuperior person understands ‘Yi’, but the petty-minded only understand ‘Li’.Confucius taught thathumansare fundamentallygood,but somewhatprone tostray. The cultivation of virtue thus demands self-discipline and a strongemphasisoneducation.

DrKalamderivedhis ideaof integrity from theBible, andwasparticularlyinfluencedby its teachingswhenhewas studyingatSchwartz.Corruptionhasbecome amajor issue in India; it is seenquite regularly in the lives of publicofficials,businesspeopleandeveninthelivesofordinarypeople.DrKalamsawcorruptionasaproblemofpeoplebehavingdifferentlyintheirhomestothewaytheybehaveinpublic.Hetookintegrityintheliteralsenseoftheword‘integer’andunderstooditasthewholenessofaperson.Justasawholenumber,apersonof integrity must live not divided, not a different person in differentcircumstances.Apersonofintegritymustbethesamepersoninprivatethatheis

inpublic.AyoungKalamsawintegrityappearingsoregularlyintheBible.GodinstructedSolomontowalkwith‘integrityofheartanduprightness’ashisfatherdid.4Davidsaid,‘Iknow,myGod,thatyoutesttheheartandarepleasedwithintegrity.’5 And ‘David shepherded them with integrity of heart, with skilfulhands.’6

DrKalamdevelopedaconvictioninhislifethatonewhowalksinintegritywalks securely.He believed thatwrong things, however cleverly done,wouldalways be found out. A person of integrity would not only have a goodreputation, but also sleep in peace andwithout fear. ‘Integrity provides a safepath through life. Falsehood and the treacherousways are like a self-destructsysteminamissile.GodwillusethemifHefindsthatoneisstrayingfromthedesignatedtrajectory,’DrKalamtoldme.

DrKalampublicallydifferedwiththeanti-corruptionmovementlaunchedbyAnna Hazare.While he understood Anna Hazare’s intent, he felt that no lawwould ever halt corruption. Corruption starts in families. It is indeed themanifestationofacharacterflaw.TherehasbeenanincreasinglaxityofmorallawsthathavepreviouslyservedIndiansocietywell.Oflate,peoplehavebeenfashioningtheirownmoralcodes.Thereisnomoralconsensusinthiscountryastherewasinearlieryears,whenour institutionscommandedpublicrespect.DrKalamwroteFamily andNation7 withAcharyaMahapragya, and in its pagespresentedhisthoughtsonthisinnouncertainterms.

DrKalamwasveryfondofthecharacterofNachiketa,astoldintheKathaUpanishad. During his visit to SwaminaraynAkshardham inGandhinagar, hewasenchantedbytheSat-Chit-AnandWaterShowwhichrevealsIndia’sancientsecretthroughthestoryofNachiketaandsaid,‘ThousandsofNachiketaswillbecreatedinIndiaduetothiswatershow.’HesawinNachiketatheembodimentofcourage and confidence. He questioned Yama, the mighty god of Death andaskedwhatcomesafterdeath.DrKalamsaidthatYama’sanswertoNachiketaindeed constitutes India’s eternal truth, one which it alone holds today in theworld.‘Onlythebodydies,ONachiketa,thesoulisimmortalandisrebornlifeafterlife,tillonereachesperfection.’

Thisideaofperfection,DrKalamdiscoveredinhisultimatespiritualteacherPramukhSwamiji,inwhom,heoftensaid,heexperiencedallthegreatvalueshehadread,dreamtandseeninthegreatlivesofSocrates,Lincoln,AbdulQadir,

Galileo,Einstein,Thiruvalluvar,Gandhi.ThisheclearlyandconciselyexpressedinhislastbookTranscendenceashisfinalwordtotheworld.

So,withoutthefoundationofimagination,piousnessandfaithinGod,alifelived is indeeda lifewasted. It is fromthese threedivinefoundations thatonelaterderives the threemodesof livingof righteousness, integrity andcourage.Thesecannotbegarneredbyamere intellectualunderstanding.Righteousness,integrityandcourageemanateonlyfromthedivineendowmentsofimagination,personaldisciplineofpiousness,andanunwaveringfaithinGodinallsituationsand circumstances. Just as these three principles shaped Dr Kalam’s life anddrovehisquestsfordevelopingIndiaandmakingourplanetmoreliveable,theywould bring enduring happiness and prosperity to our own lives. This is thelegacyofDrKalam.

OnceIaskedDrKalamhowhelookedbackathislife.Hesaid,‘AsayoungpersonIalwaysobeyedtheordersIreceivedfrommyconscience.Myheartwasalwaysattached tomyparents, tomysisterZoharaandmybrotherMaracayerandotherpeopleinthefamily,tomyteachersandthosewhohelpedmewhenIneededthem.Iconsideredallpeoplewhocrossedmypath,forgoodorbad,withequal respect, for itwasGod’swill that theywere nice or harsh tome. Iwasafraidofanyintoxicationandtemptations.Igaveawaymostofmyearningstocharity and never allowed it to be known to anyone. I was equitable whenleadership positionswere given tome.As a policy, I loved to be alonewhilerememberingAllahinsituationswhentearsmustwashmysoulofanguishandtorment.’

IhavebeenblessedtoliveafullthirtythreeyearsofmylifeintheshadowofthegiantthatDrKalamindeedwas.Throughvariousstagesofourassociation,first as his subordinate scientist at the Defence Research and DevelopmentLaboratory,thenasafootsoldierinhiscrusadefordevelopingcivilianspin-offsofdefencetechnologiesinhealthcare,thenashisbiographer,thenasamemberof his presidential team – and finally a seeker following his spiritual path – IfoundinDrKalamatruerishiofmodernIndia.IsawRishiAgastyainhisbirthin Rameswaram, Rishi Vishwamitra in his leadership of the country’s missiledevelopmentandRishiKapilainhisgraspofeternalspiritualtruths.

The sage scientistKalam lived the life of a piousMuslim, respectful of allother religions and deeply spiritual in his world view. He did not wear his

religiononhiscoatlapel,butliveditshighestidealsthroughouthislife.Whilehewasmostguardeddefendinghiscorereligiousvalues,hewasalsoopentothegoodcomingfromotherreligions.HecouldseetheonenessofGodinitstruestsense, and sawservice tomankindas themost fundamental religiouspractice.He understood peace as the ultimate purpose and enterprise of all humanendeavours.

Inasense,heismuchmorepowerfulandnearerthanhehadeverbeentous.He envisioned a developed India and amore liveable earth as the twenty-firstcenturyprogresses,andpredictedthatthiswouldhappen.Buthecouldonlysetavision, urge us on, inspire us and provide direction. We must ‘keep the ballrolling’,ashewouldoftenremindme.

Love is never extinguished by death. The reverence for Dr Kalam wouldsurely continue, and his adulation by the Indian peoplewould find a differentexpressionnow.Justasthereisanauraaroundalight,thereisanunseenauraofdivinity surrounding the graves of pious people, such as saints. Doubtless,peoplewillthusbedrawntothegraveofDrA.P.J.AbdulKalamfromafar,tobetouchedby thegoodness of his spirit.Greater good, however,would comebylivingwithhis ideals andpursuinghis visions.Ourveneration is perhapsbestdoneinemulationratherthanobeisance.

In A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, we have known a true paragon of enlightenedhumanity–a raresoulwhocouldaccept life’s realitiescalmlyyetneverceasepursuing the greatness of the spirit beyond. As much a modern sage as aneminentscientistandleader,DrKalamtellsusthatwemustlivebyimaginationtostrivebeyondknowing,toaspirebeyondunderstanding.Weshouldrememberhis profound wisdom and learning, and that this would never extinguish hischildlikewonderoftheuniverseandjoyinthehappinessofothers.Infollowinghisexampleandheedinghiswords,wemaycome to livewithprincipleashelived,actwithfaithasheactedandpursueourdreamsasheexhortedus.

1.2.

1.

2.3.

1.

2.3.4.

1.

2.

3.

1.

Notes

PARTONE:SIMULATION

1.1TheParadiseofHopeQuran42:30AshShura;TranslationYusufAli.A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999.

1.2TheBeginningA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999.NapoleonHill,TheLawofSuccess,EmbassyBooks,2010.A.P.J.AbdulKalamandArunTiwari,YouAreBorntoBlossom,OceanBooks,2005.

1.3DisillusionedLearnerA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999.http://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/jsp/display_searchcontent.jsphttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/jsp/display_searchcontent.jspK.V.A.Pandalai@http://www.newindiadigest.com/kalam.htm

1.4BootstrappingA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Special Address at MIT Alumni Association,Chennai,11August2012.A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire.

1.5CogintheWheelA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,

2.

1.

2.

3.4.5.

1.

2.

3.4.5.

1.

2.

1.

2.

1999.Ibid.

1.6Noah’sArkA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,,UniversityPress,1999,p.27.Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajya Sabha, 1963 @http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/dec/18chin.htmhttps://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisisA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire.Ibid.,p.29.

1.7NoFreeLunchA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.31.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,AddressattheyouthmeetatSwaminarayanSanstha(BAPS),Sarangpur,Gujarat,20June2015.R.Aravamudan@http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/18spec.htmA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,p.47.Ibid.,p.178.

1.8UnreasonableMenA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.49.Ibid.,p.54.

PARTTWO:CREATION

2.1Indra’sNetPresident Kalam’s address at the Multimedia Teleconference to theCentreofAerospaceStrategicStudies(CESA)andtheNationalCentreforSpaceStudies(CNES),France,on‘Space–aconceptualchallengetotheDefence’;http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=28466A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.64.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.3.

1.

2.

1.

2.3.

1.

B. Indira Devi, owner of Indira Lodge @http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/apj-abdul-kalam-led-a-reclusive-life-in-thiruvananthapuram-tenant/A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.86.

2.2VasudhaivaKutumbakamA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.88.A.P.J.AbdulKalam andArun Tiwari,Squaring theCircle, UniversityPress,2013,p.196.A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.93.Ibid.,p.104.

2.3SmilingBuddhaA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.113.Ibid.,p.116.Ibid.,p.122.

2.4StrengthRespectsStrengthA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.124.http://www.vijaybhatkar.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=117&Itemid=59

2.5CrystalCathedralA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.125.Ibid.,p.134.Ibid.,p.138.

2.6ChariotofFireA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.150.

2.3.4.5.6.

1.

2.3.

4.

1.2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

Ibid.,p.152.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,IgnitedMinds,PenguinBooks,2002.A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,p.162.AmartyaSen,TheArgumentativeIndia,1Sted.,Penguin,London,2006.A.PJ.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,p.164.

2.7ProphetofSelf-relianceTheCareHospitals organization,with hospitals across twelve cities ofIndia,isvaluedat300milliondollarsatthetimeofwritingofthisbookin2015.AlexisCareel,MantheUnknown,WilcoPublishingHouse,2010.The Department of Health and Family Welfare has released a draftamendment which proposes complete overhaul of the existing lawthroughtheDrugsandCosmetics(Amendment)Bill,2015.Ittooktwenty-threeyearstohappenwhenRs100crorewasallocatedin2015–16Unionbudget.

2.8TheRazor’sEdgeA.SivathanuPillai,ThePathUnexplored,PentagonPress,2014.ADA is the nodal agency for the design and development of LightCombat Aircraft (LCA) partnered by HAL, DRDO and CSIRLaboratories, public and private sector industries and academicinstitutions.A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithY.S.Rajan,India2020:AVisionfor theNewMillennium,PenguinIndia,NewDelhi,1997.

PARTTHREE:REALIZATION

3.1MajorGeneralPrithvirajA.P.J.AbdulKalam andArun Tiwari,Squaring theCircle, UniversityPress,2013,p.208.At the timeofwritingof this book (2015),WingsofFire has sold1.5million copies and been translated into fourteen Indian and six worldlanguages,namely,Russian,French,Chinese,Korean,ThaiandArabic.A.P.J.AbdulKalamandArunTiwari,SquaringtheCircle,p.225.

1.

2.3.4.5.6.7.

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3.4.

5.

6.

7.

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1.

2.3.

3.2AarifA.P.J.AbdulKalam,Addressduring theSilver JubileeCelebrationsofTIFAC,NewDelhi,10February2012.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,IgnitedMinds,PenguinBooks,2002,p.124.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,IgnitedMinds,p.72.Ibid.,p.26.TheHindu,22August2006.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,IgnitedMinds,PenguinBooks,2002,p.28.Ibid.,p.30.

3.3WhoIsOurEnemy?Kota Harinarayana@http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2001/01/13/stories/041367ju.htmP.V. Inderesan @www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/pura-is-the-answer-to-rural-ills-expert/article1560466.eceA.P.J.AbdulKalam,TurningPoints,HarperCollinsIndia,2012.Reminiscences of Samaresh Singh@ http://www.dailyo.in/politics/rip-apj-abdul-kalam-missile-man-nasa-isro-president-bokaro/story/1/5276.htmlRoddam Narasimha @http://www.thequint.com/opinion/2015/07/29/kalam-broke-up-nations-development-to-a-series-of-doable-projectsKrisnha Prasad@http://mcomments.outlookindia.com/story.aspx?sid=4&aid=216160A.P.J.AbdulKalam andArun Tiwari,Squaring theCircle, UniversityPress,2013.ThomasMoore,CareoftheSoul,HarperCollins,1992.

3.4KingdomofGodDr Srinivas Bhogle @https://bademian.wordpress.com/2015/08/15/kalam-as-i-saw-him/Prof.A.Kalanidhi@http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/03spec1.htmT. Nagarajan @http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Abdul-Kalams-Room-at-Anna-University-Turns-Into-a-

4.5.6.

7.

8.

9.10.11.12.

1.2.3.

4.

5.

6.7.

1.

2.3.

Memorial/2015/08/01/article2951415.eceA.P.J.AbdulKalam,IgnitedMinds,PenguinBooks,2002,p.80.Ibid.,p.81.Bhavdeep Kang@http://mcomments.outlookindia.com/story.aspx?sid=4&aid=216161Prabhu Chawla with Rajeev Deshpande @http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/surprise-choice-missile-man-apj-abdul-kalam-set-to-become-12th-president-of-india/1/219480.htmlB.R. Srikanth @http://mcomments.outlookindia.com/story.aspx?sid=4&aid=216158JosyJoseph@http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jun/19josy.htmSaeedNaqvi,TheIndianExpress,21June2002.http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020719/main1.htmA.P.J.M. Maracayer @http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/24spec1.htm

3.5AngelandMarshalhttp://www.thehindu.com/2002/08/10/stories/2002081004560100.htmA.P.J.AbdulKalam,TurningPoints,HarperCollins,2012.A.P.J. Abdul Kalamwith Arun Tiwari, Transcendence, HarperCollins,2015,p.11.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari, Guiding Souls, Ocean Books,2005.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bhopal-gas-victims-plea-to-Kalam/articleshow/20901951.cmshttp://www.thehindu.com/2002/09/06/stories/2002090604631200.htmA.P.J. Abdul Kalamwith Arun Tiwari, Transcendence, HarperCollins,2015,p.15.

3.6ThinkingIsGrowthSekharDatta@http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150729/jsp/northeast/story_34173.jsp#.VdHNhsaqqkohttp://www.telegraphindia.com/1100728/jsp/northeast/story_12736602.jspA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=12

4.

5.

6.

7.

1.

2.

3.

4.5.

6.

7.

8.

1.

2.

3.

Dr S.C. Jamir @ http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/take-me-to-the-most-backward-village-in-your-state.htmlA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=16A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=20Ibid.

3.7BirthofaHumanistA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=25Dr Kalam inspired four young engineers – Vikram Mordani, NareshAlreja, S.G. Prasad andAseemTiwari – to digitize the obsoleteCath.Labs. The project was successfully completed. A Cath Lab stands forcatheterization laboratory, a diagnostic imaging equipment used tovisualizethearteriesandchambersoftheheart.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=27http://www.icrisat.org/what-we-do/satrends/dec2002.htmA.P.J. Abdul Kalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=36A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=30A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=33A.P.J. Abdul Kalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=35

3.8GemintheLotusA.P.J. Abdul Kalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=48A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=50TheresolutionGA/RES/53/22,proposedbytheIslamicRepublicofIran

4.

5.6.

1.

2.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.

andsupportedbyalargenumberofcountries,invites‘Governments,theUnited Nations system, including the United Nations Educational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/jsp/display_hints.jsp?menuid=38&menuname=Myper cent20Presidentialpercent20Address&starts=0&ends=0http://www.telegraphindia.com/1030126/asp/nation/story_1609746.asphttps://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/asia_rpt_120rev_0.pdf

PARTFOUR:EXPANSION

4.1TamasoMaJyotirgamayaA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,WingsofFire,UniversityPress,1999,p.175.http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/22/stories/2003022205980400.htm

4.2AnjumanA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=85A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=91Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Yahya Al-Tadifi and Shaikh Muhammad ibnYahya At-Tadifi, translated by Muhtar Holland, ‘Necklaces of Gems(Qada’idAl-jawahir):ABiographyofShaikh‘AbdAl-QadirAl-Jilani,’Al-BazPublishing,1995.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=96timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kalams-moment-of-disappointment-in-Gaya/articleshow/48252273.cmshttp://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/20/stories/2003082007650400.htm

4.3SamagamA.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,YouAreBorntoBlossom,OceanBooks,2005.

1.2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

1.

2.

3.4.

5.

6.7.

8.

9.

10.

4.4TheWorldMachinehttp://www.khaleejtimes.com/article/20031021/ARTICLE/310219957/1002http://www.larouchepub.com/eiw/public/2003/eirv30n49-20031219/eirv30n49-20031219_012-india_sudan_strategic_energy_coo.pdfA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=369A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=371IslamicnameofJeremiah,alsocalled‘theweepingprophet’.HewasoneofthemajorprophetsoftheHebrewBible.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=191A.P.J. Abdul Kalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=203

4.5TheDesertedVillageZia Haq@ http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/real-india-lives-in-villages/article1-278701.aspxA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=234Ibid.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=233A.P.J. Abdul Kalamwith Arun Tiwari, Transcendence, HarperCollins,Noida,India,2015,p.19.Ibid.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=222At the time of writing this book in August 2015 the link is underconstruction.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=277A.P.J.AbdulKalam andArun Tiwari,Squaring theCircle, UniversityPress,2013,p.244.

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.3.4.

5.

6.

7.8.

9.

10.

1.

2.

3.

4.

4.6NationBuildersA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=295A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=298A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=300

4.7WethePeopleA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=297http://www.rediff.com/election/2004/may/10prez.htmhttp://m.rediff.com/election/2004/may/11kalam.htmGuruprasad @ http://guruprasad.net/posts/the-untold-story-of-how-bjp-lost-2004-elections/A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=308A.P.J.AbdulKalam,TurningPoints,HarperCollinsIndia,Noida,India,2012,p.135.http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/24/stories/2004072403710500.htmA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=331A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=333A.P.J.AbdulKalam andArun Tiwari,Squaring theCircle, UniversityPress,2013,pp.43–44.

4.8CreativeLeadersA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=395A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=424A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=443A.P.J.AbdulKalam andArun Tiwari,Squaring theCircle, University

5.

6.7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

1.2.

3.4.5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

Press,2013,p.134–135.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=462http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/jan/25prez.htmA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=480A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=478A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=488A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=495Ibid.

PARTFIVE:DISPERSION

5.1DeterminationIsPowerP.M.Nair,TheKalamEffect,HarperCollins,2008,pp.72–73.A.P.J.AbdulKalam andArun Tiwari,Squaring theCircle, UniversityPress,2013,p.197.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,TurningPoints,HarperCollinsIndia,2012,p.x.A.P.J.AbdulKalamandArunTiwari,SquaringtheCircle,p.4.Ibid.,p.5.

5.2LendMeYourEarsA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=530A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=540A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=595TheBible,Psalm23:1–4.

5.3InstrumentsofGodA.P.J. Abdul Kalamwith Arun Tiwari, Transcendence, HarperCollins,

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

4.5.

6.7.8.

1.

2.

3.4.5.6.

1.

Noida,India,2015,p.29.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=652A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=685

5.4AMan’sCompasshttp://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/supreme-court-indicts-governor-buta-singh/article3244593.ecehttp://www.outlookindia.com/article/one-billion-people-one-vision/229954http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/corpcomms2/Documents/2006/Feb/TODAY-03.02.06-8percent20Presidentpercent20Kalampercent20Visit.pdfhttp://enewsletter.ntu.edu.sg/ClassACTStaging/Sep08/campusnews/3.aspKalam salaams Filipino nursing @http://archive.deccanherald.com/Deccanherald/feb42006/national18620200623.asphttp://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/feb/07sld6.htmhttp://www.rediff.com/news/2006/feb/09kalam.htmA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=743

5.5IWillFlyA.P.J. Abdul Kalamwith Arun Tiwari, Transcendence, HarperCollins,Noida,India,2015,p.35.http://www.rediff.com/news/special/kalam-on-wings-of-fire/20150728.htmP.M.Nair,TheKalamEffect,HarperCollins,Noida,India,2008,p.113.A.P.J.AbdulKalamwithArunTiwari,Transcendence,p.36.Ibid.,p.37.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=879

5.6WhatCanIGive?http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-full-text-republic-day-speech-of-dr-apj-abdul-kalam-1956602

2.3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.10.

1.2.3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jan/31look1.htmA.P.J.AbdulKalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=958A.P.J.AbdulKalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=959A.P.J. Abdul Kalam@http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=975TheMilitaryCross(MC)isamilitarydecorationawardedtoofficersoftheBritisharmed forces in recognitionof ‘anactoractsofexemplarygallantryduringactiveoperationsagainsttheenemy’.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=980TheSangamperiodistheperiodinthehistoryofancientsouthernIndiaspanningfromthethirdcenturybctothefourthcenturyad.http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=27125http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/kalams-address-extraordinary/article1833704.ece

5.7AwakeningTranslationbyRudyardKipling.HellenicisasynonymforGreek.A.P.J.AbdulKalam,ArunTiwari,SquaringtheCircle,UniversityPress,2013,p.vi.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=1037http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/23prezpoll3.htm

5.8OneMan’sBibleA.P.J.AbdulKalam,TurningPoints,HarperCollins India,2012,Noida,India,pp.150–51.http://www.andhranews.net/India/2007/July/23-President-Kalam-farewell-9039.aspA.P.J. Abdul Kalam @http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/abdulkalam/sllatest1.jsp?id=1071GaoXingjian,OneMan’sBible,Harper,2002.

5.

1.2.

3.4.5.

6.

7.8.

1.2.3.4.

5.

6.

1.

2.3.

4.5.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070724/edit.htm#5

PARTSIX:EMANCIPATION

6.1WhereEaglesSoarhttp://aviationweek.typepad.com/space/2007/03/human_space_exp.htmlhttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display-more.jspIbid.https://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2007/October/oct26_kalam.shtmlhttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display-more.jsphttp://news.rice.edu/2007/10/19/kalam-lecture-delivers-bold-vision-for-space-science-technology/B.S.Prakash@http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/nov/01bsp.htmhttp://www.nriinternet.com/NRI_Awards/UK/A_Z/K/King_Charles_Award/APJ_Abdul_Kalam.htm

6.2IntotheUnchartedhttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display.jspIbid.Ibid.http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/former-president-apj-abdul-kalam-a-leader-should-know-how-to-manage-failure/http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/india-studies-endowment-fund-established-at-university-of-kentuckyhttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display.jsp

6.3TransformersSam Pitroda, ‘Exploding Freedom: Roots in Technology’, AlliedPublishersLtd,1993,p.x.NelsonMandela,LongWalktoFreedom,MacdonaldPurnell,1995.http://www.oneindia.com/india/apj-abdul-kalam-endorsed-nuclear-deal-manmohan-singh-1821805.htmlhttp://in.rbth.com/articles/2011/11/10/former_indian_president_kalam_bats_for_kudankulam_protestors_defiant_13224http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Missile-Mans-Brave-

6.

7.8.

1.2.

3.4.

1.2.3.

4.

5.

6.7.8.

1.

1.

2.3.

K-ampaign-for-Plant/2015/07/29/article2945886.ecehttp://www.malaysia-today.net/malaysian-leaders-must-learn-from-abdul-kalam/http://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display.jsphttp://panos.org.uk/features/what-the-president-told-bill-gates/

6.4ProveAllThingsTheBible,IThessalonians5:20–21.http://southasiainstitute.harvard.edu/2015/07/the-passing-of-an-idealist/#more-19443http://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display.jspIbid.

6.5LiveablePlanetEarthhttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display.jspIbid.conclave.intoday.in/article/india-today-conclave-2013-reinventing-democracy-the-youth-experiment-apj-abdul-kalam/3579/39.htmlA.P.J. Abdul Kalam with Srijan Pal Singh, Target 3 Billion, PenguinBooks,NewDelhi,2011.http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-jairam-ramesh-criticises-apj-abdul-kalams-pura-launches-his-own-version-1654306PatanjaliYogaSutra,Samadhipada,Verse51.http://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display.jsphttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display.jsp

6.6SettheBallRollingBAPS, Satsang: Moments with Pramukh Swami Maharaj,SwaminarayanAksharpith,Ahmedabad,1995.

6.7MadeforLifehttp://www.abdulkalam.com/kalam/theme/jsp/guest/content-display-more.jspIbid.http://www.solitaryroad.com/pra305.html. This was a verse byConfuciusthatDrKalamofteninvokedduringhisdaysaspresident.

4.

1.

2.3.4.5.6.7.

https://www.facebook.com/SrijanPalSingh/posts/1036964249687030

6.8Aalam-e-Barzakhhttp://www.narendramodi.in/pm-condoles-the-passing-away-of-former-president-of-india-dr-apj-abdul-kalam-210286Surat‘Āli`Imrān;Verse3:185;Translation:MuhammadAsad.http://www.livingislam.org/d/khyl_e.html#fnref:22TheBible,1Kings9:4.TheBible,1Chronicles29:17.TheBible,Psalm78:70–72.A.P.J.AbdulKalamandAcharyaMahapragya,TheFamilyandNation,HarperCollinsPublishers,Noida,India,2012.

T

Acknowledgements

his book is my tribute to Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in whose benevolentshadowIspentmorethanthirty-threeyearsofmylife.Ifeltduty-boundto

presentforposteritywhatIknowofthegreatmanwhodreamedofadevelopedIndia and a more liveable planet and tirelessly campaigned for these ideasamongsttheyouthtillliterallyhislastmoment.

DrKalambestoweduponme the highest honour ofmy life byvisitingmymother’shomeatMeerut to tellher that ‘(her)son isagoodguy’. Iplace thisbookatthefeetofmymotherSmt.UpasanaTiwariandA.P.J.M.Maracayer,DrKalam’s elder brother, in anticipation that the soul body ofDrKalamwill bepleasedwithmyeffort.

ThisbookwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthepainstakingworkofV.Ponraj,myformercolleagueatDRDOandtheconstantcompanionofDrKalamsince2002.Ponraj single-handedly archived all his lectures and I donot haveenoughwordstodescribehisdevotionforDrKalamandhiscontributioninhisservice.

AtDRDL,IworkedunderfourofDrKalam’sfriendsandcontemporaries:LtGeneralDrV.J. Sundaram,K.RamaRao,DrR.N.Agarwal and the lateMaj.Gen. R. Swaminathan. These senior scientists andmilitary officers have beenmostkindandcaringtome.MyassociationwithDrKalamwouldnothavebeenpossible without their holding my hand during my baby steps in the missileprogramme. Dr Kalam spotted me because I was sitting on their toweringshoulders.

IgratefullyrecallthetimeIspentwithDrY.S.Rajan,DrA.SivathanuPillai,Dr Kota Harinaryana, D. Narayanamoorthi and Prof. N. Balakrishnan. I alsogratefully recall their support. They came intomy life throughDrKalam andblessed me with their kindness and immense knowledge. I offer my sincerethankstothesegreatsouls.

Dr B. SomaRaju andDrKalam formed the two poles ofmy professional

world. I resigned my secure government job in 1996 to develop spin-offs ofdefencetechnologyinacivilianset-up.Itwasagainstconventionalwisdom,butDrSomaRaju never letmedown.Andwhenwe receivedDrKalam’smortalremainsathisresidencetogether,itwasaconvictiontruthfullyexercisedandatrustfaithfullylived.Thankyou,DrB.SomaRaju.

Dr Kalam introduced me to Sadhu Brahmaviharidas Swamiji to take hisguidance inwriting thebookTranscendence.Thisassociation turnedout tobemyportaltothehigherunseenworld.Ihavebeentransformedasahumanbeing,and my heart has been filled with peace that was never there before. In theIndian tradition we don’t thank gurus, we bow before them. So I bow inreverencebeforeSadhuBrahmaviharidasSwamiji.

P.T.RajasekharanhadbeenworkingwithDrKalamon theNobelPrizeAllproject,andithadbeenawonderfulassociation.Hehelpedmewithhisimmenseknowledgeandexperience in raisingmywork toan international level.Thankyou,MrRajasekharan,forholdingmyhand.

During the writing of Transcendence I worked with Mr Carl Harte andexperienced a powerful spiritual connection. This connection workedwonderfullyinthewritingofthisbook.Wehavenotmetinpersonyet,butourcollaborationistestimonytothepoweroftheunseenandthephysicalimpactofthespiritualforce.Butforhiseditorialefforts,thebookwouldnothaveseenthelightofdayasfastasithas.

IthankH.Sheridon,R.K.PrasadandDhanShyamSharmainDelhiandS.G.Prasad andS.A.Taimiya inHyderabad, for always beingwithmewhenever Ineededthem,withoutmyasking.

IthankP.M.Sukumar,formerCEO,HarperCollinsPublishers,whomotivatedmetowritethisbook,V.K.Karthika,publisherandchiefeditor,HarperCollins,andShantanuRayChaudhuri,editorofthisbook,whomadethebookpossible.

Finally,IthankmywifeAnjana,sonsAseemandAmolandtheirfamiliesfortheir support. Each one of us has been blessed by Dr Kalam, including mygrandsonAgastya,whomDrKalam taught ‘A’ forApple and ‘O’ forOrange,showinghimthefruitsatRajBhavaninHyderabadon11January2014.

Anddearreader,Idon’tknowyouyet,butwheneverthisbookreachesyou,pleaseacceptmymostsincerethanksforbelievinginthegoodnessofDrKalamandsparingtimetoreadhisstory.

Shakespeare was only partly right when he wrote ‘Life’s but a walkingshadow…’MayIrewritehislinesthus:

Life’sbutawalkingshadow,therecomesaplayer,Thatinspiresandperformshishouruponthestage,Andthenisrememberedforever.ItisataleToldtimeandagain,fullofconvictionandfaith,Signifyinghumanexistenceonthisplanet.

DrA.P.J.AbdulKalamwasonesuchplayer…andIsatintheaudience.JaiHo!

5September2015 ArunTiwariHyderabad

Index

AeronauticalDevelopmentEstablishment(ADE)Agarwal,R.N.agriculturalbiotechnologyAkshardhamTempleinDelhi,GandhinagarAkshayamission(ITliteracy)Ali,A.Hameed,TheInnerJourneyHomeAmritanandamayiDevi,MataAnjuman-e-Islam(educationalinstitution),trustrunsNehruArts,Scienceand

CommerceCollegeAnnaUniversityinChennaiAravindEyeHospitalArunachalam,DrV.S.Aravamudan,Ramabhadran(friend)AryabhatasatelliteAtomicEnergyCommissionofIndia,atomic/nuclearenergyAurobindo,SriAshramSri

AyurvedaAYUSHAzimPremjiFoundation

Bachchan,JayaBalakrishnan,Prof.N.Balasubramanian,Prof.D.BangladeshBhabhaAtomicResearchCentre(BARC)Bhabha,DrHomiBharatDynamicsLimited(BDL)

BharatiyaJanataParty(BJP)Bhatkar,DrVijayBhattacharya,J.C.BhopalMemorialHospitalandResearchCentreBhujearthquakeBiharBillionBeats,anelectronicnewspaperBiswas,P.K.Borlaug,DrNormanBrahmaKumarisSpiritualAcademyBrahMosAerospaceCo.BrazilBritishruleBuddhaMahotsavafestivalBulgariaBush,PresidentGeorgeW.

CentreforDevelopmentofAdvancedComputing(C-DAC)Chidambaram,DrR.children,mentallychallengedChina,nucleartechnologyin,Indo–ChinarelationsChonaShyama,workfordisabledchildrencivilizationsofIndiaandChinacommunal,violence,harmonycompetencies,internallyandexternallyorientedcompetitivenessinworldmarketessentialCubanMissileCrisis

DalaiLamadargahsDefenceBioengineeringandElectromedicalLaboratory(DEBEL)DefenceMetallurgicalResearchLaboratory(DMRL)defenceproduction,self-relianceinDefencePublicSectorUndertakings(DPSUs)DefenceResearchandDevelopmentOrganization(DRDO)

Deshpande,Prof.S.M.DevelopedIndiaDhawan,Prof.Satish(directorofIISc)DiscoveryofIndiabyJawaharlalNehruDubai

educationtomeetmodernchallengesEDUSAT–theIndianSatelliteinEducationEmpoweredHumanLifeVisionenergyforIndia’sdevelopmentenergyindependenceenlightenedcitizenshipEuropeanSpaceAgency(ESA)

Felix,Rev.FrThomasFernandes,GeorgeFoundationforUnityofReligionsandEnlightenedCitizenship(FUREC)foundationsoflife

Gandhi,IndiraGandhi,MahatmaGandhi,RajivGates,BillGeorge,FatherAathappillyKuriakose(researchstudent)GokhaleInstituteofPoliticsandEconomics(GIPE)GoogleIndiaGopalaswamy,SquadronLeaderR.governors’conferenceGowda,H.D.DeveGreeceGujral,InderKumar

Harinarayana,DrKotahealingsystems,traditionalhealthcare

andmedicaltechnologyinIndia

Hill,Napoleon,TheLawofSuccessHindustanAeronauticalLtd.HindustanAircraftLimited(HAL)HindustanAircrafthovercraftdevelopmentprojecthumanbeing,goodHuntington,Samuelhydropower

IcelandIftarpartyImagingInfra-Red(IIR)Indiresan,Prof.P.V.India:AVisionfortheNewMillenniumIndiaandIran,BrazilIndianAerospaceProgrammeIndianAirForceIndianCommitteeforSpaceResearch(INCOSPAR)IndianInstituteofScience(IISc)IndianInstituteofSpaceScienceandTechnology(IIST)IndianNavyIndianScienceCongressIndianspaceprogrammeIndianSpaceResearchOrganization(ISRO)IndiraGandhiPrizeforPeace,DisarmamentandDevelopmentIndo-USciviliannuclearagreementInertialnavigationsystem(INS)InstituteofMicrobialTechnology(IMTECH)interfaithevent,conclaveforanInternationalConferenceonDigitalLibraries(ICDL2004)InternationalCropsResearchInstitutefortheSemi-Arid-Tropics(ICRISAT)InternationalInstituteofInformationTechnology(IIIT)

internetanditsvalueirrigationinfrastructureIyer,N.R.

JeevanVidyaJiangZemin,President

Kakodar,DrAnil,DirectoratBARCKalam,DrA.P.J.AbduladdresstothenationonRepublicDayEveadroitdiplomacyofandVajpayeeandManmohanSinghappealtovotersbyawardsnational,internationalbirthdaycelebrationsofbrother,A.P.J.M.Maracayerchildhoodchildren,interactionwithconscienceasaguidedress,newmodeofeducationoffaithinthedivinefather,Jainulabdeenforeignvisits(official)friendsofgovernorsandlieutenantgovernors,meetingofgreatteachersofhealthofhonorarydegreesreceivedIndiansociety,oninterpersonalskillsofinterreligiousexperienceoflastmomentsofleisuretimeoflifestyleof

loveforanimalsloveforwildlifemother,AshiammaNoah’sarkandcuriositypost–retirementfromnationalpoliticsprioritiesofreligiouspersonreligiousplacesofallfaithsvisitedchurches,monasteries,mosques,templesrighteousness,lifebasedonsagescientistKalamsister,Zoharaspeeches/addressesstudents,interactivesessionswithviewsonhumilityKalanidhi,Prof.A.Kapoor,A.K.KeralaKhan,EnayethKhatami,SeyyedMohammad,PresidentofIranKurien,DrVerghese

Lala,R.M.authorofCelebrationoftheCells

landreformsleader,qualitiesofaleaders,spiritual/religiousleadership,conceptofcreativeLightCombatAircraft(LCA)DevelopmentProgramme

LiveablePlanetEarth,creatingaLuizInacioLuladaSilva,PresidentofBrazil

MadrasInstituteofTechnology(MIT)MahabodhiTempleMahapragya,Acharya,teachingsinbook,FindingYourSpiritualCentreby

RanjitDugar,andDrKalam,FamilyandNation

managerialgridmodelMandela,NelsonManekshaw,FieldMarshalS.H.F.J.Mangotra,AnilMarshall,Z.P.MauritiusMediratta,DrO.P.,(directorofADE)Menon,M.G.K.,(directorofTIFR)Menon,V.K.KrishnamentalhealthMinistryofDefenceMishraDhatuNigamLimited(MIDHANI)MissileDevelopmentProgrammeMissileTechnologyControlRegime(MTCR)missiletechnologymissilesAgniAkashballisticBrahMosfiveindigenousNag(anti-tank)Trishul

Mizoram’sprosperity,missionsforModi,NarendraMohan,CommodoreS.R.Mukherjee,PranabMusharraf,PresidentPervezMuttha,ShantilalGulabchandjiMyanmar

Nadar,ShivNagalandNair,P.M.

NarasimhaRao,P.V.Narayanan,GroupCaptainNarayanan,K.R.NASANationalAerospaceLaboratory(NAL)NationalAwardfortheWelfareofPersonswithDisabilitiesNationalCampaigntoEradicateTerrorism(NCET)nationalcitizencardNationalInstituteofMentalHealthandNeurosciences(NIMHANS)NationalJudicialAcademynationalunityNehru,Jawaharlalnon-violencenortheastnucleartests

OfficeofProfitBillOneMan’sBiblebyGaoXingjianorphanages

PambanIslandPandey,Rajnath(colleague)Pant,K.C.ParsisPatil,PratibhaPatnaik,BijuPawar,SharadPillai,SivathanuA.Pitroda,SatyanarayanGangaram‘Sam’PrahladaPrakash,DrBrahm,(directorofVSSC)PramukhSwamijiPrasad,DrB.N.Premji,AzimProofandExperimentalEstablishment(PXE)

ProvidingUrbanFacilitiesinRuralAreas(PURA)PushcartWar,ThePutin,PresidentVladimir

Rajan,DrY.S.,(friendofDrKalam)Raju,DrB.SomaRamakrishnaMissionStudentsHome,MylaporeRamanathapuramRamanna,DrRajaRamaseshan,Prof.SivarajRameswaramRamphal,SirShridathRao,K.RamaResearchCentreImarat(RCI)rocketlaunchingfacilitiesrocket-assistedtake-offsystem(RATO)Roy,DrBidhanChandraruraldevelopmentprogrammesruralIndia,visionforRussia

Saha,MeghnadSahgal,LakshmiSangal,Prof.RajeevSarabhai,DrVikramSaraswat,DrV.K.SatelliteInstructionalTelevisionExperiment(SITE)SatelliteLaunchVehicle(SLV)satellitestodetecttropicalcyclonesSathyaSaiBaba,SriSathya,C.R.(colleague)scientists,IndianSelfRelianceCommitteeShahani,ChandruSheridon,H.(secretarytoDrKalam)

SiachenGlacierSinghvi,DrL.M.,onDrKalamSocietyforBiomedicalTechnology(SBMT)SocratessolarenergysoundingrocketsSpecialPurposeComputerDivision(SPCD)SpecialWeaponDevelopmentTeam(SWDT)SquaringtheCircle:SevenStepstoIndianRenaissancebyDrKalamandA.Tiwari

Subbarao,DrKakarlaSudanSundaram,ColV.J.Swaminathan,DrM.S.Swaminathan,R.Gen.SwitzerlandTataConsultancyServices(TCS)TataInstituteofFundamentalResearch(TIFR)TataSteelTata,DorabjiTata,J.R.D.Tata,JamsetjiNusserwanjiTata,RatanteachersofDrKalamatschoolsandcollegeIyengar,Prof.ThothathriIyer,RamakrishnaIyer,SivaSubramaniaKalathil,Rev.FatherManickam,S.T.R.Pandalai,Prof.K.V.A.Rajam,ChinnaswamyRao,NarasinghaSequeira,Rev.FatherSolomon,Iyadurai

Sponder,Prof.Tank,Prof.Kurt

technologicalsolutionsTechnologyInformationForecastingandAssessmentCouncil(TIFAC)

terrorism,internationalTibetTilakMaharajTilak,BalgangadharTiruchirappallitraditionalmedicinesTranscendence:MySpiritualExperienceswithPramukhSwamiji,byDrKalamandArunTiwari

TrinityCollegeatDublinTripuraTutu,ArchbishopDesmond

UkraineUnitedArabEmirates(UAE)UttarPradesh

Vajpayee,AtalBihariValue-basededucationVenkataraman,R.Venkataswamy,DrGovindappa(DrV.)VikramSarabhaiSpaceCentre(VSSC)visionpreservationandrestorationprogrammesVivekananda,Swami

WagholiEducationalRehabilitationCentreWerner(Freiherr)vonBraunWingsofFire:AnAutobiographybyDrKalamWorldEconomicForum(WEF)worldpeace

worldpoliticsWorldSocialForum(WSF)WorldSpaceVisionworldwars

Yadav,MulayamSinghYunus,Muhammad

TheinitialobjectivesoftheIndianspaceprogrammeweretoestablishamodestsoundingrocketlaunchingfacilityandprovidefacilitiestotheinternationalscientificcommunitytogatherdata.Whileworkwasin

progress,sevenrocketengineersweresentfortrainingwithNASA.AyouthfulA.P.J.AbdulKalam(secondfromleft)wasamongthem.

VikramSarabhaientrustedKalamwiththetasksofdevelopingadvancedcompositematerialsandsettingupIndia’sfirstfilamentwindingmachine.Hisdutywastobuildnon-magneticpayloadhousingsforthetwo-

stagesoundingrocketsandrocketmotorcasings.

SatishDhawanoversawKalam’severystepinthemakingoftheSLV-3.Itwassuccessfullylaunchedon18July1980whenitcarriedtheRohiniRS-1satelliteintoorbit,therebymakingIndiathesixthmemberofan

exclusiveclubofspacefaringnations.

SatishDhawantoldPrimeMinisterIndiraGandhithatKalamhadshownexemplaryleadershipinthecreationofSLV-3,whichwasamammotheffortinvolvingthousandsofpeopleoversevenyears.

Theentireprogrammeofmilitaryrocketrywasreelingunderapersistentmoodofapathy.Therewasaleadershipvacuum,andRajaRamannainvitedKalamtoassumeakeyroleintheDRDLtogiveimpetusto

themissileprogramme.

OnRepublicDay1981,thePadmaBhushan,thethird-highestcivilianhonourofthecountry,wasconferredonKalam.HereceivedtheawardfromPresidentNeelamSanjivaReddy.

Kalam,flankedbyV.S.Arunachalam,showingPrimeMinisterRajivGandhitheAgnimissileinthemaking.Later,theprimeministerlaidthefoundationstoneofResearchCentreImarat(RCI),afacilityfor

testingandevaluatingcompletelyintegratedmissiles.RCI’spurposewouldbetoweedoutdesign,fabricationandintegrationdeficienciesinthemissiles.

OnRepublicDay1990,theIndiannationcelebratedthesuccessofitsmissileprogramme.DrKalamandDrArunachalamwereawardedthePadmaVibhushan,thesecond-highestcivilianhonouroftheRepublicof

India.ReceivingtheawardfromPresidentR.Venkataraman,thevisionaryofthenation’smissile

programme,heldparticularsignificanceforDrKalam.

DrKalamenjoyeddirectaccesstoPrimeMinsterNarasimhaRao,whowasalsothedefenceminister.AftertheColdWarendedin1991,andwiththatthe1971treatywiththeSovietUnion,Indiawasleftvulnerable,

withoutasuperpowerfriend.TherewaslittlechoiceforIndiaotherthantobecomeanuclear-capablenation.

DefenceMinisterMulayamSinghYadavdevelopedagreatrapportwithDrKalam.HewouldwalkintoDrKalam’sofficeintheSouthBlockwheneverheneededtomeetwithhim,insteadofcallingDrKalamtohis

chamberaswascustomary.

TheBharatRatna,thenation’shighestcivilianhonour,wasconferredonDrKalambyPresidentK.R.NarayananinNovember1997.ThisconveyedtotheworldapowerfulmessageofIndia’scommitmentto

nationalsecurity.DrKalamwasthefirstscientistafterC.V.Ramantoreceivethisaward.

TheAgnimissilewassuccessfullydevelopedintoanuclearweapondeliverysystem.DefenceMinisterGeorgeFernandes(centre)withDrKalam,hisfriendandright-handmanR.Swaminathan(secondfrom

right)andAgniProjectDirectorR.N.Agarwal(farright).

On11May1998at3:43:44.2p.m.,IndianStandardTime,thefirstthreenucleardevicesweresimultaneouslydetonatedundergroundatPokhranTestRange.Twodayslater,twosub-kilotondevicesweresimilarlydetonated.Asixthdevice,whichwasinstalledandscheduledfortesting,wastakenback

underordersfromR.Chidambaram,ashefeltthattheteamhadobtainedtheresultstheyrequiredfromthefiveblasts.

DrKalamfiledhisnominationpapersfortheofficeofPresidenton18June2002.Theelectionwastobeaone-sidedcontest,withDrKalamreceivingsupportacrossthepoliticalspectrumandnearly90percentof

thevote.

On25July2002,theChiefJusticeofIndiaB.N.KirpaladministeredtheoathofofficeandsecrecytoDrKalam,makinghimtheeleventhPresidentofIndia.

DrKalamofferingnamazwithhiselderbrotherA.P.J.M.MaracayerandmembersoftheirfamilyinRameswaram.DrKalamoncesaidtome,‘Ifyouonlyhadeyestoseeandearstohearandwitsto

understand,youwouldknowthattheKingdomofGodisthesenseofholiness,goodnessandbeauty.Itisasclosetoyouasyourbreath.’

Twovisionaryleaders,PresidentKalamandPrimeMinisterAtalBihariVajpayee,movedthenationawayfromservitudeandfatalism.TheyenvisionedanenlightenedIndia,whichpossessedmilitarymightforits

adversariesandcompassionforitspeopleinequalmeasure.

TheRashtrapatiBhavanwasmadereadyfortheswearing-inceremonyforSmt.SoniaGandhi.Smt.GandhithentoldPresidentKalamthatshewouldlikeDrManmohanSinghtobetheprimeministerofIndia.

ThehistoricIndo-USCivilNuclearCooperationAgreementwassignedduringPresidentGeorgeW.Bush’svisitinMarch2006.ThewayforIndiatoprocureuraniumwaseffectivelycleared,andthenationcould

nowmeetitsacuteenergyneedsasanemergingworldpower.

PresidentKalamasked,‘DrMandela,canyoupleasetellmeaboutthepioneersoftheanti-apartheidmovementinSouthAfrica?’NelsonMandelarespondedenthusiastically,‘Ofcourse.Oneofthegreat

pioneersofSouthAfrica’sfreedommovementwasM.K.Gandhi.IndiasentusarighteousbarristerM.K.Gandhi.WereturnedhimtoyouasMahatmaGandhi.’

DrKalamwasimpressedwiththewayPresidentLuladaSilvahadraisedBrazil’sprofileontheinternationalsceneandpresidedoverBrazil’slongestperiodofeconomicgrowthinthreedecades.Dr

KalamcalledPresidentLulaaleaderwithintegrity.PresidentLulainspiredDrKalamtocreatehisfamousslogan,‘Iwillworkwithintegrityandsucceedwithintegrity.’

DuringhisvisittoTanzaniainSeptember2004,PresidentKalamcametoknowaboutthedismalplightofunderprivilegedTanzanianchildrenwithcongenitalheartdefects.DrKalamorganizedcorrectivesurgeriesforthesechildrenatCareHospital,Hyderabad.AirIndiaflewthechildrentoHyderabadwiththeirmothers,

freeofcharge.

On13February2006,PresidentKalamwasgivenademonstrativeexcursioninINSSindhurakshak,duringwhichthesubmarinesubmergedandsailedintheBayofBengalforafewhours.TheChiefofNavalStaff

ArunPrakashaccompaniedhim.CommanderPraveshSinghBishtcommandedthesubmarine.

PresidentKalamwasthefirstIndianPresidenttovisittheSiachenGlacier,thehighestbattlefieldintheworld.

PresidentKalamfulfilledachildhooddreamon8June2006,whenheflewtheSukhoi-30MKIattheLohegaonAirForceBaseinPune.PresidentKalamco-pilotedtheplanewithWingCommanderAjay

Rathore.

PresidentKalamtookthesaluteforthefifty-eighthRepublicDayparadewithRussianPresidentVladimirPutin.ThestrategicrelationshipbetweenIndiaandRussiahadservednotonlythelong-termnational

interestsofbothcountries,butalsoeffectivelycontributedtostabilityandsecurityinAsia;andtheworldatlarge.

PresidentKalam’saddresstotheEuropeanParliamentwasthefirstofaPresidentofIndia,andhisspeechreceivedenthusiasticapplauseandastandingovation.PresidentHans-GertPotteringdescribedPresidentKalam’saddresstotheEuropeanParliamentasextraordinary:‘Fromastatesman,poetandscientist,thisis

unique.

’PresidentKalammetMrBillGatesinNovember2002inwhatwashailedasanexaltedmeetingofminds–theheadoftheworld’slargestsoftwarecompanyandavisionary‘techie’president.Themeeting,however,turnedalittlefrostywhenPresidentKalammadeacaseforopen-sourcesoftware,whichwasnotatallto

thelikingofthesoftwareking.

PresidentKalamcalledontheailingFieldMarshalS.H.F.J.Manekshaw,fondlycalledSamBahadur,attheMilitaryHospital,Wellington,on24February2007.Inhiscelebratedcareeroffourdecades,SamBahadur

foughtinfivewars,includingWorldWarII.

ThechiefministerofGujarat,NarendraModi,invitedDrKalamtoaddressaconclavetodiscuss‘HowgovernmentandbusinesscanchangetoprovideIndianyouthwiththeopportunitiestheydeserve’,atAhmedabadon29June2013.DrKalamgaveNarendraModiasignedcopyofSquaringtheCircle.

On20June2015,DrKalamtravelledtoSarangpurinGujarattopresenthisbookTranscendencetoPramukhSwamiji.AshehandedthebooktoSwamiji,DrKalamsaidtohim,‘Youareagreatteacher,a

greatspiritualteacher.I’velearntagreatlessonfromyou:howtoremoveI-nessandMy-ness.’

DrKalamwaslaidtorestatRameswaramon30July2015at11.30a.m.,withfullmilitaryhonours.PrimeMinisterNarendraModigaveDrKalamthelastsalute.Thesightofpeoplefromallwalksoflife–cuttingacrosscaste,creedandreligion–biddingDrKalamatearfulgoodbyeinapeacefulandrestrainedmanner,

wouldbetheenvyofthemightiestofthisworld.

AbouttheBook

Aeronauticalengineer,rocketscientist,missileman,visionaryteacherandthemostinspiringheadofstateinlivingmemory–AvulPakirJainulabdeenAbdulKalamwas all this andmore. Unquestionably the most revered Indian leadersince Mahatma Gandhi, he transcended all the boundaries and obstacles thatcamehisway in thecourseofa remarkable life,andhedidsowithgraceandhumility

Arun Tiwari tells Dr Kalam’s life story with a deep understanding of hisformativeexperiencesandcharacter.HechartsDrKalam’sstratosphericrisetoprominence – as dramatic as the missiles he championed – giving us uniqueglimpsesintohisstruggleandtribulations.Withthebenefitofthirty-threeyearsasDrKalam’s‘subordinate,co-author,speechwriterandfriend’,hecapturestheessenceofKalam–hisinfluences,hisascetichabitsandthepassionsthatfuelledhisremarkablelifeandachievements.

This authoritative portrait ofDrKalam, enriched by personal experiences andanecdotes,revealshimasamanpersonifyingallthegloryandparadoxesofhisnation:secularandreligious;exaltedandhumble;dynamicandcalm;scientificandspiritual–anIndianaboveall.

AbouttheAuthor

Arun Tiwari did his master’s in mechanical engineering from G.B. PantUniversity and joined the Defence Research & Development Laboratory(DRDL)atHyderabadasamissilescientist in1982.Hewasairframedesignerand project manager (system integration) in the first three AKASH missiledevelopmentalflights.In1992,Prof.TiwariwasappointedbyDrKalamastheprogramme director at the DRDO, developing civilian spin-offs of defencetechnology.AsamemberofDrKalam’steam,hesetupthefirstlinkofthePan-Africa e-Network of Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL). Thenetwork now connects universities and hospitals across the African continentwiththeirIndiancounterparts.

In 1999,Arun Tiwari co-wroteWings of Fire, the autobiography ofDrA.P.J.AbdulKalam.Hehaswrittentwelvebookssince.

Arun Tiwari is currently consulting to evolve the blueprint for FDI in thedefence sector and towards the creation of a strong Defence TechnologicalIndustrial Base (DTIB) in India. He is an adjunct professor in the School ofManagementSciences,UniversityofHyderabad.

Booksco-authoredbyArunTiwariwithDrA.P.J.AbdulKalam

WingsofFire:AnAutobiography(1999)GuidingSouls:DialoguesonthePurposeofLife(2004)

YouAreBorntoBlossom(2006)SquaringtheCircle:SevenStepstoIndianRenaissance(2013)

Transcendence:MySpiritualExperienceswithPramukhSwamiji(2015)

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FirstpublishedinIndiain2015byHarperCollinsPublishersIndia

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P-ISBN:978-93-5177-691-8EpubEdition©December2015ISBN:978-93-5177-692-5

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