A tribute to Dr A P J Abdul Kalam -- I am a well in this great land...

* The nation can never forget the scientist-litterateur-philosopher-gentleman that ‘Bharat Ratna’ Dr A P J Abdul Kalam was

By Kartik Lokhande

Even before one could grasp the details being flashed on television screen on Monday late evening, one’s eyes welled up and a lump came to one’s throat. For, the nation was learning the shocking and saddest news of demise of ‘Bharat Ratna’ Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the most loved President and scientist of India. Immediately, memories of brief interactions with him and his inspiring speeches flashed before one’s eyes, with the last ones being of his speeches at Nagpur in the past two years. 

A man deeply inspired by the commitment of his teachers, Dr Kalam himself rose to become a great teacher in the true sense of the term. Be it his brisk walk defying his age, be it his charming and disarming smile, be it his animated gestures when his speech was at its peak, be it his typical accented English, he left indelible mark on one’s mindscape. The year 2013 gave one more opportunity to teachers from Nagpur and elsewhere to listen to the legend and get inspired. The occasion was International Principals’ Educational Conference-2013. The researcher-innovator-thinker-philosopher was delighted to address the teachers and interact with him. And, he did not mind asking the teachers to be his students for a while and repeat after him some words. Of course, when a highly revered figure like Dr Kalam asked, everyone followed. 

As a reporter assigned to cover the speech, I was happy to get another opportunity to listen to the man I respected since my student-days. And, it was another occasion to ignite one’s mind and heart through Dr Kalam’s words. Then, Dr Kalam asked the Principals from India and abroad to take up their mission of creating ‘moral leadership for nation building’. He asked the participants to allow students to generate questions and be prepared themselves to answer those. Describing the Principals as ‘teachers of teachers’, the former President of India and a scientist par excellence asked them to be a good teacher, a good thinking individual, a good human being, and a good moral leader to inculcate these values in students. 

In his own words, teachers should radiate knowledge and purity of thought. And, Dr Kalam himself was a living example of that. Of course, there was a standing ovation when the ‘Missile Man’ finished his address that gave ‘Wings of Fire’ to the gathering. The standing ovation was not for the man who held the highest Constitutional position in India or for the man who was honoured with the highest civilian honour of India; it was for the purity of thought, conviction, and ability to provoke thoughts through an instant connect with every heart around. 

Dr Kalam’s greatness and mission for life could be understood from the fact that in last decade he interacted with more than 16 million children and millions of teachers. He commanded such a respect that even China came up to him with a request to teach there. He shared his dream of a developed India with all through his writings, books, speeches. Every sentence he spoke reflected deeper thought he had given to each concept – physical and abstract. From that thought, he was able to successfully explain to the audience how to attain sublimation and take nation forward through learning the difference between ‘what can you do for me? To ‘what can I do for you?’ Understanding this difference, he said, transformed a child into a leader.

The erudite personality wanted every Indian to become a thinker. For, Dr Kalam had firm belief that thinking was progress and non-thinking was stagnation to individuals, organisations, and the country. I still remember his simple observation, “Thinking leads to action. Knowledge without action is useless and irrelevant. Knowledge with action brings prosperity.”

During various of speeches, Dr Kalam used to ask teachers to repeat after him some sentences. In Nagpur also, he had asked teachers to repeat after him, “Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in character; When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home; When there is harmony in the home, there is an order in the nation; When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.” And, it sounded like a collective prayer that charged up the atmosphere and ignited minds.

One of the most loved and respected sons of India, Dr Kalam attached huge importance to shaping thoughts of teachers as he treated it to be the first step towards shaping the personality of students, and bringing about a change in quality of future leadership of the country. So, almost during every interaction with teachers, he extracted from them commitment to the ideals of their profession through ’11 Point Oath for Teachers’.

Every sentence he spoke was like an independent-yet-harmonious poetry. During interactions with students, ‘Kalam Chacha’ always asked them to repeat after him one such ‘poem’ titled ‘I Will Fly.’ The poem not only inspired one to do better, but ignited the fire in the belly of even those who had lost confidence due to several reasons. The poem goes like this: "I am born with potential. I am born with goodness and trust. I am born with ideas and dreams. I am born with greatness. I am born with confidence. I am born with wings. So, I am not meant for crawling, I have wings, I will fly, I will fly, and fly.”

Dr Kalam’s style of inspiring people to rise above average and self, and contributing meaningfully and positively to the national cause, was simple yet impactful. For instance, during his last visit to the city on July 27, 2014, for valedictory function of Golden Jubilee year celebrations of Dr Ambedkar College-Nagpur, he had asked students to take up one exercise. “Everyone has a page in history for him or her. It is for that person to decide what he or she wants to fill that page with. For the purpose, one needs to first identify what he or she will be remembered for. When you go home today, write down your thoughts on the simple topic ‘What I will be remembered for?’ and act accordingly.” I am sure, it changed many lives that day.

One can go on and on with writing about one of the greatest human beings in the entire world. But, somewhere, there has to be an end so that there is fresh beginning.

So, to end, one wishes to quote from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam’s celebrated book ‘Wings of Fire’:-

“This story will end with me, for I have no inheritance in the worldly sense. I have acquired nothing, built nothing, possess nothing – no family, sons, daughters.

I am a well in this great land,

Looking at its millions of boys and girls,

To draw from me,

The inexhaustible divinity,

And spread His grace everywhere,

As does the water drawn from a well.”

What else could be a better tribute to this great human being and teacher than drawing up the inexhaustible divinity from his writings, speeches, books, and walking the path of nation building in a positive and meaningful way, irrespective of the profession we are in?

Dr Kalam, please do not rest in peace! Keep inspiring us! 

(July 27, 2015) 

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