“Only the person who has the courage to lose sight of the shore can discover new oceans” – Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
It is hard to encapsulate the life of such a vast and influential personality in any way that will do him justice, but if there is anything that the late Dr. Kalam has taught us; then it is to never give up without trying and so I’ll take you to the famous sea-touching town of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.
Growing up in a joint family amidst a war-affected world meant that a young Kalam had to work hard as a newspaper-seller to supplement his family’s income but within the beauty of the shoreline and rich religious dialogue, he found a hunger for learning that would eventually lead him to the zenith of success.
The sky was the limit for him, both literally and figuratively as he dreamed of being a fighter pilot, a dream that he very closely missed out on. However, his love for aerospace wasn’t nullified a bit as he extended his services to DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organisation) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) where he oversaw the development of India’s first SLV(satellite launch vehicle).
Those who may not remember him in his role as a scientist might then remember his tenure as the president of our nation from 2002 to 2007. Often dubbed as the ‘people’s president’, APJ Abdul Kalam was one name which was almost unanimously supported to fill in the role of the President of India. Surely, that does not sound surprising to me, for he respected the
tenets of every religion and passionately believed in the spirit of the youth. As young students, we were introduced to him through his biography ‘Wings of fire’, which gave a sordid account of the integrity with which the Bharat Ratna-awardee led his life.
Be it a scientist, president, thinker, spiritualist, writer, brother or a son we all remember him in one way or the other but the effect is universal. He inspired us to be productive and aim high in whatever we do. In 2015 at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong the late president suffered a cardiac arrest which ultimately resulted in his passing. The gravity of his
absence was felt by the entire world as it remembered a great mind and soul.
May his memory be with us forever.
