The Hindu : A many-sided genius

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 12, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

A many-sided genius

By Dr. K. Venkatasubramanian

The next President of India will be Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, others things being equal. He perhaps will start a new race of non-political Presidents at the Rashtrapati Bhavan or if Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan started this family, he will be the second milestone. People have talked about the many activities of this scientific genius. To recapitulate again his achievement in the field of missile technology is not necessary today.

In his first most impressive press conference, he recalled the images that had stayed in his mind from childhood. He spoke of Jawaharlal Nehru unfurling the tricolour and of Mahatma Gandhi walking barefoot in Noakhali to put out communal flames.

This rural citizen from Rameswaram — coming from a fisherman's family — reached such heights because of his sheer tenacity, combined with simplicity of the highest order and rare sense of uncommon humility.

We were both products of the St. Joseph's College of Tiruchirapalli, the Jesuit institution of Tamil Nadu which was one of the earliest temples of learning. St. Joseph's in those days was known for its discipline, and the college course enabled students to train their minds. Dr. Kalam studied physics under eminent persons such as Prof. P.E. Subramania Iyer, and we studied under eminent Principals such as Rev. Father Jerome D'Souza and Rev. Father Erhart, who etched themselves in the minds of the students. Their rigorous training shaped Dr. Kalam. They ignited the mind of their students and no wonder Dr. Kalam took up the mission of igniting the minds of others.

I had the privilege of working very closely with Dr. Kalam, then Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, in the high-level task force on how to make India a super knowledge power. This task force was formed on the call given by the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee. The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, K.C. Pant, was the Chairman and I was the Member Convener. Dr. Kalam headed the Steering Committee. During this period, I came across certain rare qualities in this eminent man of science. We had several sessions and workshops and invited every noted person throughout India to get their views on how to make the country a super knowledge power. Dr. Kalam attended every workshop and seminar and took notes. He later analysed them on a white board in his room for the next day's seminar, just like a class teacher preparing for his lectures. I was usually present with him when he analysed these ideas; he would arrive at conclusions as if he was working on a mathematical sum of calculus. This attention to details and the interest he showed was remarkable.

I have found Dr. Kalam to be always serious about things. He always stood up to issues and analysed them, finally coming to the right conclusions.

The second point that made one admire him was his respect for others and all religions. He was at ease in the Ajmer Dargah and also at the Andal Temple in Sri Villiputhur. He could read with the same gusto the Quran and the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita. When we gave the Centenarian Paramacharya Award of Kanchi to this intellectual in 1997 at Chennai, as the executive president of the Centenarian Trust, I had the privilege of reading the citation. I said then that this remarkable Indian from Tamil Nadu has his motto like Tennyson: ``To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield''.

I completed my speech by saying: ``Let us pray to God Almighty to shower on this rare person his choicest blessings so that India can march from strength to strength in the days to come.''

This was five years ago when I never knew that one day he would go to Raisina Hill. This award was conferred on him by the former President, R. Venkataraman, and patron of the trust.

One more thing in Dr. Kalam that attracted me is his great passion for knowledge. He felt that knowledge alone could uplift a person and make a country great. He often recited `Thirukural' to this effect. His library contains the latest books on every subject. No wonder when we asked him to give a plan to make India a super knowledge power and he gave one mantra to achieve this — ``Knowledge, knowledge and knowledge''. This silent and sincere person of devotion and dedication of a rare variety, I am sure, will deliver the goods.

(The writer is a Member of the Planning Commission).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

Stories in this Section

Life and death

Kabul and the 'war' on terror

The Supreme Court and elections

Afghan peace under threat