Monday, Dec 16, 2002
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By Our Special Correspondent
The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, interacting with school students at a function held at the Anna University in Chennai on Sunday. — Photo: V. Ganesan
But long before it ended, the session had the expected impact on the students, with the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, packing his speech with many messages. He urged the 30 crore youngsters in schools across the country to induce a spark that could serve as a resource to fulfilling the dream of removing poverty and making India a developed nation. Why should caste and communal differences remain, a teenager asked. "We are prepared to learn from the spiritual books of all faiths. We want to live in harmony. But even in schools, we are asked to name our caste. Should these differences not end at least when you are President," she asked. A thoughtful-looking President recalled a similar question from a boy who wanted to know whether he (Dr. Kalam) was first a Muslim, a Tamilian, a scientist or an Indian. "I repeat the answer I gave him. I strive to be a good human being. Everything else will follow. We have 30 crore youngsters in schools across the country. They should decide to make the country a superpower in the next 15 or 20 years. This spark should come to every young mind. Once it happens, the spark will be a resource to fight poverty. And once poverty ends, the caste and other differences will disappear... " he said. "Personally my dream is to ensure that all young Indians lived in a developed India within the next 18 to 20 years." The President said he was involving about 500 scientists into working towards this end. To another question, he said it was possible to link all rivers in India. The country was preparing plans to achieve this though it would require huge funds and human resources. On ending terrorism, he said value-based education provided by role-model teachers, combined with economic development could combat terrorism within. But cross-border terrorism "should be dealt with by other means," he said without elaborating. When a student sought to know why India should possess nuclear weapons, if they were never to be used, he said "strength respects strength. We are surrounded by hostile nuclear powers. All round the world there were other nuclear powers. We cannot remain silent. But as the Prime Minister has explained, India is committed to the No-first-Use doctrine. If some uses the nuclear power, we will use ours, which I think is acceptable." Earlier, he initiated the interaction by urging the students to keep raising pertinent questions and exploring the answers. Who is the first scientist, he asked and answered it himself, "Children!'' ``Because they are the ones who keep asking more questions.'' "Only if you are curious to ask questions and ponder the challenges, you can get answers. That is the quest of science," he noted. About 1,000 students from 35 corporation and 21 government schools, vying with one another to catch the President's attention, participated in the session held at the Vivekananda auditorium in the Anna University. Earlier, dressed in an informal attire, the President entered the hall around 11 a.m., and before going up the dais, chose to directly enter the crowd of youngsters, creating a scramble among press photographers, TV crew, security men and officials. He later held a doctoral committee meeting, reviewing the research projects being pursued in the Anna University, which he headed before assuming office.
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