About Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam:
Born on 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam is one of the most distinguished scientist and intellectual of India. Dr. Kalam became the 11th President of India on 25th July 2002. He has been awarded the coveted civilian awards |
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Editor> Sir, what are some of the things you learned in the DRDO and ISRO, that you practiced as President of India and can help us all lead our lives? Dr. Kalam> I have seen three dreams which have taken shape as vision, mission and realization. (1) Space programme of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) (2) AGNI programme of DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) and (3) PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) becoming the National Mission. Of course, these three programmes succeeded in the midst of many challenges and problems. I have worked in all these three areas. What I have learnt from these three programmes is: (1) Leader must have a vision. (6) Leader should have nobility in management. Editor> Please tell us about your movement “Billion Trees for Billion People”? Dr. Kalam> I was chosen as “Paryavaran Ambassador” by school students across the India following a campaign implemented in 15 languages in over two lakh schools. Purpose of this initiative is to increase awareness about our dependence on tree for survival which paves a way to common people to understand the importance of a tree, which dedicates every part of its life to every living being. I am advocating globally, “Billion Trees for Billion People" which will spark changes, our planet so desperately needs. The best TIME to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best TIME is now... The Himalayas are melting and the scientists are calling for a youth movement instead of political one to combat climate change. In India the motto of “Billion Trees for Billion People" can be accomplished by every youth planting a tree. Some may plant 100 trees, some may plant 10 trees and some may plant one. With help of several NGOs and well-wishers and “Green Kalam” initiative, we are going forward and are already beyond 18,00,000 sapling plantations. Editor> Einstein said, “Creativity is greater than knowledge”. What do you think? Dr. Kalam> See… Learning gives Creativity, Creativity leads to Thinking, Thinking provides Knowledge and Knowledge makes you great! Knowledge also is what you will carry with you after your completion of education and training in various subjects. However, I think, more than creativity or knowledge, what India needs is perhaps the driving force and confidence. “I can do it!” will result into “We can do it!” and in turn“India can do it!” was Sir CV Raman’s advice to young people, in particular. We have, I think, developed an inferiority complex. I think what is needed in India today is the destruction of that defeatist spirit. We need a spirit of victory, a spirit that will carry us to our rightful place under the sun, a spirit, which will recognize that we, as inheritors of a proud civilization, are entitled to a rightful place on this planet. If that indomitable spirit were to arise, nothing can hold us from achieving our rightful destiny. Editor> Sir, Does “Corruption” and people's lack of trust on politicians concern you? Dr. Kalam> Nation is bigger than political system. The message from my experience with these great leaders, i.e. Vajpayee ji, Narasimha Rao ji, Indira Gandhi ji and Biju Patnaik ji is, although these leaders were from different political parties, they were visionary leaders for whom the nation is always greater than any individual or political parties. To give you an example, once I was in a meeting with then Chief Minister Biju Patnaik ji...He said, “Kalam, I have decided to give all the five islands at no cost to you (DRDO), but I will sign the file only if you give me a promise". Chief Minister held my hand and said, “I have an invitation to visit China. I will visit only if you promise that you will make a missile that will reach China". I said, “Chief Minister Sir, definitely we will work for it"… Some of our politicians are really great patriotic people. Editor> Why are you proud of India? Dr. Kalam> One of the reasons, I am proud of India is because India has this advantage of integration of minds, dialogue of religions for thousands of years. Throughout the world, the need to have a frank dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations has been felt now more than ever. When I was a young boy of ten years. In our house periodically I used to see three different unique.... personalities meet. Pakshi Lakshmana Shastrigal, who was the head priest of the famous Rameshwaram temple and a vedic scholar, Rev Father Bodal, who built the first church in Rameshwaram Island and my father who was an Imam in the mosque. All three of them used to sit and discuss the islands problems and find solutions. In addition they built several religious connectivities with compassion. These connectivities quietly spread to others in the island like the fragrance from the flowers. Editor> Sir, What do you think is the biggest responsibility of our educators, our teachers today? Dr. Kalam> Today, teachers have got a tremendous responsibility to transform a child into a leader! A child asks, “What can you do for me"? The teenager says, “I want to do it alone". The young person proclaims, “Let us do it together". The leader offers, “What can I do for you". Transformation of “What can you do for me?” to “What can I do for you”, will demand a Teacher to be a visionary with an inspiring capability. Also the teacher has to ensure that you impart learning to the children in such a way as to bring out the best in them and for this, he or she has to be a good teacher himself. A teacher has to love teaching. |
The teacher should realize that she or he has to ignite the minds of the youth which is most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth. The teacher becomes a great teacher only when he or she is able to lift the average student to excellent performance by the way of special teaching techniques. The conduct of the teacher inside and outside of the school should become a great message to the student in shaping their career. The teacher has to fill his or her mind with great thoughts and spread the nobility in thinking and action. Editor> Which is your favorite book and why? Dr. Kalam> I recently studied the book by Howard Gardner, titled “Five Minds for the Future" and from my understanding of this book, there are five minds for the future: (1) Disciplinary Mind (2) Synthesizing Mind...(3) Creating Mind (4) Respectful Mind and (1) Disciplinary mind require the mastery of major schools of thought that may include science, mathematics, history and religion. It takes up to 10 years to master a discipline. This mind also knows how to work steadily overtime to improve skill and understand. (2) Synthesizing mind has the ability to integrate ideas from different disciplines or spheres into an integrated system and communicate the synthesized thoughts. (3) Creating mind is essential to build capacity to uncover and create solutions to new problems, questions and phenomena. Creativity puts forth new ideas, poses familiar questions and arrives at unprecedented answers. (4) Respectful mind: It is a uniquely developed mind, a mature mind that has awareness and appreciation for differences among human beings. In the world where we are, all interlinked and need to maintain working relationship, intolerance is no longer a viable option. (5) Ethical mind: It is indeed a built-in-capacity for fulfilling once responsibility as a worker and as a citizen simultaneously, it will essentially lead to “Work with Integrity and Succeed with Integrity". Our educational, political, managerial and spiritual system should nurture these five kinds of minds for cultivating positive human potentials. All of these five kinds of minds should be made to work synergistically. If we develop in all our students these five capacities, we will produce “Autonomous Learner" a self-directed, self-controlled, lifelong learner who will have the capacity to both, respect authority and at the same time is capable of questioning authority, in an appropriate manner. These are the leaders who would work together as a “Self-organizing Network" and transform any nation into a prosperous nation. Editor> What is your message for young students? Dr. Kalam> “Nothing is impossible!” In 1895, a great well-known scientist Lord Kelvin, who was the President of Royal Society of London said, “Anything heavier than air cannot fly, and cannot be flown." Within a decade, Wright Brothers proved man could fly of course at heavy risk and cost. On the successful completion of Moon Mission in 1969, Von Braun, a very famous rocket designer, who built Saturn-V, to launch the capsule with astronauts and made moon walk a reality, in 1975 said “If I am authorized, I will remove the word impossible". According to the laws of aerodynamics the bumble bee should never be able to fly. Because of the size, weight, and shape of its body in relationship to the total wing... span, flying is scientifically impossible. The bumble bee, being ignorant of scientific theory, goes ahead and flies anyway. Therefore, “Nothing is Impossible!” Whenever I visit any school/college, I administer an oath to the students; it is as follows: (1) I will have a goal and work hard to achieve that goal. I realize that small aim is a crime. (2) I will be a good member of my family, a good member of the society, a good member of the nation and a good member of the world. (3) I will work with integrity and succeed with integrity; and...(4) My National Flag flies in my heart and I will bring glory to my nation. Editor> Any last words for readers of God Bless Our Home? Dr. Kalam> Ask yourself, “What I will be remembered for? This question will evolve you and shape your life. You should write it on a page. That page may be a very important page in the book of human history. And you will be remembered for creating that one page in the history of the nation - whether that page is the page of invention, the page of innovation or the page of discovery or the page of creating societal change or a page of removing the poverty or the page of fighting injustice or planning and executing energy independence mission. Also... God, our creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers. Editor> Thank you Kalam Sir, It was a great honor to meet you. Dr. Kalam> Greetings and best wishes to you and all the readers. Your readers, particularly young students can connect with me, via my face-book account: Editor> Thank you Kalam Sahab, once again. |
