Bengaluru: The one thing that stood out about Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, in the 20 years that we knew each other, was his unshakeable confidence even when he was handling the most difficult technology. That’s what made the missile programme and the PSLVs such a success. When he became President, he took a unique stand. He understood that the best way to make any impact was to reach out to children. No other President can claim that he or she influenced as many kids of all ages. He was a president to the nation and a god to the children.
Dr Kalam always learned from his failures, he drew strength from them. That was a lesson he learned during his time in ISRO, when Professor Sathish Dhawan was its Chairman. Dr Kalam was a great leader. He never exposed the shortcomings or the failures of his team, instead, he took responsibility for them. However, when success was achieved, he gave full credit where it was due. That was the philosophy he practiced through his life.
Despite his successes, Dr Kalam was never one to rest on his laurels. His eyes were always looking towards the future, he was full of hope for the country. He took a keen interest in the nuclear programme at Kalpakkam and visited our establishment many times when I was serving as the Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. In fact, he came there when the nuclear submarine was built.
More than anything else, he was a great leader. He had a wonderful gift for spotting talent and expertise across various fields. He could stand anywhere and inspire people. Dr Kalam commanded unparalleled respect in the science and technology circles as well as the academia, not just because of his work as a scientist but because of his ethics. That’s what set him apart and everybody he met remembers him. His loss is a personal one for many. India will be lucky to have another person like him in the years to come, for Dr APJ Abdul Kalam truly was a man of honour.
(The writer is a Padma Shri awardee, Director, National Institute of Advanced studies)
