Achieve Abdul Kalam's dream of total literacy: Ram Nath Kovind

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday exhorted the country to be inspired by the late Abdul Kalam’s life and strive hard to help the nation achieve his dream of total literacy and emerge as ‘scientific superpower’.

“One of the best ways to succeed in life is to read the biographies of great personalities, such as Dr Kalam. I learnt that he used to cycle 12 km from his home in Rameswaram to the school in Ramnad every day just to gain his education. That itself should be a great inspiration to every child in this country”, President Kovind said. 

He was addressing a gathering of students and Kalam followers, besides the family of the late President, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan after paying homage to Kalam in conclusion of the year-long celebrations of his 86th birthday undertaken by the Kalam International Foundation. The staff at Rashtrapati Bhavan also joined in paying homage to one of their most beloved resident in post-independent India.

The gathering at the Durbar Hall also included a group of students who came from Rameswaram by bus - ‘Dr Kalam Sandesh Vahini Vision 2020’. The bus of Chinmaya Mission with videos, speeches, pictures and papers on the late President had travelled across 12,000 km through 16 states in 81 days since being flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kalam’s hometown on July 27 during the inauguration of a magnificent memorial for India’s son The Missile Man, who was also one of the nation’s greatest patriot and visionary.

Recalling that when he was a Rajya Sabha member, he had met Dr Kalam a few times, President Kovind said, “The great man always thought of the country and the children who he believed are our future. He wanted every child to be educated. He wanted India to become a scientific superpower”.

Dr Kalam had made a momentous contribution to India’s scientific heritage through his involvement in varied fields ranging from nuclear technology to designing low-cost stents for the heart or lightweight callipers for polio victims, President Kovind said. “India will never forget the remarkable contributions of Kalam. 

He had a great passion for teaching and education and truly ignited young minds with the power to think and innovate,” the president said, adding, “He was adored by people and youngsters. He loved students and spent his final moments among them”.

In his vote of thanks, Dr Kalam’s grandnephew G.K. Mohideen recalled that his grandfather had never allowed the family to celebrate his birthday. “Most of his birthdays were spent travelling and I used to joke with him saying the Air India celebrated his birthdays more than his family”, he said.