Just two men and ten bricks started it all

Rameswaram: Looking at the magnificent monument that’s come up for former President APJ Abdul Kalam here, it’s difficult to imagine that this stupendous work first be-gan with just two men and ten bricks, 20 months ago.

“It was my birthday, December 19 in 2015. I was very sad mourning for my mentor (Kalam) who passed away four months back and decided to visit his resting place. There were just a few barricades left around his tomb, despite our repeated pleading for a proper memorial. When Sheik Saleem (Kalam’s grandnephew) and I went there, we we-re shocked to find cattle and dogs defecating all over the place. We then decided we must do something to shake up the administration to act”, recalled ‘Green Man’ Abdul Ghani, who was closely associated with Kalam during his post-Presidential years.

The majestic monument that now stands at Kalam’s tomb is the DRDO’s fulfillment of that wish on his second death anniversary.

Ghani recalled asking Saleem if it would embarrass him should he (Ghani) undertake some kind of a protest to draw attention to the plight of the Kalam Samadhi. Saleem said fighting for the honour of grandfather (Kalam) was more important than his political career.

“I went to the shop and bought 10 bricks. I sat there on the sand beside the Samadhi showing those bricks and pleading for donations for a memorial. I uploaded th-at picture on my facebo-ok and within just one hour, 40 lakh bricks were pledged by the visitors to the page. That gave us the confidence that with the support of Kalam’s students and admirers, we will be able to build his memorial oursel-ves”, recalled Ghani, his eyes turning moist with those poignant memories.

With the facebook post going viral and the media coming into the story in a big way, there was huge pressure quickly coming upon the governments at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu. Understanding the sensitivities in the issue, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu got in touch with Ghani and the Kalam family to convey the go-od news that the BJP government had decided to build a fitting memorial for the People’s President.

“We thanked him profusely and the media carried that too. The rest is history. Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Manohar Parrikar (then heading the Defence Ministry), along with some state ministers, laid the foundation stone on the first death anniversary of Kalamji and now our beloved Prime Minister has inaugurated the completed memorial on the second anniversary”, said Sheik Saleem.