JOIN USDr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, made his mark as the “People’s President.”
Apolitical to the core, Kalam uniquely endeared himself to the youth, particularly students, with his almost evangelical-type appeal to strive for creativity, righteousness and courage.
That Kalam’s last public engagement was on Monday evening with the students of IIM-Shillong, is a telling tribute to the man who believed till his last breath that his mission was to inspire the youth.
During his term from 2002 to 2007, the Rashtrapati Bhavan was a more meeting ground for children and people from all walks than ever before. They could never forget their encounter with silver-haired Kalam, who was the first scientist and first ever bachelor to occupy the high office.
His first and last word to the youth of India was always this: “My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed.”
‘Missile man’
For all his distinguished contribution in launching the missiles project in India, he was popularly known as India’s Missile Man.
Kalam also played a pivotal organisational, technical and political role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear test in 1998, the first since 1974.
Kalam’s most painful moment as the President was to confirm the capital punishment to some convicts including the 2004 execution of West Bengal’s Dhananjay Chaterjee, a lift operator who raped and murdered an 18-year old girl in 1990.
A strong votary of abolition of death penalty, Kalam believed that “we all are the creations of God. I am not sure a human system or a human being is competent to take away a life based on artificial and created evidence.” Kalam was unable to decide on the fate of 20 mercy petitioners.
Kalam also faced criticism over his assent from abroad to the controversial decision to impose President’s rule in Bihar in 2005.
No rubber stamp prez
Kalam, however, showed that he was not a rubber stamp-like Constitutional head by refusing to approve the Office-of-Profit Bill, which upset the Congress government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was left to explain the matter to the President and somehow get his consent for the Prevention of Disqualification (Amendment) Bill 2006.
Kalam’s beliefs stemmed from his humble origin. Born in October 1931 in a Tamil Marakkar Muslim family of modest means in his ancestral house on Mosque Street, Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu. He was one of several children of boat-owning parents — Jainulabdeen and Ashiamma.
Kalam used to say he was lucky that both at the local school and high school at Ramanathapuram, he had very dedicated teachers who influenced him and moulded his personality a great deal.
Kalam’s desire to go for higher studies in college saw him enrol in St Joseph’s College at Tiruchi in 1950 at the age of 18. Later, he joined the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT), which was the only one in the country then, to offer post-BSc and diploma courses in aeronautical engineering, automobile engineering, electronic and instrument technology. His sister mortgaged her gold bangles and chain to raise the fees.
Career growth
On graduation, Kalam was selected as a graduate aeronautical engineer at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore, and placed in the engine division, dealing with the overhauling of both piston and turbine engines. Later, he joined DTD&P (Air) in 1958 and worked on a project dealing with supersonic target aircraft.
At the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) at Bangalore, Kalam launched a project to design and develop an indigenous hovercraft. His chance meeting with Prof M G K Menon, the then Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TFFR) at Bombay, saw him appearing for an interview at TIFR for the post of Rocket Engineer at the newly set-up Indian Committee for Space Research, which had plans to initiate space research in India.
That was also for the first time he met India’s space pioneer, Dr Vikram Sarabhai who was a member of the selection committee. Kalam was selected for the post of rocket engineer. There was no looking back. He was rewarded and put in charge of rocket integration.
Kalam made significant contribution as Project Director to develop India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of ‘Space Club’.
He was responsible for the evolution of Isro’s launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. After working for two decades in Isro and mastering launch vehicle technologies, Kalam became Chief Executive of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme. He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of Agni and Prithiv missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies through networking of multiple institutions.
Kalam served as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, in the rank of Cabinet Minister, from November 1999 to November 2001 and was responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for many development applications. During this period he led the weaponisation of strategic missile systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon state. He also gave thrust to self-reliance in defence systems by progressing multiple development tasks and mission projects such as Light Combat Aircraft.
Kalam became the NDA’s presidential candidate when his name was mooted by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who knew him as his scientific adviser when he was defence minister in the United Front government.