At present Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is the visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Indore; the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad; and the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong. He is a professor of Aerospace Engineering at the JSS University in Mysore and at the Anna University in Chennai, apart from being an adjunct and visiting faculty at other research and academic institutions in India. He is the honorary fellow of the Indian
In his book India 2020, he has recommended plans to make the nation a fully developed one
year 2020. His interaction with the student community and his motivational speeches have made him quite popular among the youth. In 2011 he launched a mission called 'What Can I Give Movement' aimed at the youth of India, which focused on defeating corruption
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born to a poor Tamil Muslim family on 15 October 1931 at Rameswaram in the state of
, India. His father, Jainulabdeen, was a boat owner, and his mother, Ashiamma, was a homemaker. He started working at a young age to support his father. He received average grades in school but was seen as a hardworking and bright student with a strong desire to learn things. He used to study for hours, especially mathematics. He completed his schooling from Rameshwaram Elementary School. In 1954 he graduated in Physics from St. Joseph's College in Tiruchirappalli, which was then affiliated to the
Madras. Thereafter in 1955 he moved to Madras and joined the Madras Institute of Technology and studied aerospace engineering. His dream was to become a fighter pilot but he was ranked ninth while the IAF offered only eight slots. He is a bachelor.
Death
Kalam at
Bijnor a week before his death
Following his death, Kalam's body was airlifted in an
Indian Air Force helicopter from Shillong to Guwahati, from where it was flown to New Delhi on the morning of 28 July in an air force C-130J Hercules. The flight landed at Palam Air Base that afternoon and was received by the President, the Prime Minister, Chief Minister of Delhi
Arvind Kejriwal, and the three service chiefs of the
Indian Armed Forces, who laid wreaths on Kalam's body.
[89] His body was then placed on a gun carriage draped with the Indian flag and taken to his Delhi residence at 10 Rajaji Marg; there, the public and numerous dignitaries paid homage, including former prime minister
Manmohan Singh, Congress President
Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President
Rahul Gandhi, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Akhilesh Yadav.
[90]
On the morning of 29 July, Kalam's body, wrapped in the Indian flag, was taken to Palam Air Base and flown to
Madurai in an air force C-130J aircraft, arriving at
Madurai Airport that afternoon. His body was received at the airport by the three service chiefs and national and state dignitaries, including cabinet ministers
Manohar Parrikar,
Venkaiah Naidu,
Pon Radhakrishnan and the governors of Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya,
K Rosaiah and
V. Shanmuganathan. After a brief ceremony, Kalam's body was flown by air force helicopter to the town of
Mandapam, from where it was taken in an army truck to his hometown of Rameswaram. Upon arriving at Rameswaram, his body was displayed in an open area in front of the local bus station to allow the public to pay their final respects until 8 p.m. that evening.
[91][92]
On 30 July 2015, the former President was laid to rest at
Rameswaram's Pei Karumbu Ground with full state honours. Over 350,000 people attended the last rites, including the Prime Minister, the governor of Tamil Nadu and the chief ministers of Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Reactions
India reacted to Kalam's death with an outpouring of grief; numerous tributes were paid to the former President across the nation and on social media.
[95] The Government of India declared a seven-day
state mourning period as a mark of respect.
[96] President
Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President
Hamid Ansari, Home Minister
Rajnath Singh, and other leaders condoled the former President's demise.
[86] Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said "his [Kalam's] death is a great loss to the scientific community. He took India to great heights. He showed the way."
[97] Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who had served as prime minister under Kalam, said, "our country has lost a great human being who made phenomenal contributions to the promotion of self reliance in defence technologies. I worked very closely with Dr. Kalam as prime minister and I greatly benefited from his advice as president of our country. His life and work will be remembered for generations to come."
[98] ISRO chairman
A. S. Kiran Kumar called his former colleague "a great personality and a gentleman", while former chairman
G. Madhavan Nair described Kalam as "a global leader" for whom "the downtrodden and poor people were his priority. He always had a passion to convey what is in his mind to the young generation", adding that his death left a vacuum which none could fill.
[99][100]
South Asian leaders expressed condolences and lauded the late statesman. The Bhutanese government ordered the country's flags to fly at half-staff to mourn Kalam's death, and lit 1000 butter lamps in homage. Bhutanese Prime Minister
Tshering Tobgay expressed deep sadness, saying Kalam "was a leader greatly admired by all people, especially the youth of India who have referred to him as the people's President".
[101] Bangladesh Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasinadescribed Kalam as "a rare combination of a great statesman, acclaimed scientist, and a source of inspiration to the young generation of South Asia" and termed his death an "irreparable loss to India and beyond".
Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief
Khaleda Zia said "as a nuclear scientist, he engaged himself in the welfare of the people".
Ashraf Ghani, the
President of Afghanistan, called Kalam "an inspirational figure to millions of people," noting that "we have a lot to learn from his life". Nepalese Prime Minister
Sushil Koirala recalled Kalam's scientific contributions to India: "Nepal has lost a good friend and I have lost an honoured and ideal personality." The
President of Pakistan,
Mamnoon Hussain, and
Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif also expressed their grief and condolences on his passing.
[102][103][104] The
President of Sri Lanka,
Maithripala Sirisena, also expressed his condolences. "Dr. Kalam was a man of firm conviction and indomitable spirit, and I saw him as an outstanding statesman of the world. His death is an irreparable loss not only to India but to the entire world."
[105] Maldivian President
Abdulla Yameen and Vice President Ahmed Adheeb condoled Kalam's passing, with Yameen naming him as a close friend of the Maldives who would continue to be an inspiration to Indians and generations of South Asians. Former president
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had made an official visit to India during Kalam's presidency, termed his demise as a great loss to all of humankind.
[106] The Commander-in-Chief of the
Myanmar Armed Forces, Senior General
Min Aung Hlaing, expressed condolences on behalf of the Myanmar government.
[107] The
Dalai Lama expressed his sadness and offered condolences and prayers, calling Kalam's death "an irreparable loss".
[108]
Kathleen Wynne, the
Premier of Ontario, which Kalam had visited on numerous occasions, expressed "deepest condolences ... as a respected scientist, he played a critical role in the development of the Indian space program. As a committed educator, he inspired millions of young people to achieve their very best. And as a devoted leader, he gained support both at home and abroad, becoming known as 'the people's President'. I join our Indo–Canadian families, friends, and neighbours in mourning the passing of this respected leader."
[109] United States President
Barack Obama extended "deepest condolences to the people of India on the passing of former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam", and highlighted his achievements as a scientist and as a statesman, notably his role in strengthening
U.S.–India relations and increasing space cooperation between the two nations. "Suitably named 'the People's President', Dr. Kalam's humility and dedication to public service served as an inspiration to millions of Indians and admirers around the world."
[110] Russian President
Vladimir Putin expressed sincere condolences and conveyed his sympathy and support "to the near and dear ones of the deceased leader, to the government, and entire people of India". He remarked on Kalam's outstanding "personal contribution to the social, economic, scientific, and technical progress of India and in ensuring its national security," adding that Dr. Kalam would be remembered as a "consistent exponent of closer friendly relations between our nations, who has done a lot for cementing mutually beneficial Russian–Indian cooperation."
[111] Other international leaders—including former Indonesian president
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Malaysian Prime Minister
Najib Razak, Singaporean Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong, President of the
United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and
emir of
Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—also paid tribute to Kalam.
[112][113] In a special gesture,
Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon visited the
Permanent Mission of India to the UN and signed a condolence book. "The outpouring of grief around the world is a testament of the respect and inspiration he has garnered during and after his presidency. The UN joins the people of India in sending our deepest condolences for this great statesman. May he rest in peace and eternity", Ban wrote in his message.
[114]
Personal life
Kalam was the youngest of five siblings, the eldest of whom was a sister, Asim Zohra (d. 1997), followed by three elder brothers: Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar (b. 1916; aged 99), Mustafa Kamal (d. 1999) and Kasim Mohammed (d. 1995).
[115] He was extremely close to his elder siblings and their extended families throughout his life, and would regularly send small sums of money to his older relations, himself remaining a life-long bachelor.
[115][116]
Kalam was noted for his integrity and his simple lifestyle.
[116] He never owned a television, and was in the habit of rising at 6:30 or 7 a.m and sleeping by 2 a.m.
[117] His few personal possessions included his books, his
veena, some articles of clothing, a CD player and a laptop; at his death, he left no will, and his possessions went to his eldest brother, who survived him.
[118][119]
In the 2011 Hindi film
I Am Kalam, Kalam is portrayed as a positive influence on a poor but bright
Rajasthani boy named Chhotu, who renames himself Kalam in honour of his idol.
[120]
Religious and spiritual views
Islam
A proud and practicing
Muslim, daily
namāz and fasting during
Ramadan were integral to Kalam's life.
[10][124][125] His father, the
imam of a
mosque in his hometown of Rameswaram, had strictly instilled these Islamic customs in his children.
[10] His father had also impressed upon the young Kalam the value of interfaith respect and dialogue. As Kalam recalled: "Every evening, my father A.P. Jainulabdeen, an imam, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the head priest of the Ramanathaswamy Hindu temple, and a church priest used to sit with hot tea and discuss the issues concerning the island."
[122][126] Such early exposure convinced Kalam that the answers to India's multitudinous issues lay in "dialogue and cooperation" among the country's religious, social, and political leaders.
[124] Moreover, since Kalam believed that "respect for other faiths" was one of the key cornerstones of
Islam, he was fond of saying: "For great men, religion is a way of making friends; small people make religion a fighting tool."
[127]
Syncretism
One component of Kalam's widespread popularity among diverse groups in India, and an enduring aspect of his legacy, is the
syncretism he embodied in appreciating various elements of the many spiritual and cultural traditions of India.
[124][125][128][129] In addition to his faith in the
Koran and Islamic practice, Kalam was well-versed in Hindu traditions; he learnt
Sanskrit,
[130][131] read the
Bhagavad Gita[132][133] and he was a vegetarian.
[134] Kalam also enjoyed writing
Tamil poetry, playing the
veena (a South Indian string instrument),
[135] and listening to
Carnatic devotional music every day.
[125] In 2002, in one of his early speeches to Parliament after becoming President, he reiterated his desire for a more united India, stating that "[d]uring the last one year I met a number of spiritual leaders of all religions ... [and] I would like to endeavour to work for bringing about unity of minds among the divergent traditions of our country".
[128]Describing Kalam as a unifier of diverse traditions,
Congress leader
Shashi Tharoor stated, "Kalam was a complete Indian, an embodiment of the eclecticism of India's heritage of diversity".
[125] BJP leader
L. K. Advani concurred that Kalam was "the best exemplar of the Idea of India, one who embodied the best of all the cultural and spiritual traditions that signify India's unity in immense diversity. This was most strikingly evident in the last book he wrote, presciently titled
Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swami.
[129]
Pramukh Swami as Guru
Kalam's desire to meet spiritual leaders to help create a more prosperous, spiritual, and unified India was what initially led him to meet
Pramukh Swami, the Hindu guru of the
BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, who Kalam would come to consider his ultimate spiritual teacher and guru.
[122][124] The first of eight meetings between Kalam and Pramukh Swami over a fourteen-year period took place on 30 June 2001 in New Delhi, during which Kalam described being immediately drawn to Pramukh Swami's simplicity and spiritual purity.
[136] Kalam stated that he was inspired by Pramukh Swami throughout their numerous interactions. One such incident occurred the day following the
terrorist attack on BAPS'
Akshardham, Gandhinagar complex in September 2002; Pramukh Swami prayed for, and sprinkled holy water upon, the sites of all of the deceased, including the terrorists, demonstrating the view that all human life is sacred. Kalam recalled being moved by Pramukh Swami's equanimity and compassion, citing this incident as one of his motivations for writing
Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji.
[137] Summarizing the effect that Pramukh Swami had on him, Kalam stated that "[Pramukh Swami] has indeed transformed me. He is the ultimate stage of the spiritual ascent in my life ... Pramukh Swamiji has put me in a God-synchronous orbit. No manoeuvres are required any more, as I am placed in my final position in eternity."
[124][138] Following Kalam's death a month after his final book was released, co-author Arun Tiwari pointed to this passage as potentially prophetic and premonitory of Kalam's death.
[139]
Writings
A P J Abdul Kalam delivering a speech
In his book
India 2020, Kalam strongly advocated an action plan to develop India into a "knowledge superpower" and a
developed nation by the year 2020. He regarded his work on India's
nuclear weapons programme as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower.
[140]
I have identified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action: (1) agriculture and food processing; (2) education and healthcare; (3) information and communication technology; (4) infrastructure, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country; and (5) self-reliance in critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and if advanced in a coordinated way, will lead to food, economic and national security.
Kalam describes a "transformative moment" in his life when he asked
Pramukh Swami, the guru of the
BAPS Swaminarayan Sampradaya, how India might realize this five-pronged vision of development. Pramukh Swami's answer—to add a sixth area developing faith in God and spirituality to overcome the current climate of crime and corruption—became the spiritual vision for the next 15 years Kalam's life, which he describes in his final book,
Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji, published just a month before his death.
[136]
It was reported that there was considerable demand in South Korea for translated versions of books authored by him.
[141]
Kalam took an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology, including a research programme for developing
biomedical implants. He also supported
open source technology over
proprietary software, predicting that the use of free software on a large scale would bring the benefits of information technology to more people.
[142]
Kalam set a target of interacting with 100,000 students during the two years after his resignation from the post of scientific adviser in 1999.
[22] He explained, "I feel comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school students. Henceforth, I intend to share with them experiences, helping them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India for which the road map is already available."
[22]
Awards and honours
Kalam received
honorary doctorates from 40 universities.
[143][144] The Government of India has honoured him with the
Padma Bhushan in 1981 and the
Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for his work with ISRO and DRDO and his role as a scientific advisor to the Government.
[145] In 1997, Kalam received India's highest civilian honour, the
Bharat Ratna, for his contribution to the scientific research and modernisation of defence technology in India.
[146] In 2013, he was the recipient of the
Von Braun Award from the
National Space Society "to recognize excellence in the management and leadership of a space-related project".
[147]
Following his death, Kalam received numerous tributes. The Tamil Nadu state government announced that his birthday, 15 October, would be observed across the state as "Youth Renaissance Day;" the state government further instituted the "
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award," constituting an 8-gram gold medal, a certificate and
₹500,000 (US$7,500). The award will be awarded annually on Independence Day, beginning in 2015, to residents of the state with achievements in promoting scientific growth, the humanities or the welfare of students.
[148]
Several buildings, colleges and scientific institutions were renamed or named in honour of Kalam following his death, including:
- An agricultural college at Kishanganj, Bihar, was renamed the "Dr. Kalam Agricultural College, Kishanganj" by the Bihar state government on the day of Kalam's funeral. The state government also announced it would name a proposed science city after Kalam.[149]
- Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) was renamed "A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University" by the Uttar Pradesh state government.[150]
- A new research institute for digestive diseases research in Travancore.
- A new academic complex at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala.
- A new science centre and planetarium in Lawspet, Puducherry.
