“Yellow barricades separated the entrance from the narrow lane on Mosque Street that leads to his ancestral address. Eight decades ago, a brick and limestone walled house stood in the same spot. In it was born a boy who grew up to be the eleventh First Citizen of our nation.”
The students' diligent teacher, the nation's gifted scientist, the humble "People's President" - an indefinable name he is Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. A man who dedicated his life and work to the betterment of a nation , and his time and energy to the billions of young minds he wished to ignite. He has left back dreams in everyone, and the undying inspiration to make those dreams come true.
A surfeit of contents has been interwoven to give this book a shape. To read through the pages will mean a journey through his life in entirety. Besides Kalam's own speeches and quotes, it also contains literary tributes by scientists, academicians and students, the interviews of his family members, and a real-time anecdote of his interment ceremony at Rameswaram. This is not just a tribute, but a world beyond it to be read, explore and discovered.
The reason that has whet my desire and interest to write this book - Dr. Kalam's simplicity was his extraordinariness. He outlived life through his deeds for a nation. Even at 83, he had indomitable verve and spirit. He was the ‘Missile Man’ of a country , yet he always said that life is not rocket science. And with every phase of my life, like a flower, petal by petal, I too can feel the deeper meaning of his words.
Being a part of the arena of academics, and literature being my passion, somewhere deep within me, I have introspected to have built a connection with this great soul. That connection is the bridge of inspiration. And thus, this book!
Over all the bygone years, I have seen and interacted with thousands of students and academicians. I believe that without a dream to chase, nobody can achieve success.As Dr Kalam used to say ‘Dreams are not those which you see when you are asleep, dreams are those you see when you are awake.’
Dr. Kalam has been an inspiration ever since my early youth and especially when I ventured to set up Techno India Group with my elder brother,30 years ago-to invest in the future of our younger generation. The story of his life, the intensity of his quotes, and the depth of his books – everything seemed to have merged effortlessly to form a motivation within me. A boat-owner’s son in a small island town of Rameswaram, struggling at the age of eight to make ends meet by vending newspapers, chasing his dreams to become a scientist and finally stepping into the highest office of the nation – it was a journey he himself hadn’t imagined. He was the boy who stared wide-eyed at his father making a boat, and grew up to steer India’s space research and missile policies three decades later.
This book should not just be read or made part of a collection, but it must make its way onto the shelves of millions of the young generation for them to draw inspiration from it. The matchless energy that Dr. Kalam had exuded until his last day to ignite the passion to dream in young students, should forever be kept alive. To pay the real tribute to him is to make his dream of India 2020 come true. If young students can follow the path Kalam paved for them, then they will be able to conquer all obstacles to reach their dreams.
