My interaction with APJ Abdul Kalam was in two phases – the first was before he was sworn in as the 11 th President of India in 2002; the second phase was after he demitted the office of the President in 2007.
It was on February 20, 2012 that my wife and I were invited for an evening with Dr Abdul Kalam at the Air Force Administrative College, Coimbatore. He spoke at length about Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA), a term he coined. Every one in the room was enthralled with his motivating lecture. He stayed back for tea and he radiated simplicity and good will.
But it was my interaction with Dr. Kalam in the first phase that was more illuminating. As the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, he was invited for the Air Force Day celebrations on 8th October 1996 at Air House, the official residence of the Chief of the Air Staff, in New Delhi. Those of us who took part in the Air Force parade earlier in the day, lined up to greet the guests. Dr Kalam peered at my name-tag and broke into Tamil. He asked me where in Tamil Nadu I hailed from. I told him ‘Thanjavur District’. He then asked me where exactly. I told him ‘Kumbakonam’ and he remarked, “You are from the land of Srinivasa Ramanujan!”
The next time we met was on 24th May 1998. I was commanding a Helicopter Unit. We flew him to Mysore from Bangalore and back. Little did we know that he was going to be the principal architect of the second Pokhran Test soon. He was humble, gave no clue of the impending tests and spoke of various things – about helicopter flying, the armaments the helicopter can carry, the Mysore Maharaja’s Palace, etc. He remarked in the Unit’s Visitors Book “Delighted to fly with 112 HU. My best wishes”.
Dr Kalam was the Chief Guest in the Valedictory Function at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington (Nilgiris) on 27th April 2001. I was detailed as his Liaison Officer for the duration of his two-day visit. By then, he was a Bharat Ratna, which was conferred on him in 1998. On the way to the Guest House from the helipad, he asked about the significance of DSSC Crest, The Owl. I told him what all of knew – that the owl is the emblem of Minerva, the Goddess of wisdom. He then told me that the owl is also associated with Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. I learnt later that it is also believed that Goddess Saraswati is driven in a chariot drawn by a team of owls!
When we reached his room at DSSC, Dr. Kalam saw his name plate on the door that said ‘Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Kalam’.
He asked me to remove the words ‘Bharat Ratna’ from the plate – his contention was that the Constitution of India does not allow any title conferred by India to be mentioned with the name. (Art 18 of the Constitution of India mentions that no title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State).
I had the privilege of accompanying Dr. Kalam on his trips around the Nilgiris. He was always full of questions for most of which I had no satisfactory answers.
He asked me why so many foreigners over centuries have flocked to India – the Romans, Greeks, Portuguese, Dutch, Moghuls, English, Chinese, etc – as invaders, traders or scholars. “What was the reason?” he asked me. I am still trying to find a satisfactory response to that.
We will miss you, Sir!
