“‘Funny guy! Are you doing well?’ he said. I smiled back, ‘Yes’. Those were the last words he said. Two minutes into the speech, sitting behind him, I heard a long pause after completing one sentence. I looked at him, he fell down,” a touching post by Dr Kalam’s advisor reveals…
Srijan Pal Singh, an adviser to Dr Kalam in an innocuous post documented his memories and interactions with the former president during his last days. Singh who accompanied Kalam during his trip to Shillong and shared stage with the veteran when he collapsed and was taken to hospital, recollects the journey in a facebook post.
Dr Kalam and the jawan who stood in the gypsy
Singh on his journey along with president, shares a touching incident about Dr Kalam and a jawan in his convoy.
Both of them were in a convoy of 6-7 cars and the former President and Singh were in the second car. In front of their car, in an open gypsy were two soldiers seated and one standing atop holding a gun providing security.
After an hour of road journey the former President asked Singh to send a wireless message and tell the standing soldier to sit. “Why is he standing? He will get tired. This is like punishment. Can you send a wireless message so that he may sit?”, said the former President according to Singh.
Kalam did not relent when Singh tried to convince him saying that the convoy had been instructed to stand to provide better security. However, they could not send a radio message and failed to signal him down.
‘I want to meet him and thank him’, said Dr Kalam to Singh. Soon after they reached IIM Shillong, Singh went to inquire about the jawan who was standing and finally got hold of him and took him to Dr Kalam. Thanking the jawan Kalam said, ‘Are you tired? Would you like something to eat? I am sorry you had to stand so long because of me’.
The young jawan who was at loss for words at Kalam’s simplicity and kindness said, ‘Sir, aapke liye toh 6 ghante bhi khade rahenge'(for you I would stand even for six hours).”
On his last Shillong trip Kalam talks about national issues
Dr Kalam was worried about his nation on his last day too and Singh writes that the former President, throughout the journey, spoke about national issues. Worried about the deadly terror strike in Gurdaspur in Punjab on the morning of July 27 after Kargil Vijay Diwas, Dr Kalam, according to Singh’s post said, “it seems the man made forces are as big a threat to the livability of earth as pollution.”
He was also of the view that mankind may have to leave earth in 30 years and advised Singh that the future generation needed to take better care of it.
Dr Kalam also spoke about the parliament functioning for the last few days and told Singh, “I have seen two different governments in my tenure. I have seen more after that. This disruption just keeps happening. It is not right. I really need to find out a way to ensure that the parliament works on developmental politics.”
The former President who is fond of students wanted to give a surprise assignment for IIM students in Shillong and ask them for innovative ways to make the parliament more productive. According to Singh, he said that when he himself doesn’t have any solutions, how could he ask students to give one.
‘Funny guy! are you doing well’
Dr Kalam did not want to make students wait for long during his lecture at IIM. Singh set up his mike, briefed about the former president’s lecture and took his position on the computers. When Singh pinned his mike, Dr Kalam smiled at him and said ‘Funny guy! Are you doing well?’
“‘Funny guy’, when said by Kalam could mean a variety of things, depending on the tone and your own assessment. It could mean, you have done well, you have messed up something, you should listen to him or just that you have been plain naïve or he was just being jovial. Over six years I had learnt to interpret Funny Guy like the back of my palm. This time it was the last case,” Singh wrote.
Dr Kalam collapses
“His hands clenched, curled onto my finger. There was stillness on his face and those wise eyes were motionlessly radiating wisdom. He never said a word. He did not show pain, only purpose was visible. In five minutes we were in the nearest hospital. In another few minutes they indicated the missile man had flown away, forever. I touched his feet, one last time,” Singh wrote.
Singh’s other memories with Dr Kalam
Singh spoke about a discussion he had with Kalam some time ago about what they would want to be remembered for.
“‘First you tell me, what you will like to be remembered for? President, Scientist, Writer, Missile man, India 2020, Target 3 billion…. What?’ I thought I had made the question easier by giving options, but he sprang on me a surprise. ‘Teacher'”, he said.
Singh said that the former president had said that children should take care of their elders but it wasn’t taking place always.
‘He paused and said, ‘Two things. Elders must also do. Never leave wealth at your deathbed – that leaves a fighting family. Second, one is blessed is one can die working, standing tall without any long drawn ailing. Goodbyes should be short, really short’,” he noted.
Dr Kalam is one of the finest human being that ever lived. A beloved president, he was the inspiration for all. His legacy continues to inspire even after his death. He is the second person who was fond of children after Jawaharlal Nehru.
Below is a list that tries to do justice to his numerous achievements:
• After graduating from Madras Institute of Technology in 1960, Mr Kalam joined the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). He designed helicopters for the Indian Army, but he always said he didn’t feel at home at the DRDO.
• In 1969, he got the Government’s approval to expand the programme by including more engineers and scientists.
• After he was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Mr Kalam worked as the project director for SLV-III, India’s first indigenous satellite launch vehicle.
• SLV-III successfully launched satellite Rohini to orbit on July 1980. From then, Mr Kalam expanded India’s space programme.
• In the 1980s, he led India’s missile programme and under his leadership, India became a major military power after the successes of Agni and Prithvi.
• He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research and Development Organisation from July 1992 to December 1999.
• In 1998, along with cardiologist Dr.Soma Raju, Kalam developed a low cost Coronary stent. It was named as “Kalam-Raju Stent” honouring them. In 2012, the duo designed a rugged tablet PC for health care in rural areas, which was named as “Kalam-Raju Tablet”.
• In 1998, the Pokhran-II tests cemented India’s nuclear prowess. Mr Kalam played the pivotal role in the project. He firmly told the international community that such arms were only to deter other nations from trying to subjugate India, and were only to be used as “weapons of peace”.
• In a rare show of unity, all political parties unanimously voted for Mr Kalam in 2002 as the 11th President of India.
• As President, Mr Kalam personified dignity and optimism throughout India and abroad. His stirring speeches at the UN and the European Parliament are among the best ever delivered. His simplicity in oration and action were applauded and made him dear to all.
• After the completion of his term as President, Mr Kalam became a visiting professor, wrote extensively and launched many initiatives for youth development. “Wings of Fire” and “India 2020” are modern classics, and have motivated millions of Indians.
• His books envision his dream of India as a superpower, with Indians as innovative and unique in their thinking. His speeches, books, works – all are the legacy of a man who spent all his life trying to make the world a better place.
