Apart from his contribution to the technology development od the nation, his unbiased, uninfluenced, humble nature, undererred righteousness made him some one to look up to.

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The cowards never started,
The weak died on the way,
Only the strong arrived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yK1i9cLAMM

Assistant of Dr. Kalam......

"What I will be remembered for.. my memory of the last day with the great Kalam sir...

It has been eight hnours since we last talked – sleep eludes me and memories keep flushing down, sometimes as tears. Our day, 27th July, began at 12 noon, when we took our seats in the flight to Guhawati. Dr. Kalam was 1A and I was IC. He was wearing a dark colored “Kalam suit”, and I started off complimenting, “Nice color!” Little did I know this was going to be the last color I will see on him.
Long, 2.5 hours of flying in the monsoon weather. I hate turbulence, and he had mastered over them. Whenever he would see me go cold in shaking plane, he would just pull down the window pane and saw, “Now you don’t see any fear!”.
That was followed by another 2.5 hours of car drive to IIM Shillong. For these two legged trip of five hours we talked, discussed and debated. These were amongsthundreds of the long flights and longer drives we have been together over the last six years.
As each of them, this was as special too. Three incidents/discussions in particular will be “lasting memories of our last trip”.
First, Dr. Kalam was absolutely worried about the attacks in Punjab. The loss of innocent lives left him filledwith sorrow. The topic of lecture at IIM Shillong was Creating a Livable Planet Earth. He related the incident to the topic and said, “it seems the man made forces are as big a threat to the livability of earth as pollution”. We discussed on how, if this trend of violence, pollution and reckless human action continues we will forced to leave earth. “Thirty years, at this rate, maybe”, he said. “You guys must do something about it… it is going to be your future world”
Our second discussion was more national. For the past two days, Dr. Kalam was worried that time and again Parliament, the supreme institution of democracy, was dysfunctional. He said, “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.” He then asked me to prepare a surprise assignment question for the students at IIM Shillong, which he would give them only at the end of the lecture. He wanted to them to suggest three innovative ways to make the Parliament more productive and vibrant. Then, after a while he returned on it. “But how can ask them to give solutions if I don’t have any myself”. For the next one hour, we thwarted options after options, who come up with his recommendation over the issue. We wanted to include this discussion in our upcoming book, Advantage India.
Third, was an experience from the beauty of his humility. We were in a convoy of 6-7 cars. Dr. Kalam and I were in the second car. Ahead us was an open gypsy with three soldiers in it. Two of them were sitting on either side and one lean guy was standing atop, holding his gun. One hour into the road journey, Dr. Kalam said, “Why is he standing? He will get tired. This is like punishment. Can you ask a wireless message to given that he may sit?” I had to convince him, he has been probably instructed to keep standing for better security. He did not relent. We tried radio messaging, that did not work. For the next 1.5 hours of the journey, he reminded me thrice to see if I can hand signal him to sit down. Finally, realizing there is little we can do – he told me, “I want to meet him and thank him”. Later, when we landed in IIM Shillong, I went inquiring through security people and got hold of the standing guy. I took him inside and Dr. Kalam greeted him. He shook his hand, said thank you buddy. “Are you tired? Would you like something to eat? I am sorry you had to stand so long because of me”. The young lean guard, draped in black cloth, was surprised at the treatment. He lost words, just said, “Sir, aapkeliye to 6 ghantebhikhaderahenge”.
After this, we went to the lecture hall. He did not want to be late for the lecture. “Students should never be made to wait”, he always said. I quickly set up his mike, briefed on final lecture and took position on the computers. As I pinned his mike, he smiled 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.
“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.
We picked him up. As the doctor rushed, we tried whatever we could. I will never forget the look in his three-quarter closed eyes and I held his head with one hand and tried reviving with whatever I could. 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 the they indicated the missile man had flown away, forever. I touched his feet, one last time. Adieu old friend! Grand mentor! See you in my thoughts and meet in the next birth.
As turned back, a closet of thoughts opened.
Often he would ask me, “You are young, decide what will like to be remembered for?” I kept thinking of new impressive answers, till one day I gave up and resorted to tit-for-tat. I asked him back, “First you tell me, what will you 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.
Then something he said two weeks back when we were discussing about his missile time friends. He said, “Children need to take care of their parents. It is sad that sometimes this is not happening”. 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”.
Today, I look back – he took the final journey, teaching, what he always wanted to be remembered doing. And, till his final moment he was standing, working and lecturing. He left us, as a great teacher, standing tall. He leaves the world with nothing accumulated in his account but loads of wishes and love of people. He was a successful, even in his end.
Will miss all the lunches and dinners we had together, will miss all the times you surprised me with your humility and startled me with your curiosity, will miss the lessons of life you taught in action and words, will miss our struggles to race to make into flights, our trips, our long debates. You gave me dreams, you showed me dreams need to be impossible, for anything else is a compromise to my own ability. The man is gone, the mission lives on. Long live Kalam.

Your indebted student,

Srijan Pal Singh





http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=513SmuF2Uz0

May his wonderful and pure soul RIP. May God gv strength to his family, near and dear ones to bear such a huge loss. The whole country and we all will miss you Sir.

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Revenge can be bitter sweet, but if u sit back and watch, KARMA can be pure entertainment.

Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.” - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

“All Birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the Clouds.” - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

“Failure will never overtake me if my definition to succeed is strong enough”. - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

“Man needs difficulties in life because they are necessary to enjoy the success.” - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

“If you want to shine like a sun. First burn like a sun.” - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

“It is very easy to defeat someone, but it is very hard to win someone” - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

"All of us do not have equal talent. But , all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.” - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

" Be more dedicated to making solid achievements than in running after swift but synthetic happiness." -A.P.J Abdul Kalam

"Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your life." - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

" Without your involvement you can't succeed. With your involvement you can't fail. " - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

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Revenge can be bitter sweet, but if u sit back and watch, KARMA can be pure entertainment.

Such a humble person. All the egoistic folks must learn from him about humility. IMO, he was robbed of his 5 yrs of life by imprisoning him in Rashtrapathi Bhavan (was it Vajpayee who did that?). Dr. Kalam would have done even more good for the country.

RIP, Sir.

In FB, heartfelt condolances and the greatness of his life is pouring in.
I donot accept what MKBLR says. As a president, he was able to use his office to come into people's hearts. A thing which may not have happened if he was not the president.
People forget great people who are not in power. We all know what is the state of Advani or Anna Hazare.

TN had decared a holiday for students where as Kerala did not.

Murali

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

Dr. A.P.J. Kalam is a "Yugpurush". People like him are born once every century. True patriot who helped propel India into the space age.

He was imparting knowledge even until the last second of his life. A glorious way to die.

Jai Hind.

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam..

You were and will always be inspiration for me and many others.

May the almighty rest your noble soul in Peace.