PM RELEASES THE BOOK "WHO
IS KALAM?"
PM’S
SPEECH ON THE OCCASION
The Prime Minister
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today released books depicting multifaceted
personality of the President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, authored
by Shri R. Ramanathan at Parliament Annexe. The books have been
published in English, Hindi and four Indian languages, viz., "Who
is Kalam" (in English), "Kya Hain Kalam" (in Hindi),
"Ek Vyaktivedh" (in Marathi), "Kaun Hain Kalam?"
(in Urdu) "Kalam Aranu" and "Kalam Enbavar Yaar?"
(in Malayalam and Tamil respectively).
Following is
the full text of the speech of the PM on the occasion:
"It gives me
great pleasure to be with all of you this evening for the release
of this interesting book. Surely, it must be a record in India’s
publishing history that the same book is released in six languages
simultaneously. I have done lokarpan of many a book in
my life, but I must admit that I have never been called to release
six language editions of the same book at the same time.
The secret behind
this is not difficult to fathom. All the three books written by
our Respected Rashtrapatiji so far have made it to the bestseller
list – in the original English edition as well as in all their
Indian language editions.
This is a very encouraging
trend. I urge our publishing houses to launch a major drive to
make the best books in any Indian language available to readers
in other languages. The Government would be willing to support
such an effort.
It is also a history
of sorts in contemporary India that a major public figure, and
a very popular figure at that, owes a part of his popularity to
the books he has written. Dr. Kalam was a famous scientist even
before he became the President of our Republic. Now his fame,
especially among the youth, is enhanced by the inspiring books
he has written.
After his election
to this august office last July, Dr. Kalam has brought immense
grace to it, and also a new sense of purpose that is all his own.
I often wonder how a simple man like him, with a Spartan lifestyle,
alone without a family, lives in his palatial new house. But place
and position do not make a man. A man is made by his samskaras.
Besides discharging
his Constitutional responsibilities with dignified quietude, Dr.
Kalam has made Rashtrapati Bhavan the Karmabhoomi for his pet
concerns, which are also the Nation’s major concerns – issues
such as education, development of science and technology, rural
development, and all-round development of our children, who are
our most precious asset. From there he has been transmitting the
dream of how to make India a Developed Nation.
His books convey
his dream and his views. The fact that his books have become popular
is an indication that he has indeed ignited India’s young and
thinking minds with his dream and his message.
The book that I have
released today is a book on him, not by him. Yet,
in its own way, it reinforces the ideals that Dr. Kalam has stood
for and the concerns that he has been voicing – both in the past
and now.
I congratulate Shri
Ramanathan for presenting a fine portrait of the Man behind the
Message. The title of his book is in the form of a question: "Who
is Kalam?" But the answer to the question is contained
in the subtitle itself -- "A Good Human Being".
And what comes out of the pages of this book is indeed the personality
of someone who, besides having been a famous missile scientist,
a top science administrator, and a well-known public figure, is
also a sensitive, compassionate and caring human being, someone
who is good at heart and whose goodness shows in his action.
What I liked about
the book is the small details of Dr. Kalam’s life as a scientist.
The truth about a man is revealed not only in his big actions,
but also in his small, ordinary, daily deeds. Whether we help
colleagues in distress, whether we help a stranger in need, whether
we encourage the people working with us to speak out freely and
fearlessly. More importantly, whether we do neki (good
work) and carry it on your shoulders as a self-advertisement;
or we do good work and offer it to the Almighty – as they say
in Hindi: Neki kar aur dariya mein daal.
We know that, as
the head of the Defence Research & Development Organisation
(DRDO), Dr. Kalam laid great stress on the development of new
technologies that would benefit our national security. But if
his one eye was focused on national defence, the other eye was
fixed on how to use the same technologies to reduce pain and suffering
of common people. Let me cite an example from the book.
"Dr. Kalam is
a pioneer in introducing composite materials in India. They are
very strong and light and ideally suited for space and aircraft
applications. The first plant to use the carbon-carbon fibre was
set up by him in Trivandrum when he was working in the Department
of Space. Later, when he saw the plight of polio-affected children
fitted with heavy artificial legs, he felt that a Floor Reaction
Orthosis made with composite materials would weigh much less."
The author narrates
that, during one of Dr. Kalam’s field visits to Balasore in Orissa,
when he was distributing this new gear developed by DRDO to polio
patients, he noticed a sad, seven-year-old girl sitting in a corner.
The reason was that she would need a corrective surgery to enable
her to wear the caliper. She was the only one left out. Dr. Kalam
immediately organized the necessary operation for her in a hospital
in Hyderabad, at his own personal expense. He ensured that she
got the best possible attention. He also made it a point to see
her during his next visit to Balasore. She was now proudly wearing
the caliper on her leg – and a happy smile on her face.
Friends, what we
need is this humane approach to everything we do in our respective
professions. It does not take much to do good to others. All it
takes is an honest effort. Whether we succeed or fail in our effort
is another matter. Which is why, our seers have said that paropakara
is param dharma – being good to others is the highest form
of spirituality.
Dr. Kalam has been
emphasizing a spiritual approach to solving the nation’s problems.
This does not mean adopting the path of any particular religion.
Rather, as Gandhiji used to remind us, it means learning from
the humanist core of every faith. Dr. Kalam is a devout Muslim.
But he also considers the spiritual traditions of all religions
his own. This is sarva panth samabhava. This is genuine
secularism. In the Indian context, this is also genuine patriotism.
The author has said
that, having been a close associate of Dr. Kalam for many years,
he wanted to write a book that would be "a beacon light for
the youngsters to follow and contribute towards building a new
and vibrant India". I must say that he has succeeded in this
purpose. I congratulate Shri Ramanathan for having given young
Indians an inspirational book.
I also congratulate
all the publishers who have brought out this book in various languages."
