APJ Kalam had met prospective brides

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
People' President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
People' President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

 

 APMJ Sheik Dawood

The author is the eldest grandson of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and he fondly remembers him on his death anniversary:

Spending time with family at home and otherwise was the essence of my great grandfather’s life and this fact is known to all. He often called me and my brother Saleem in our early years to enquire about our career and personal growth.

During his last few years too, Dr Kalam made sure he encouraged us in all ways and stayed connected with family.”

In 2008, when he stepped down as President, he came to Pune to attend eight functions where he had to deliver speeches and interact with students, in a single day. I was working at an IT company back then.  In the evening, he invited me to his hotel.

I was curious to know how a man of his age (74 then), had the energy to attend 8 programs back to back and what made him do so? When I put these questions to him, Dr Kalam simply said “I want to dedicate my life and knowledge I’ve gained to younger generations of the country. Every day, I ask myself what I can contribute to them. When one wakes up with such thoughts, all your questions get nullified before those thoughts.”

To see a man of his stature still working for others inspired me a lot. I am sure if it was any other country or anyone else who has just stepped down from a PM/Presidential pos, he would usually get paid for their presence and speeches. But he did it all free and only thought of giving back to society without any expectations.

“Another incident in 2013 at Chennai reminds me how he never discriminated against anyone. It was a sultry afternoon a car was waiting to pick him up from his hotel. I had gone to meet him there. I  remember around 500-600 people crowding around him to get his autograph and all shouting his name. In that crowd, a shirt-less old man in his 80s, who was standing at a distance was cheering for Dr Kalam as well. There was also a 7-year-old boy.

Dr Kalam called both the old man and the small boy and gave his autograph to them. Later when I asked him what made him call that shirtless man in particular. Dr Kalam said, “the old man is nearing his end and he is living his last stages of life. At the same time, the young boy is just starting his life. I wanted to make them both happy in some form of kindness.

 This incident has majorly inspired me.

There is a myth that Dr Kalam never wanted to get married due to his service to the nation. In reality, he was interested in marrying and didn’t want to remain a bachelor. On certain occasions, he even met prospects but never got the chance to marry as his tight schedules and long years of missions didn’t allow him to.

People want to know how I and we, as a family, feel about the stopping of the work on the building of the DRDO library in his name. They must know that the country is going through a huge crisis due to the pandemic. This needs to be dealt with on priority. Buildings can be raised anytime. We’re in full support  of the government of India and, I am sure, Dr Kalam would’ve wanted the same.

(As told to Sreshtha Tiwari in Chennai)