REMEMBERING THE GREAT LEGEND !!
What has India (and the world) lost by the demise of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam ?
BY - Biswajit Basu
Biswajit Basu, Science, History, Photography and Practical Living
A LEGEND HAS PASSED
On 10 May 1998, I wearily boarded the last Indian Airlines flight
from
Hyderabad to Delhi. Much to my annoyance I had Seat 1A,
and I hated it
because usually the first row seats were given only to
politicians and
their noisy cronies and so all I could possibly look forward
to was a
boisterous and disagreeable journey home.
However, I was mildly
surprised when a small, short, frail looking
gentleman took the seat
next to me.
As the aircraft took off, we got to chatting about
generalities and soon
the plane settled, steady on its northern course.
This gentleman then asked me if I would remain awake and if so,
could I
please request the flight attendant not to serve him dinner as
he was
rather sleepy. I readily agreed and watched him curl himself up to a
little ball and doze off ever so quickly into the serenity of dreamland.
He looked so peaceful and small in the seat which suddenly looked
huge
in comparison. He remained smiling through out the flight
even as he
slept.
Two hours later we landed in Delhi and he thanked me and wished
me
goodnight and goodbye.
Next morning my wife excitedly handed
me the newspaper and
I read the headlines in awe that India had
detonated a fusion (hydrogen) bomb
in Pokhran.
Below was a picture of
Prime Minister Vajpayee and next to him was the
affable and unassuming
gentleman with whom I had flown the previous night.
Unknown to
me till then,
I had sat next to Dr Abdul Kalam, Head of DRDO during that
routine,
uneventful flight.
Little did I know then that this courteous,
soft and unassuming gentleman was
about to make history the next day
and
would, one day, become the President of India.
It is perhaps the only occasion that humankind has ever known
where a great scientist became a great President.
India will always revere you as one of its greatest sons, Dr Kalam.
REST THEE IN EVERLASTING PEACE.
D MoRnInG .... HaVe A LoVe FIlLeD DAy !
