Sad day in Indian History as Former President APJ Abdul Kalam passes away .
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, one of India’s most renowned rocket scientists who served as the nation’s 11th president, died of cardiac arrest on Monday at the age of 83.
Kalam was hospitalized after collapsing during a lecture in the northeastern city of Shillong, local media station NDTV reports. He held longstanding leadership positions for India’s defense and space programs, and was elected President with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in July of 2002.
An Indian scientist and administrator, Kalam served as the 11th President of India from 2002 until 2007. One amongst the most respected people of the country, Kalam contributed immensely both as a scientist and as a president. His contribution at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was immense. He was responsible for numerous projects such as Project Devil and Project Valiant and launch of the Rohini-1, besides developing missiles under the missions Agni and Prithvi. For the same, he was popularly tagged as the “Missile Man of India”. Kalam was honored with great laurels and awards for his work by both the Government of India and other countries. After completing his term as President, Kalam served as a visiting professor in various esteemed institutes and universities of India.
Many of us -Minnesotans’ had the unique opportunity to meet him last May at SV Temple and at an event organized by IAM. These are memories we all will treasure for years to come.
HE has always inspired the youth to follow their dreams, take the hard route and be the unique “You’ and not everyone else!
Listing down some of his very famous quotes …
- You have to dream before your dreams can come true.
- Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.
- Life is a difficult game. You can win it only by retaining your birthright to be a person.
- Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.
- We will be remembered only if we give to our younger generation a prosperous and safe India, resulting out of economic prosperity coupled with civilizational heritage.
- Those who cannot work with their hearts achieve but a hollow, half-hearted success that breeds bitterness all around.
- Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role model.
- Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.
- If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.
- My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people.
Let us all Pay our Tribute to this Great Human being by following our dreams and believing in the power of self!
All the best …
MMA Board