A Sage passes away.. Dr Kalam

A Sage passes away.. Dr Kalam
When I heard about the sudden demise of Dr Kalam in class today, I was instantly reminded of Einstein’s remark on Gandhi: “Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever walked upon this earth”. It will not be untrue to rephrase this moving tribute and write “Generations to come in Independent India will scarcely believe that amidst the turmoil, corruption, bureaucracy, unenlightened leadership and utter lack of vision – there lived a man, whose life was devoted to the cause of humanity as much as it was to science, whose life was as much a study in humility as it was in the dignity and respect of human beings, whose living presence was a reminder that political life need not be divested of statesmanship, whose prolific and prodigious scientific intellect was tempered with sense of material achievement with a human touch, whose fertile brain at the age of 83 was still young enough to think of a modern and rejuvenated India, whose every step was a commitment to bringing out the very best in the community around him - and above all, a man whose untarnished and scrupulous living is a stirring example of how one may lead a life without any debilitating attachments, simple; yet with self-respect ,authority and learning”
Dr Kalam died well. He could not have chosen a better podium to leave his exhausted body behind. Addressing an audience in IIM Shillong on “Livable Planet earth” - a topic that always interested him, his heart gave way to merge into its Universal counterpart. What a life? We will miss his smiling face, his whitish flowing hair, his brisk walk, his compassionate look, his unpretentious talks, his undisguised accent, his illuminating insights, his playful demeanor, his towering intellect, his overwhelming magnanimity and his unbounded optimism in India and its future. In his passing away, we have lost yet another father of our nation. But this time around, this sage has managed to inspire millions of young hearts who will not get bogged down by the pettiness they see around them. They will not allow the fire that Kalam has lit to die so easily. Where Gandhi failed, Kalam will succeed, because he has touched the powerful, vibrant chords of confidence, dignity and optimism in younger generation; and the putrid accretions of a burdensome past will not shake their confidence in a future, which is made out of education, innovation and courage to live out one’s dreams. This is the legacy of DR APJ Kalam and the message of his life to us.
You shall never die sir. You will live in every dream realized, every achievement consummated.
God bless…
Bala

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