Kalamwas elected as thepresident of India in 2002 with the support of both the rulingBharatiya Janata Party and the then-oppositionIndian National Congress. He was widely referred to as the "People's President". He engaged in teaching, writing and public service after his presidency. He was a recipient of several awards, including theBharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
While delivering a lecture atIIM Shillong, Kalam collapsed and died from an apparentcardiac arrest on 27 July 2015, aged 83. Thousands attended the funeral ceremony held in his hometown of Rameswaram, where he was buried withfull state honours. Amemorial was inaugurated near his home town in 2017.
Kalam was the youngest of four brothers and a sister in the family.[9][10][11] His ancestors had been wealthyMarakayar traders and landowners, with numerous properties and large tracts of land. Marakayar are aMuslim ethnic group found in coastal Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka who claim descent fromArab traders and local women. The family business had involved trading goods and transporting passengers between the Indian mainland and the Pamban Island and to and from Sri Lanka. With the opening of thePamban Bridge connecting Pamban Island to mainland India in 1914, the businesses failed. As a result, apart from the ancestral home, the other family fortune and properties were lost by the 1920s, and the family was poverty-stricken by the time Kalam was born. As a young boy, he delivered newspapers to support the family's meager income.[12][13][14]
In his school years, Kalam got average grades but was described by his teachers as a bright and hardworking student with a strong desire to learn. He spent hours learningMathematics.[14] He did his schooling at Schwartz Higher Secondary School inRamanathapuram.[15] He then graduated inPhysics fromSt. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli, in 1954.[16]
Kalam moved to Madras in 1955 to studyaerospace engineering at theMadras Institute of Technology.[3] While he was working on a class project, the Dean of the institution was dissatisfied with his lack of progress and threatened to revoke his scholarship unless the project was finished within the next three days. Kalam met the deadline, impressing the Dean, who later said to him, "I was putting you under stress and asking you to meet a difficult deadline."[17] Later, he narrowly missed out on his dream of becoming afighter pilot, as he placed ninth in qualifiers, and only eight positions were available in theIndian Air Force.[18]
Career as a scientist
This was my first stage, in which I learnt leadership from three great teachers—DrVikram Sarabhai, ProfSatish Dhawan and DrBrahm Prakash. This was the time of learning and acquisition of knowledge for me.
In May 1974, Kalam was invited byRaja Ramanna to witness the country's first nuclear testSmiling Buddha as the representative ofTerminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, even though he was officially not part of the project.[26] In the 1970s, Kalam directed two projects,Project Devil andProject Valiant, which sought to developballistic missiles using the technology from the successful SLV programme. Despite the disapproval of theunion cabinet, then Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi allotted funds for these aerospace projects under Kalam's directorship through her discretionary powers. Kalam also played a major role in convincing the cabinet to conceal the true nature of these classified projects. His research and leadership brought him recognition in the 1980s, which prompted the government to initiate an advanced missile programme under his directorship.[27]
Kalam worked with metallurgistV. S. R. Arunachalam, who was then scientific adviser to the Defence Minister, on the suggestion by the then Defence MinisterR. Venkataraman on the simultaneous development of a quiver of missiles instead of taking planned missiles one after another.[28] Venkatraman was instrumental in getting the cabinet approval for allocating₹3.88 billion (equivalent to₹66 billion or US$780 million in 2023) for the project titledIntegrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and appointed Kalam as its chief executive.[28] Kalam played a major role in the development of missiles includingAgni, an intermediate range ballistic missile andPrithvi, the tactical surface-to-surface missile, despite inflated costs and time overruns.[28][29] He was known as the "Missile Man of India" for his work on the development ofballistic missile andlaunch vehicle technology.[30][31][32]
Kalam served as the chief scientific adviser to the prime minister andsecretary of the DRDO from July 1992 to December 1999. He played a key organisational, political and technical role in thePokhran-II nuclear tests conducted in May 1998.[33] Along withRajagopala Chidambaram, he served as the chief project coordinator for the tests.[2][34] Media coverage of Kalam during this period made him the country's best known nuclear scientist.[35] However, the director of the site test,K. Santhanam, said that thethermonuclear bomb had been a "fizzle" and criticised Kalam for issuing an incorrect report.[36] The claim was refuted and rejected by Kalam and Chidambaram.[37]
I am really overwhelmed. Everywhere both in Internet and in other media, I have been asked for a message. I was thinking what message I can give to the people of the country at this juncture.[46]
On 18 June, Kalam filed his nomination papers in theIndian Parliament, accompanied by then prime ministerAtal Bihari Vajpayee and senior cabinet members.[47] He faced off againstLakshmi Sahgal, and the polling for thepresidential election was held on 15 July 2002, in the Indian parliament and the state assemblies, with the media predicting a win for Kalam.[48] The counting was held on 18 July, and Kalam won the elections after securing 922,884 electoral votes as against the 107,366 votes won by Sahgal.[49] He was sworn in as the11th president of India on 25 July 2002.[50][51] He was the first scientist and the first bachelor to occupy the top chair atRashtrapati Bhawan.[52]
Kalam with prime minister designateManmohan Singh in New Delhi on 19 May 2004
During his term as president, he was affectionately known as the "People's President".[53][54][55][56] He later stated that signing theOffice of profit bill was the toughest decision he had taken during his tenure.[57][58][59] In September 2003, during an interactive session atPGIMER inChandigarh, Kalam asserted the need ofUniform Civil Code in India, keeping in view the population of the country.[60][61] He also took a decision to imposePresident's rule in Bihar in 2005.[62] However, during his tenure as president, he made no decision on 20 out of the 21 mercy petitions submitted to him to commutedeath penalties, including that of terroristAfzal Guru, who was convicted of conspiracy in theDecember 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by theSupreme Court of India in 2004.[63] He acted only on a single plea, rejecting that ofDhananjoy Chatterjee, who was later hanged.[64]
Towards the end of his term, on 20 June 2007, Kalam expressed his willingness to consider a second term in office provided there was certainty about his victory in the upcomingpresidential election.[65] His name was proposed by theUnited National Progressive Alliance, but he did receive the support of the rulingUnited Progressive Alliance.[66][67] However, two days later, he decided not to contest the election again stating that he wanted to avoid involving the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the political processes.[68]
Kalam addressing the nation on the eve of the 58th Republic day in 2007
Many, many citizens have also expressed the same wish. It only reflects their love and affection for me and the aspiration of the people. I am really overwhelmed by this support. This being their wish, I respect it. I want to thank them for the trust they have in me.[79]
In 2011, Kalam voiced his support towards the establishment of thenuclear power plant atKoodankulam in Tamil Nadu, giving assurances for the safety of the facility.[87] However, some of the locals were unconvinced by his statements on the safety of the plant, and were hostile to his visit.[88] In May 2012, Kalam launched a programme calledWhat Can I Give Movement aimed at the youth of India with a central theme of defeating corruption.[89][90]
On 27 July 2015, Kalam travelled toShillong to deliver a lecture on "Creating a Livable Planet Earth" at IIM Shillong. While climbing a flight of stairs, he experienced some discomfort, but was able to enter the auditorium after a brief rest.[91][92] At around 6:35 p.m.IST, after five minutes into his lecture, he collapsed.[93] He was rushed to the nearby Bethany Hospital in a critical condition, and upon arrival, he lacked a pulse or any other signs of life. Despite being placed in theintensive care unit, he was confirmed dead of a suddencardiac arrest at 7:45p.m.[94][95] His purported last words to his aideSrijan Pal Singh were: "Funny guy! Are you doing well?"[96]
Following his death, the people of India paid tributes on social media.[97] The Government of India declared a seven-daystate mourning period as a mark of respect.[98] Various leaders from India and abroad condoled the death of Kalam.[99][100][101]Kalam's body was flown to New Delhi on the morning of 28 July, where dignitaries including then president, vice president, and prime minister paid their last respects.[102] His body was placed in his Delhi residence for public viewing.[103] On 29 July, his body was flown to the town ofMandapam viaMadurai, and was carried towards his home town of Rameswaram by road. His body was displayed in an open area to allow the public to pay their final respects until 8p.m. that evening.[104][105][106] On 30 July 2015, following anIslamic burial prayer performed by the localimam,[107] he was laid to rest at Rameswaram's Pei Karumbu ground with full state honours with over 350,000 people in attendance.[108][109]
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Memorial was built in memory of Kalam by the DRDO in Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram.[110] It was inaugurated by then prime ministerNarendra Modi in July 2017.[111][112] The memorial displays replicas of rockets and missiles which Kalam had worked with, and various acrylic paintings about his life. There is a large statue of Kalam in the entrance showing him playing theveena, and two other smaller statues in sitting and standing posture respectively.[113]
Kalam was the youngest of five siblings, the eldest of whom was a sister, Asim Zohra (d. 1997), followed by three elder brothers: Mohammed Lebbai (5 November 1916–7 March 2021),[114][115] Mustafa Kalam (d. 1999) and Kasim Mohammed (d. 1995).[116] He was close to his elder siblings and their extended families throughout his life, and would regularly send small sums of money to his older siblings, though he himself remaining a lifelongbachelor.[116][117]
Kalam was noted for his integrity and his simple lifestyle.[117][118] He was ateetotaler,[119] and avegetarian.[120] Kalam enjoyed writingTamil poetry, playing theveena (an Indian string instrument),[121] and listening toCarnatic devotional music every day.[122] He never owned atelevision, and was in the habit of rising at 6:30 or 7a.m. and sleeping by 2a.m.[123] His personal possessions included a few books, aveena, clothing, acompact disc player and alaptop. He left no will, and his possessions went to his eldest brother after his death.[124][125]
Kalam set a target of interacting with 100,000 students during the two years after his resignation from the post of scientific adviser in 1999. He explained, "I feel comfortable in the company of young people, particularly high school students. Henceforth, I intend to share with them experiences, helping them to ignite their imagination and preparing them to work for a developed India for which the road map is already available." His dream is to let every student to light up the sky with victory using their latent fire in the heart.[14] He had an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology such as developingbiomedical implants. He also supportedopen source technology overproprietary software, predicting that the use of free software on a large scale would bring the benefits of information technology to more people.[126]
Religious and spiritual views
Religion and spirituality were very important to Kalam throughout his life.[127] He was a practisingSunni Muslim, and dailynamaz and fasting duringRamadan were integral to his life.[122][128] His father was an imam of a mosque, and had strictly instilled these Islamic customs in his children.[4] His father had also impressed upon the young Kalam the value of interfaith respect and dialogue. As Kalam recalled: "Every evening, my father A. P. Jainulabdeen, an imam, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the head priest of the Ramanathaswamy Hindu temple, and a church priest used to sit with hot tea and discuss the issues concerning the island."[129][130] Such early exposure convinced Kalam that the answers to India's multitudinous issues lay in "dialogue and cooperation" among the country's religious, social, and political leaders.[128] Moreover, since Kalam believed that "respect for other faiths" was one of the key cornerstones of Islam, and he remarked: "For great men, religion is a way of making friends; small people make religion a fighting tool."[131]
One component of Kalam's widespread popularity among diverse groups in India, and an enduring aspect of his legacy, is thesyncretism he embodied in appreciating various elements of the many spiritual and cultural traditions of India.[122][128][132] In addition to his faith in theQuran and Islamic practice, Kalam was well-versed in Hindu traditions, learntSanskrit.[133][134] and read theBhagavad Gita.[135][136] In 2002, in one of his early speeches to Parliament after becoming the president, he reiterated his desire for a more united India, stating that "During the last one year I met a number of spiritual leaders of all religions ... and I would like to endeavour to work for bringing about unity of minds among the divergent traditions of our country".[132] Describing Kalam as a unifier of diverse traditions,Shashi Tharoor remarked, "Kalam was a complete Indian, an embodiment of the eclecticism of India's heritage of diversity".[122] Formerdeputy prime ministerL. K. Advani concurred that Kalam was "the best exemplar of the Idea of India, one who embodied the best of all the cultural and spiritual traditions that signify India's unity in immense diversity.[137]
Kalam's desire to meet spiritual leaders led him to meetPramukh Swami Maharaj, the Hindu guru of theBochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), who Kalam would come to consider his ultimate spiritual teacher and guru.[128] Kalam and Pramukh Swami met eight times over a fourteen-year period and on his first meeting on 30 June 2001, Kalam described being immediately drawn to Pramukh Swami's simplicity and spiritual purity.[129][138] Kalam stated that he was inspired by Pramukh Swami throughout their numerous interactions, and recalled being moved by Swami's equanimity and compassion, citing this incident as one of his motivations for writing his experiences as a book later.[129] Summarising the effect that Pramukh Swami had on him, Kalam stated that "[Pramukh Swami] has indeed transformed me. He is the ultimate stage of the spiritual ascent in my life ... Pramukh Swamiji has put me in a God-synchronous orbit. No manoeuvres are required any more, as I am placed in my final position in eternity."[128][139]
Kalam has authored various books during his career, and his books have garnered interest in various countries.[140]
In his bookIndia 2020, he strongly advocated an action plan to develop India into a "knowledge superpower" and adeveloped nation by 2020. He regarded his work on India'snuclear weapons programme as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower.[141]
I have identified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action: (1) agriculture and food processing; (2) education and healthcare; (3) information and communication technology; (4) infrastructure, reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country; and (5) self-reliance in critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and if advanced in a coordinated way, will lead to food, economic and national security.
Kalam described a "transformative moment" in his life in his bookTranscendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji. When he asked Pramukh Swami on how India might realise his vision of development, Swami answered to add a sixth area of developing faith in God and spirituality to overcome the current climate of crime and corruption.[129]
Bibliography
The following are the books authored by Kalam:[142]
Kalam's birthday is celebrated asWorld Students' Day in India.[151] In 2012, Kalam was ranked second inthe Greatest Indian poll conducted byOutlook.[152] In September 2014, India and the United States launched the Fulbright-Kalam climate fellowship which enabled six Indian doctoral students and researchers to work with institutions in the US for a period of 6–12 months.[153] In 2015, theGovernment of Tamil Nadu announced that Kalam's birthday, 15 October, would be observed as "Youth Renaissance Day". It also instituted the "Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Award" constituting a gold medal, a certificate and₹500,000 (US$5,900), to be awarded annually on theIndian Independence Day, to residents of the state with achievements in promoting scientific growth, the humanities or the welfare of students.[154] On the anniversary of Kalam's birth in 2015, theCentral Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released topics on his name as a part of the CBSE expression series.[155] On the same day,India Post released postage stamps commemorating the 84th anniversary of Kalam's birth.[156]
Eternal Quest: Life and Times of Dr Kalam by S Chandra; Pentagon Publishers, 2002.[174]
President A P J Abdul Kalam by R K Pruthi; Anmol Publications, 2002.[175]
A P J Abdul Kalam: The Visionary of India by K Bhushan, G Katyal; A P H Pub Corp, 2002.[176]
The Kalam Effect: My Years with the President by P M Nair; HarperCollins, 2008.[177]
My Days With Mahatma Abdul Kalam by Fr A K George; Novel Corporation, 2009.[178]
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: A Life byArun Tiwari; Harper Collins, 2015.[179]
The People's President: Dr A P J Abdul Kalam by S M Khan; Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.[180]
Film and media
In 2008, a documentary filmA Little Dream directed by P. Dhanapal was released in India.[181] In the 2011Hindi filmI Am Kalam, Kalam is portrayed as a positive influence on a poor but brightRajasthani boy named Chhotu, who renames himself Kalam in honour of his idol.[182]People's President is a 2016 Indian documentaryfeature film directed by Pankaj Vyas and produced by the Government of India'sFilms Division.[183]My Hero Kalam is a 2018Kannada biographical film by Shivu Hiremath which portrays Kalam's life from childhood to the Pokhran tests.[184] The third episode ofMega Icons (2018–2020), a documentary television series about prominent personalities of India aired onNational Geographic was based on Kalam's life.[185] In the 2020Tamil filmSoorarai Pottru, Sheik Maideen portrayed Kalam.[186] InRocket Boys, a Hindi biographicalstreaming television series onSonyLIV, the character of Kalam was played by Arjun Radhakrishnan.[187] In the 2022 Tamil filmRocketry: The Nambi Effect, Kalam is portrayed by Amaan.[188]
^"Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists".Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Science and Public Affairs. Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science: 32. November 1989.ISSN0096-3402.Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved9 October 2015.
^"Missile Chronology, 1971–1979"(PDF). James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at Monterey Institute of International Studies, Nuclear Threat Initiative. July 2003.Archived(PDF) from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved1 March 2012.
^abcdKalam, A.P.J. Abdul (2015).Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji. Noida: HarperCollins India. pp. ix–xi.ISBN978-93-5177-405-1.
^Kalam, A.P.J. Abdul (1 October 2011)."IDG Session Address"(PDF).NUJS Law Review. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 14 March 2014. Retrieved1 January 2015.
