Inspiration is akin to the fuel surging through the veins of the inspired as the words, deeds and thoughts of the ever-illuminated person continues to enlighten and revitalize the partially extinguished minds towards awakening- to a life decorated with dreams, ambitions and great and good deeds. Such a man was our former president Dr. Kalam, who through and through had set a million example how dreams and aspirations to achieve one’s objective in life can sow the seed within a person, to achieve something fruitful, that which benefits all of humanity. It is the way the person has overcome every single battle with a mighty heart and fiery sense of perseverance that propels students like us to embark upon a similar kind of journey till we have finally reached what we have had been aiming for. We should make it our first and foremost objective to keep the fire of inspiration burning ever bright since the very first day to our last till we have touched down upon the finishing line.
There is no dearth of inspiration around us, from the society we belong to, yet the only person who has forever been the one to stimulate and motivate has been the simple yet outstandingly brilliant scientist cum humanist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who had single-handedly shown it to the world that India, a formerly colonized and economically infantile country, could be self-sufficient in areas of defence and aerospace infrastructure. It is the beacon, borne by Dr. Kalam that proved to the country-men alike that a country drained of its riches during the imperial rule could through rigorous hard work and perseverance, retrieve itself from the stuck in the past condition towards a new chapter of self-reliance and resurgence, in history. Students, who are constantly under pressure social, familial or academic can take lessons from the life-changing milestones in the life of the ‘missile man of India’, who had achieved many a height. He hailed from Rameswaram, from an extremely humble family background that knew nothing of luxury and comforts and so was he also emboldened in the same spirit of overcoming every obstacle be it financial or societal propelling him into a man who would lead an entire nation towards a phase of revolution and renaissance in the sphere of aeronautics and indigenous missiles like Prithvi, Agni and other land and surface missiles. It was his sheer dedication towards his own field that revamped the entire process by which a country that could never even be fathomed let alone see the real possibility of the deal, stand and march on its own, becoming self-reliant and independent of foreign states in protecting her borders from perpetrators like terrorists and neighbouring states alike. His journey from the nascent stage to the finale, that the entire world commends and applauds of is not that of a simple one, rather is of innumerable twists and turns, full of impediments, the oscillatory motion of which, he is grateful to, for testing him through ordeals that in turn had made him stronger and stronger by each passing day. The life of a man, is especially that of a tempestuous and turbulent one which begins with being in the classroom which lays down the path from the academic phase to that of a professional one or one where the student having had acquired the requisite knowledge and evaluation gets hired at his or her suitable work-place. Kalam’s life has taught the essential virtues of being true to one self during the entire process of acquiring knowledge which lays down the foundational base upon which the infrastructure of the simulacra will be based. Hence, it is very important to build a stable foundation which will forever be with us and not simply for the sake of passing exams by rote learning. Rote learning is something which till a certain extent is efficient but when the understanding level and not only the memory level is given further emphasis and importance, such a highly erroneous and faulty system of learning proves harmful in the long run.
Navigating up and down the serpentine and convoluted lanes of human relationships is another of those many lessons taught by Kalam, who in his life-time had come across people of various kinds and degrees but had been able to keep his head high despite those momentary lapses of emotional poignance when negatives of envy and jealousy of others have slowed him down. On a positive note, such occurrences in life come to us as a boon so as not to entrust our faith with the wrong folk who are there to see us disappointed, disheartened and defeated. As he would say, “through difficulties and problems God gives us the opportunity to grow,” those very obstacles would sharpen our intellect and individuality, catapulting us to the pinnacle of success.
Kalam was a nationalist who believed in the idea of ‘nation first’ theory over anything else as a result of which, he was able to contribute so much towards his country. The same goes for us as well, when in an era of modernity everyone is running for opportunities to countries like America and England, we must contemplate on how to be of help to our society. It is the nationalistic fervour that needs to be inculcated in with the emergence of a similar African ‘back to the roots’ movement. His life is the epitome of one who despite the brain and ability had sought to provide for his own motherland instead of catering to the foreign soil, the likes of which had bled our countrymen for years. His words create an echo for the decadent and dying youth of India, that needs to awaken to the bright light of being a proud citizen and similarly cater to her.
Dr. Kalam’s words and works have worked as an impetus, inculcating within us an indomitable spirit with a pair of ‘wings of fire’ to fight the torrid and the frigid of the trials.
