MISSILE MAN

OF
INDIA
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Dr.Kalamwasbornin1931toaMuslimfamily,
residinginTamilNadu.
Hisfatherwasaboatownerandhismotherwas
ahousewife.
Kalamwastheyoungestoffourbrothersand
onesisterinhisfamily.
Kalam'sfamilywasverypoor;atanearlyage,
hesoldnewspaperstosupplementhisfamily's
income.

Inhisschoolyears,Kalamhadaveragegradesbutwasdescribed
asabrightandhardworkingstudentwhohadastrongdesireto
learn.Hespenthoursonhisstudies.
Aftercompletinghisschool,Kalamgraduatedinphysicsin1954,
fromtheUniversityofMadrasandmovedtoMadrasin1955to
studyaerospaceengineeringinMadrasInstituteofTechnology.
WhileKalamwasworkingonaseniorclassproject,theDeanwas
dissatisfiedwithhislackofprogressandthreatenedtorevokehis
scholarshipunlesstheprojectwasfinishedwithinthenextthree
days.Kalammetthedeadline,impressingtheDean,wholatersaid
that,"Iwasputtingyouunderstressandaskingyoutomeeta
difficultdeadline".
Henarrowlymissedachievinghisdreamofbecomingafighter
pilot,asheplacedninthinqualifiers,andonlyeightpositionswere
availableintheIAF

Aftergraduating,KalamjoinedtheAeronauticalDevelopment
EstablishmentoftheDefenceResearchandDevelopment
Organisation(DRDO)asascientist.
Hestartedhiscareerbydesigningasmallhovercraft,but
remainedunconvincedbyhischoiceofajobatDRDO.
In1969,KalamwastransferredtotheIndianSpaceResearch
Organisation(ISRO)wherehewastheprojectdirectorofIndia's
firstSatelliteLaunchVehicle(SLV);Kalamhadfirststartedwork
onanexpandablerocketprojectindependentlyatDRDOin1965.
In1969,Kalamreceivedthegovernment'sapprovalandexpanded
theprogrammetoincludemoreengineers.

Betweenthe1970sand1990s,Kalammadeanefforttodevelop
thePolarSatelliteLaunchVehicle(PSLV)andSLVIIIprojects,
bothofwhichprovedtobesuccessful.

Kalamwasinvitedtowitnessthecountry'sfirstnucleartest,
eventhoughhehadnotparticipatedinitsdevelopment.Inthe
1970s,Kalamalsodirectedtwoprojects,whichsoughttodevelop
ballisticmissilesfromthetechnologyofthesuccessfulSLV
programme.
DespitethedisapprovaloftheUnionCabinet,PrimeMinister
IndiraGandhiallottedsecretfundsfortheseaerospaceprojects
throughherdiscretionarypowersunderKalam'sdirectorship.
KalamplayedanintegralroleconvincingtheUnionCabinetto
concealthetruenatureoftheseclassifiedaerospaceprojects.His
researchandeducationalleadershipbroughthimgreatlaurels
andprestigeinthe1980s,whichpromptedthegovernmentto
initiateanadvancedmissileprogrammeunderhisdirectorship.

KalamworkedonthesuggestionbythethenDefenceMinister,R.
Venkataramanonaproposalforsimultaneousdevelopmentofa
quiverofmissilesinsteadoftakingplannedmissilesoneafter
another.
RVenkatramanwasinstrumentalingettingthecabinetapproval
forallocating388croresforthemission,namedIntegrated
GuidedMissileDevelopmentProgramme(IGMDP)andappointed
Kalamasthechiefexecutive.Kalamplayedamajorpartin
developingmanymissilesunderthemission.

KalamservedastheChiefScientificAdvisertothePrimeMinister
andtheSecretaryoftheDRDOfromJuly1992toDecember1999.
ThePokhranIInucleartestswereconductedduringthisperiodin
whichheplayedanintensivepoliticalandtechnologicalrole.
KalamservedastheChiefProjectCoordinatorduringthetesting
phase.MediacoverageofKalamduringthisperiodmadehimthe
country'sbestknownnuclearscientist.
In1998,alongwithcardiologistSomaRaju,Kalamdevelopeda
lowcostcoronarystent,namedthe"KalamRajuStent".
In2012,theduodesignedaruggedtabletcomputerforhealthcare
inruralareas,whichwasnamedthe"KalamRajuTablet".

Kalamservedasthe11thPresidentofIndia,winningthe2002
presidentialelections.theelectionwasaonesidedaffairand
Kalam'svictorywasaforegoneconclusion,ashewasbackedby
theNationalDemocraticAlliance(NDA),SamajwadiPartyandthe
NationalistCongressParty.AftertheSamajwadiPartyannouncedits
supportforKalam,Narayananchosenottoseekasecondtermin
office,leavingthefieldclear.

DrKalamusedtoreceivecostlygiftswheneverhewentasitis
customaryformanynationstogivegiftstothevisitingHeadofstate.
Refusingthegiftwouldbecomeaninsulttothenationandan
embarrassmentforIndia.So,hereceivedthemandonhisreturn,Dr
Kalamaskedthegiftstobephotographedandthencataloguedand
handedovertothearchives.Afterwards,heneverevenlookedat
them.Hedidnottakeevenapencilfromthegiftsreceivedwhenhe
leftRashtrapathiBhavan.

~~~Remains~~~

In2002,theyearDrKalamtookover,theRamadanmonthcamein
JulyAugust.itwasaregularpracticeforthePresidenttohostaniftar
party.DrKalamaskedMrNairwhyheshouldhostapartytopeople
whoarealreadywellfedandaskedhimtofindouthowmuchwould
bethecost.MrNairtolditcostsaroundRs.22lakhs.DrKalamasked
himtodonatethatamounttoafewselectedorphanagesintheform
offood,dressesandblankets.Theselectionoforphanageswasleft
toateaminRashtrapathiBhavanandDrKalamhadnoroleinit.After
theselectionwasmade,DrKalamaskedMrNairtocomeinsidehis
roomandgavehimachequeforRs1lakh.Hesaidthatheisgiving
someamountfromhispersonalsavingsandthisshouldnotbe
informedtoanyone.MrNairwassoshockedthathesaid"sir,Iwill
gooutsideandtelleveryone.Peopleshouldknowthathereisaman
whonotonlydonatedwhatheshouldhavespentbutheisgivinghis
ownmoneyalso".DrKalamthoughhewasadevoutMuslimdidnot
haveIftarpartiesintheyearsinwhichhewasthePresident.

DrKalamdidnotlike"yessir"typeofpeople.OncewhentheChief
JusticeofIndiahadcomeandonsomepointDrKalamexpressedhis
viewandaskedMrNair,"Doyouagree?"/MrNairsaid"Nosir,ido
notagreewithyou".TheChiefJusticewasshockedandcouldnot
believehisears.Itwasimpossibleforacivilservanttodisagreewith
thepresidentandthattoosoopenly.MrNairtoldhimthatthe
Presidentwouldquestionhimafterwardswhyhedisagreedandifthe
reasonwaslogical99%hewouldchangehismind.

DrKalaminvited50ofhisrelativestocometoDelhiandtheyall
stayedinRashtrapathiBhavan.Heorganisedabusforthemtogo
aroundthecitywhichwaspaidforbyhim.Noofficialcarwasused.
AlltheirstayandfoodwascalculatedaspertheinstructionsofDr
KalamandthebillcametoRs2lakhswhichhepaid.Inthehistoryof
thiscountrynoonehasdoneit.Now,waitfortheclimax,DrKalam's
elderbrotherstayedwithhiminhisroomfortheentireoneweekas
DrKalamwantedhisbrothertostaywithhim.Whentheyleft,Dr
Kalamwantedtopayrentforthatroomalso.ImagineaPresidentof
countrypayingrentfortheroominwhichheisstaying.Thiswasany
waynotagreedbythestaffwhothoughtthehonestywasgettingtoo
muchtohandle!!!.

WhenKalamsirwastoleaveRashtrapathiBhavanattheendofthe
tenure,everystaffmemberwentandmethimandpaidtheirrespects.
MrNairwenttohimaloneashiswifehadfracturedherlegandwas
bedridden.DrKalamaskedwhyhiswifedidnotcome.Hereplied
thatshewasinbedduetoanaccident.nextday,Nairsawlotof
policemenaroundhishouseandaskedwhathadhappened.They
saidthatthePresidentofIndiawascomingtovisithiminhishouse.
Hecameandmethiswifeandchattedforsometime.MrNairsays
thatnopresidentofanycountrywouldvisitacivilservant'shouse
andthattooonsuchasimplepretext.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
1.EverythingisPossible
Dr.AbdulKalam,FormerPresidentofIndiaasonofasmallboatowner,
fromfarendoftheCountryreachingwhatwaspossibly,thesupreme
mostposition,aCitizenofIndiacaneverreachthattoo,onlyoneout
ofabillionpeople,caneverreachoncein5yearsthroughsheerhard
work,dedicationand,sincerity,backedbydestiny.Icouldonlythink
aboutAbrahamLincolnintheModernWorldHistory.Probably,ifhistory
hastocomparebothofthem,fairandjust,onthehumanityscale,Iam
notsurebutIbelieve,withallhumbleness,probablyDr.Kalammayeven
risetallerasahumanbeing,instatureintheModernWorldHistory.I
havemyownreasontoattributetohistalleststature.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
2.LeadersIgnitethemindsofOthers
DrKalamwasadestinyschild.Amanwithnothingexceptcuriosityand
passionforflying,withwingsoffire,flewashighashecouldinthesky.
And,likeaspecialsatellitethatorbitstheUniverse,hewentabouthis
mission,ignitingmillionsofyoungmindsandmanynations.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
3.Leaderscare,shareandmaintaintransparency
Dr.Kalamboastednothingbutlearntasmuchashecantillhislast
breath.Hekeptnothingtohimselfbutsharedwithtransparencyand
sinceritytoeachandeveryone,everythinghelearnt,whocrossedhis
lifetillhislastbreathatIIM,Shillong.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
4.Leadershumblethemself
SuchwashisleadershipstylethatDr.AbdulKalam'saccessiontopower
andpositionwasjustoccasionstofurtherhumblehimselfasmuch
possibleashecan,sothatthepeoplewhomethimcanfeelstronger
andtallerintheirheartandlife.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
5.LeadersInspireothersandmakethemdreamratherthanmakingthem
believeintheirowndreams
Dr.Kalaminspiredmillionsofyoungheartstodream;And,madethemto
believeintheirdreams.Hewantedpeopletodream,totransformtheir
dreamsintothoughtsthatcanresultintoactions.Dr.Kalamenvisioneda
developedIndiathatisverymucharealitythroughstrongvision.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
6.LeadersaretrulyVisionary
Dr.KalamstronglybelievedthatfutureIndiassuccessrestover
PURA(ProvidingUrbanAmenitiesinRuralAreas).And,thatistheway
forward,tocreateadevelopedIndia.Heistrulyavisionary.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
7.LeaderslookforsolutionstoproblemswithInnovativemindset
WhatcanamissilescientistdowithhislearningstoalleviateIndias
problems?Hecrosspollinatedtheideaofusingthehighgradesteel
usedinmissilesthatcankillpeopleanddesignedanddeveloped,what
isfamouslyknownasKalamRajuStentthatnowsavespeople...at
fractionofthecostcomparedtothoseexpensiveones,makingitmore
affordable.InhimIsawanoblemind.
ProbablytheonlyMissilescientistinthisUniversewhocouldusethe
materialsmadetoflymissilesnowmakelittlekidsaroundtheWorld
walkwithconfidence.Dr.Kalamsideaofusingthecompositematerials
usedinmissileframestomakelightweightcalipers,mademeseenot
onlyacompassionateleader,butdeepinsidehim,alovablemother
also.

What can we learn about leadership from

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ?
8.LeaderscreateInstitutions...TheyliveasanInstitutionpersonally
Tome,Dr.AbdulKalamisaninstitution.Blessedarethosewhoareintoteachingprofession.
ForhowmuchhelovedteachingisknowntotheWorld.Forme,KalamIyyaInstitution
exemplifiesvariousdepartmentsDepartmentofHumanityDepartmentofHumility,
DepartmentofCompassion,DepartmentofSmile,DepartmentofSacrifice,Departmentof
PositiveEnergy,DepartmentofDream,DepartmentofMissionandVision,Departmentof
ProbityinLife,DepartmentofCuriosity,DepartmentofGivingBacktoSociety,Departmentof
IgnitingMindsandsoon
And,soitsprettyevidentthatpeoplefromsmalltownswithnothingexcepttheirdreamscan
reachheightsfargreaterthanonecanevenimagineduringtheirlifetime.Andthewholeofthis
Universecometogethertoensuresuchsoulsreachfortheirdreams,irrespectiveoftheir
obstaclesandchallenges.
AdreamthatDr.AbdulKalamtransformedintoactions.Astheydreamandgoaboutachieving
theirdreamsforrestoringhumanity,thedestinytakescareoftherest.
And,leadershipcharactersthataremostimportantandvitalforanyOrganisationintoday's
Worldtoremainsuccessful.