Written on July 27, 2015

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam passed away a few minutes back and somehow it feels like a personal loss. We have never met him but loved him as countless others because of his five years as President of India. He brought back the glory to the office of the President and his enthusiasm was infectious.

Dr. Kalam was the son of a boat owner in Rameswaram. We just visited Rameswaram and passed by his house which is now a tourist attraction. I was planning on writing to him about how to ensure “Swachh Bharat” reaches Rameswaram and now I cannot. Maybe Krishnan and I will have to take that message to the great man’s hometown.

Dr. Kalam is the poster boy for education – his family wasn’t exactly rich and he had to support his education by doing odd jobs. He also was not a bright student apparently but a very hard working one during school and college. The important thing is he continued to get himself educated, going all the way to earning a PhD and becoming known as the missile man of India. What better advertisement for the importance of education in uplifting oneself poverty ?

To all the children out there whose minds Dr. Kalam wanted to ignite – remember there are no shortcuts to success – it takes education and hard work ! So please stay invested in your learning. Dr. Kalam was a scholarship student and he didn’t hesitate to ask for help. He also worked hard selling newspapers to keep himself in school. So let’s not hear excuses of why you cannot get educated.

ShikshaDaan pays homage to the great Dr. Kalam and prays that he ignites more minds. Thank you Dr. Kalam for a life that was “ShikshaDaan” for the rest of us. RIP.