Despite being an eminent scientist and holding a commanding position as India’s president, APJ Abdul Kalam used to empathise with people from all sections of society and never displayed a shred of pomposity, say eminent nuclear physicists.

Bikas Sinha, former director of the Kolkata-based Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) and the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), said Kalam was a “charming person without any pomposity whatsoever” for a person of such eminence.

“I invited Kalam, when he was DRDO chief, to SINP when it reached 50 years. He mentioned that he uses the Meghnad Saha equation to determine the trajectory of missiles. That was very interesting,” recalled Sinha, who was SINP director at the time.

“I will miss him as friend,” the Padma Bhushan awardee added.

Nuclear physicist Dinesh Kumar Srivastava, the current VECC director, noted Kalam’s ability to empathise for all.

Based on his experience with the former president, Srivastava likened Kalam’s habit of reading letters and replying to all of them to that of Albert Einstein.

“I received a letter claiming that time can be converted into energy, as all unstable particles decay in time and give out energy. The person writing the letter also met me, but he was not satisfied and he wrote to Kalam.

“Sure enough, a few days later I got a call from Rastrapati Bhavan from one of the advisors of the president. The president, I was told, ‘had requested’ that I should call the person again and explain to him in greater detail why his idea did not have any scientific basis,” Srivastava remembered.

“It reminded me of the fact that Albert Einstein also used to receive a large number of letters and he used to try to reply to all of them. It was this empathy with the people, how-so-ever placed, which set him apart and endeared him to all,” he said.

Sibaji Raha, director of the Bose Institute and an internationally acclaimed authority on high energy particle and nuclear physics, said Kalam’s disciplined attitude was a benchmark for practising scientists.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday expressed condolence over the sudden demise of former president A.P.J Abdul Kalam, saying that he was a terrific human being and an inspiration to all.

Tendulkar took to social micro-blogging site Twitter to share his sentiments. He tweeted, “The nation mourns the loss of a great person. Former President of India, a renowned scientist, an inspiration to all, a terrific human being…RIP Dr. Abdul Kalam.”

Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli too paid a tribute to Dr. Kalam, calling him a visionary leader. He tweeted, “A role model for so many, a visionary leader and a person with an indomitable spirit, RIP APJ Abdul Kalam Sir.”

Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle also paid his tribute saying, “Not just a leader but a cult hero. A great President. A great Indian #RIPKalam.”

Working tirelessly even on his last day, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had planned a surprise assignment for the students of IIM Shillong on finding innovative ways to end disruption in Parliament.

Kalam’s close aide Srijan Pal Singh, who was with him on his last day, said while travelling from Delhi to Shillong they were discussing about disruptions in Parliament.

“He was very worried and said he had seen the tenures of many governments but disruption keeps on happening every time. He had told me to prepare a surprise assignment question for the students which would be given to them at the end of the lecture,” Singh, who co-authored two books with Kalam, told a news agency from Shillong.

He said the former president wanted students to come up with three innovative ideas to make Parliament more productive and vibrant.

“We had also decided to include this topic of disruptions in Parliament into our next book ‘Advantage India’ which would be released in September-October. I’ll do that now before the book comes into the market,” the IIM Ahmedabad alumnus said.

When asked about Kalam’s last wish, he said Kalam always wanted a billion smiles on a billion faces in the country.

“He wanted rural India to develop and also he kept on talking about youth empowerment. Now his ideas are more alive as the man who was leading it from the front is no more,” he said.

The only regret the ‘Missile Man’ had in his life was not being able to provide facilities like 24-hour electricity to his parents during their lifetime

“That is I think one regret he always had in his life,” Singh said.

Former President APJ Abdul Kalam completed seven chapters of a book in Tamil with a vision for the growth of Tamil Nadu and almost till his end he had discussed about the initiative, his aide said.

Similar to Kalam’s Vision 2020, which aimed at transforming India into a developed nation, he was in the process of writing a similar book for Tamil Nadu in particular.

The book was titled ‘Ennathil Nalamirunthal Kanavu Tamilagam Uruvagum, Puyalai Thandinal Thendral,’ and seven chapters of the book was completed after detailed discussions, co-author of the book and scientific advisor to Kalam when he was President, V Ponraj said.

On July 23, he said he had a last discussion with Kalam on the book.

“He dreamed of a developed Tamil Nadu and wanted such a State to blossom, the book had his vision for such a transformation,” Ponraj told Puthiya Thalaimurai, Tamil TV News channel.

Kalam was active till the end. In his twitter account he spoke of his Shillong lecture which turned out to be his last.

“Going to Shillong… To take course on Livable Planet earth at iim. With @srijanpalsingh and Sharma,” he had tweeted.

Ninety-four-year-old Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, who is wheelchair bound, was also among the many dignitaries to lay a wreath at the base of the coffin carrying the mortal remains of former president APJ Abdul Kalam at the Palam Airport here on Tuesday.

It was indeed a poignant moment for citizens as well as personnel of the armed forces to see the highly decorated, aged and uniformed Singh rising out of his wheelchair and using a walking stick to slow-step march up to the podium to place a wreath of flowers at the base of the national flag-draped coffin, and offer a smart and dignified salute in tribute, of course with the assistance of an air warrior.

The mortal remains of the late president were brought by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 J Super Hercules Aircraft to the national capital from Guwahati.

India has lost one its greatest sons. The nation is grieving the passing away of the ‘People’s President’.

Tributes are pouring in. The grief is real and heartfelt. For some, his biggest contribution was as the father of India’s missile program, others felt his persona bloomed after he became the President of India.

Vision 2020, ‘What Can I Give Movement’, his myriad ideas were all aimed at turning around the India story. The India of his dreams was his biggest passion in life.

However, his ideas on issues like transformation of society and world peace, though powerful, never gained the importance they deserved.

Addressing the European Union Parliament in 2007, he said, “Righteousness is the beginning. What we need is a carrier of eternal goodness and wholesomeness in human conduct, which is righteousness.”

“Where there is righteousness in the heart

There is beauty in the character.

When there is beauty in the character,

There is harmony in the home.

When there is harmony in the home,

There is order in the nation.

When there is order in the nation,

There is peace in the world.”

“This is true, for the whole world. When we need peace in the world, we need order in the nation; we need harmony in the home, whether in Europe or in India or in any part of the world, the origin is righteousness in the heart. How do we evolve righteousness, in the hearts of every citizen of the world?”

Righteousness In The Heart 

RIP President