The corrective measures taken by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, ever since he has taken over as President of India, prove that he is different.
When the renowned scientist Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam took over as the 12th President of India, it was said of him that he was going to be totally different from his predecessors. His activities for the welfare and betterment of India and its people, his sincerity and enthusiasm, and the corrective measures being taken by him, go to prove that he is different—there definitely is something different about him.
There were some who were not in favour of Dr. Abdul Kalam’s election as President of India. They were of the view that Dr. Kalam had never had any kind of political background in the past, and so, he would not be able to understand the Indian politics. But his not knowing the intricacies of politics is proving to be a boon to our country. If he had had a political background, he would not have chosen Gujarat for tour as his very first tour outside Delhi, because naturally, his decision to take a tour to Gujarat was not liked by so many top politicians in power. Had he known politics he would certainly have given some statements during his Gujarat tour which would have brought him in the headlines of the newspapers; he would have made tours of other places which would have been of vital importance from the point of view of politics. He has never tried to cash in on situations which may yield political gains. And all this, because he does not know politics; because he is plain and simple; because he does not do anything for personal gains—all that he wants to do is for the great nation, India, and its people.
Dr. Abdul Kalam’s Gujarat tour of 12th and 13th August has added to the aspect of his image of being different from others and, at the same time, of being a very special kind of personality. He started his journey of 12th August from Sabarmati Ashram. He visited the riot-torn area of Naroda Patia. Here forty people were burnt alive. After this he visited the camps of riot victims of Haj House, Kalupur and Juhapura. On the 13th of August he went to meet the earthquake victims of Kachchh. His sympathetic attitude and sincere feelings towards them, his instructions for quick rehabilitation of victims have created new and great hopes in the hearts of the people of India. And it is for sure that soon the citizens of India will be seeing good results of his sincere efforts. In fact Dr. Kalam and the people of India, both, have invested great hopes in each other.
Dr. Kalam’s actions and attitude, his appeal to the people of Gujarat to fraternize among themselves, are proof enough that his message is of love and peace and also that he does not want to get into any kind of controversy.
Dr. Kalam, in his evening message one day before the Independence Day of India, began his message from the end point of the message rendered by him in Gujarat and invoked active participation of the people of India to combat communalism and the powers which are trying to divide India on the basis of caste, creed and communities, and stressed on the importance of continuation of multiple traditions. He tried to exercise the pressure of ethics on current political leadership by inspiring the political leaders to set an exmaple of their ideals before the youth of India. Be it his tour to Gujarat or his evening-time pre-Independence Day message, he has never offered any remarks based on criticism in the style of politicians. He rather stressed, time and again, on the importance of positive thinking and attitude in one’s life.
The new tradition that Dr. Kalam began on the 25th of July by inviting the future generation of India to participate in his oath-taking ceremony continues still. On the 26th of July, by not allowing his aide to help him take off his shoes and going round the Samadhis of the great personages of India barefoot, he has proven that he is totally different from his predecessors. And then, his insistence to talk to the MLAs directly shows how eager he is to come in contact with the people of India through their representatives. His invitation to invitees on dinner, in the evening one day before the Independence Day, to attend the function without bothering for the dress code, shows that he has no faith in the traditions which have no meaning. This was a tradition founded and followed by the British in India and had been observed by all the earlier Presidents of India. During his Gujarat tour also his dress was informal, and this he did, so that he could become informal while talking with others.
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Sahib is one who is neither interested in politics nor is he interested in becoming a controversial figure; and his determination to make India a developed, powerful and self-reliant nation is absolutely clear.