Dear Editor,
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, passed away on Monday Jul 27 at a conference in Shillong, North India, where he was making a presentation on how to create a better world. He was 84.
The late President was well known among Indo-Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean people. He spent time interacting with us at PBDs, at his official home, and at meetings and receptions in the US. I never met an individual like him before; he had such a gracious smile and was so engaging on varied topics. He was also impressed with the cultural retention of Indo-Caribbean people in North America, England and the Caribbean region. It is unfortunate he never visited the Caribbean. He had such a positive influence on everybody. One literally fell in love with this non-political figure upon meeting him. Yesu Persaud would remember him well from brief encounters. He hosted tea at the presidential mansion during PBD (diaspora) conferences in Delhi for overseas participants and he spent a lot of time interacting with delegates at the five annual conferences where he presented national Samman awards; Bharrat Jagdeo and Yesu were recipients of those awards. He was the first Indian President to open Rashtrapati Bhavan to overseas Indians and many Indo-Caribbeans took advantage of his annual invitations at the PBD meets.
I had the distinct honour of meeting him several times in India as well as in New York where he met with the diaspora on several trips. He was very familiar with the presence of Indians in Guyana and the Caribbean. I found him very charming and charismatic. New York based Guyanese advocate and India tour operator Ramesh Kalicharran, who met him during a reception, had this to say: “He was a wonderful person who was always smiling and who won peoples’ love and affection. We will miss him.” Dr Kalam possessed a sharp wit and loved to engage people. He was a humanist, caring and compassionate person. He urged the diaspora to help in India’s development.
Dr Kalam, the 11th President, was one of India’s most eminent scientists, and had the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 30 universities and institutions. He was also awarded coveted civilian awards: Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997). He was a recipient of several other international awards and fellow of many international professional institutions.
Apart from leading the Indian Space Research Organisation’s satellite launch programme, Kalam headed India’s guided missile programme for many years. He presided over India’s nuclear and missile testing and encouraged local development of India’s defence and technological needs.
He was an Indian nationalist and patriot. He was nominated and voted in by the then ruling BJP government in 2002 as president of the country for a five-year term. He was re-nominated by the BJP as president in 2007 and 2012, but he declined the nomination preferring instead to spend his time speaking at conferences to help transform lives.
One scientist who worked under him described him in these terms: “Kalam was a visionary and his vision was to develop India. He used to say we should not become third or fourth country to something in technology sector. We should always be the first country to achieve any milestone.”
Kalam was a unique head of state. He never turned away anyone. Despite being a celebrated scientist and holding high positions as a physicist and president, he was always accessible to everybody regardless of one’s status in society. He treated everyone with the utmost respect. Unlike other ruling politicians or leaders, he wanted to spend time with and be among people and was not one who cared for formalities or the disruption of the lives of others to accommodate him. He lived a simple life even when he was president and did not want to be treated in any special way or looked upon as a better person than others. He was a bachelor, a vegetarian, and an ordinary Muslim. He mingled with everyone from the bottom to the top of society and promoted equality among people regardless of ethnicity, religion and caste. He was called the Peoples’ President and was considered the most popular president in the history of India. Even after his term as president, people flocked to see and meet him at conferences all over the world to benefit from his intellect. He had a positive influence on people and was a terrific motivational speaker.
Although a Muslim, he was loved by Hindus and Christians and in fact he was schooled in his formative years at a Christian school. He did not court controversy except on scientific matters like India’s missile, space, and nuclear programme. He fully supported India’s defence system and the testing of nuclear weapons and advocated construction of rapid metro transport and the modernizing of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly commented that Kalam’s loss was irreparable. The Indian diaspora will miss his sharp wit at conferences.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
