“All Birds find shelter during a rain. But an Eagle avoids rain by flying above the Clouds.” --Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
My favourite leader is an inspirational charm for the society. He has an everlasting confidence in his decisions and actions and he is never unsure about them. A good leader certainly inspires others and he has inspired me too. He is a role model for his followers including me and he always motivates them whenever possible. My favourite leader is a lot more than ‘just’ a leader!
He is none other than Dr.Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the missile man of India who is a moral and forever remembered leader born on 15 October 1931 in a poor family in Tamil Nadu, Rameshwaram.
Reasons are the pillars of the mind. The surprising fact is that the answer of ‘Why’ my favourite leader is Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam resides with him and in his books, mainly ‘My Journey’ and ‘REIGNITE’ which enlightened me to unbelievable extents. Each of his quotes speaks the utmost truth that help us in shining brighter than the sun. His Inspirational books such as “ Wings of Fire”, “ Ignited Minds” and “ India 2020”, has become the tip of the tongue names to the youth of India because of the information and knowledge packed inside them! He encouraged children like us to dream big, to have a goal and achieve it. He taught us that education is the key to progress of our nation.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is the perfect example to prove that ‘Success is not in what you have, but in who you are!’ Although he is a person with enormous success, he is a person with many more hearts! As he said, “I’m not a handsome guy, but I can my give hand-to-some one who needs help. Beauty is in the Heart, not in the face.” He was one distinct and honest person with exceptional qualities that India required. In my view, he taught us how honesty is the easiest thing we can practice in order to be happy, successful and fulfilled. Simplicity is one of the best things, which one can learn from his attributes.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a sincere patriot of his country and served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007 and was known as the ‘People’s President’. He also played a key role in the success of Pokhran II (Pokhran 2) mission nuclear tests in 1998.
As a young innovator, I have been significantly inspired by APJ Abdul Kalam’s various inventions like the landmark of his time, the Kalam-Raju stent during 1994 – 1996 which reduced the cost of stents by 1/4th compared to prevailing market rate. Approximately 2000 Kalam-Raju cardiac stent have been fitted to many needy patients and it has showed the path to affordable health care and the ‘Kalam-Raju tablet’ developed in 2012 which was a tablet computer for purpose of rural health care service.
These inventions were successfully able to capture my interest in the field of technology and Minimum Viable Products, which are socially benefitting! He ignited the fire in the youth to strive towards perfection.
He has set an example for poor and underprivileged students. There was a time when he had to sell newspapers from door to door to support his education and yet his continued hard work and strong determination made him the Missile Man of India. The secret of his success lies in one of his famous quotes '"A dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep."
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam cared for children's education across the world. During his visits to Singapore and other countries, he would always enquire about poor and weaker children in those countries and express concerns for those without adequate educational opportunities. He cared for children, regardless of their citizenship.
World Students' Day is celebrated every year on October 15 on former president APJ Abdul Kalam's birthday. The day is commemorated on his birth anniversary because Dr. Kalam was a dedicated teacher and identified himself foremost in that role before anything else.
APJ Abdul Kalam had the purest of hearts and used to say “To be a Leader one should have a perfect vision of his objectives. He should be able to take up both the failures and success” and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam sir has successfully given an example for this theory, none other than himself!