June 15, 2010
New Delhi
I was in Delhi for 16 days in June under the Internship of Dr. Kiran Bedi, for her NGO Navjyoti India Foundation. As my internship was drawing to a close I decided to meet our beloved former president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at his residence, 10 Rajaji Marg in New Delhi.
I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Kalam many times who has been instrumental in encouraging me to be a good student and a good citizen. “You cannot be a good student without being a good citizen,” Dr. Kalam once told me.
This was my first ever meeting with the former president at his residence in New Delhi. I reminded him of our interaction at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA)in the year 2008, wherein he autographed a portrait for me & posed for the media lens men by holding my hand in order to show them the portrait. I am glad that he still remembered that incident.
Explaining all about Dr. Kiran Bedi's NGO, I told him that Navjyoti India Foundation is all about self reliance & empowering people for self-help. This NGO came into being in the year 1988 as the brain child of Dr. Kiran Bedi. The organization was setup with the idea of promoting welfare policing, the outcome of which was the drug de-addiction program.
I explained Dr. Kalam about my Internship with Dr. Kiran Bedi since after which I widened my views & found new possibilities for my future. He was happy that I had taken up the challenge of teaching the kids out there situated in the slums. As I went to see these children I felt they were not fortunate enough to be like me. Either they belonged to a municipality school or were illiterate living in by-lanes totally neglected and uncared for. My experience with the kids was both profound and humbling.
I gifted Dr. Kalam a bunch of Portraits which I made of his. He happily autographed some for me. I even made Dr. Kalam speak with none other than Dr. Kiran Bedi. Speaking to Dr. Bedi over the phone he agreed of having role models can certainly be a powerful force in learning and achieving one’s objectives. They’re not only important in the progress of one’s career, but also for achieving fulfillment in everything you do. You ought to have role models in every stage of your life.
When my meeting was drawing to a close, I chose to ask a question to Dr. Kalam. I asked him “You always have exhorted youths to join Politics despite knowing its draw backs. Today politics has bureaucracy, corruption & filth as its core elements. What is the reason for you to want youths join politics”?Answering in just one sentence, the great visionary stated “You Go & Change the Politics!”
I understood what he meant to say. He wanted the young bloods to chance the Political system by removing bureaucracy, corruption & all other anti-social elements. He wanted a renaissance in Politics since we youths can attain the possibility if have a great grit & firm determination.
Our conversation continued lasting in Tamil, which is the mother-tongue of both of us. Thus blessing me for a bright future ahead, he told me that "Sharing makes you great. So always share whatever you have. You will grow prosperous then by all different means."
