I’ve tried several times to think of one person who lived on this planet in our lifetime, who is greater than Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. It is impossible for me to think of anyone with the incredible concoction of brilliance, simplicity, modesty, compassion, wisdom and empathy that the 11th President of India had.

No wonder he has inspired millions and shall continue to do so like none other can! This truest Ratna of Bharat, adorned the highest and revered seat of the nation without allegiance to any political party or political ideology, or political dynastic elite, and was the heartthrob of the nation in every sense of the word much before he took oath as the President of India.

Even his smile and compassionate and caring ways remained the same if not a little more endearing, despite being on top of a ladder where only few manage to reach.

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A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s driver over two decades ago, 56-year-old V. Kathiresan is now an assistant professor at Arignar Anna Government Arts College in Tamil Nadu, thanks to the former Indian President’s motivation.

V Kathiresan had to drop out of school to support his family. Years later, working for A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as his driver, he was encouraged to restart his education. Today, he has a Ph.D., has written two books, and is an assistant professor at the Arignar Anna Government Arts College in Vadachennimalai, Tamil Nadu. Anything is possible or shall we say nothing is impossible. V Kathiresan’s story proves that.

“I can never forget the role played by Kalamayya (sahib). I worked as a driver with him for five-and-a-half-years, and during those long drives I used to talk to him about my aspirations and dreams. One day while driving, Ayya suggested that I should resume my studies. He told me that the best way to go about it was through the distance mode of education.”

It wasn’t easy for Dr Kathiresan. After working a 10 to 6 job, he would come home and study to catch up on all those lost years. His struggle against the odds has become an example for his students. One of his students, Santhosh Mani, says his teacher’s story is like a fairytale. “We complain so much about work load and the other burdens of life,” says Mani. “Today, I look up to him and tell myself that anything is possible. It is just a matter of dedication and effort.”

Dr Kathiresan lost his father very early in life and had to support his family. Though he was always fond of studying, financial problems compelled him to drop out of school. “It was one of the most painful decisions of my life, but I accepted it as a way of life.” He trained as an electrician and joined the Indian Army in 1979. His first posting was in Bhopal, then Sikkim, followed by Hyderabad. He first met A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, in the 1980’s. Kalam was the director at the time and Kathiresan was deputed as his driver. Kathiresan caught the former Indian President’s attention when Kalam saw him reading newspapers, magazines and books. It was then that Kalam encouraged and motivated him to study further.

“I must thank the Almighty that I was given such an opportunity,” says Dr Kathiresan. “If not for Kalamayya’s inspirational words, I would have never been able to achieve this. Even after Ayya left DRDO, I continued to ponder over what he said about the importance of education.”

With the help of Dr Kalam, Kathiresan learned English, the subject in which he failed in his Class X. He reappeared for his Class 10 exams and cleared his English paper. He then appeared for the Class XII examinations and went on to obtain a B.A. (History) from Madurai Kamraj University through distance education. He later completed an M.A. in Political Science.

He quit his job in 1996 to focus on his higher studies and joined the Chief Education Officer’s Office in Tirunelveli as a supervisor. “I wrote to Dr Kalam to inform that I quit DRDL and joined the CEO’s office. I was touched when I got a reply. By then, he had become the President. I still have the letter with me,” says Dr Kathiresan.

“I noticed that as the days passed, the urge to pursue higher studies started creeping into my system. I did my B.Ed. followed by a M.Ed. from Madras University and then an M.Phil. from Kamraj University. I then did law and finally a Ph.D. (History) from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University.”

“After completing my Ph.D., I called Ayya. The kind words and the appreciation that he gave me are more important than anything else in this world. He had faith in me and I did not let him down.”

In 2001, Kathiresan passed the teachers’ recruitment exam, and was selected on merit. His first assignment as a teacher was at Kovilpatti. He was soon posted in Virudhunagar district collectorate, where he reported to the collector and worked as a coordinator of teacher training programmes. He was soon appointed as an assistant professor in Government Arts and Science College in Athur.

Apart from this he has written four books on history and a travel guide for Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu.

Dr Kathiresan cannot forget the role his wife Kasthuri played in his entire struggle. A teacher herself, she was a rock through his difficult times.

Grateful that he had Dr Kalam as a mentor, Dr Kathiresan now wants to help other students who have not had a chance to complete their education. “I would be only too glad if I could pass this on to several students who have the urge to learn and strive to be the best.”

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Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam doesn’t want us to mourn his death, he wants us to light our torches and lift them in blazing defiance and face the long, dreary night that looms dark on the horizon. He wants us to make his dreams come true. We should use his words as a motivation and work towards the dream he saw for our country so that our future generation can carry it forward, so that it never dies but gets passed on.
Sagarika Jacqueline Williams (18)
St Mary’s Convent, Allahabad

The great legendary not only made us think but gave us a farsighted vision. He not only showed us dreams but gave us a reason to live those and fulfil those dreams. Dr Kalam’s great works can be preserved in a number of ways. The curriculum of the books should be revised at school level and his teachings and his thoughts should be taught to children in moral science classes. Roads that have been named after British rulers should be renamed in his name. His work in the field of science should not be forgotten and missiles and spaceships should be named after him. These are just a few ways to preserve the memory of the great legend.
Harshita Sood
Miranda House (Delhi University)

“Dream is not that you see in sleep, dream is something that does not let you sleep.” — A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. If students can learn more about his achievements and dedications, it will be a great way to remember him. There is also a demand from certain quarters for designation of October 15 (Dr Kalam’s birthday) as ‘National Students Day’. The Missile Man has left us, but he will always be alive in our hearts and will keep inspiring us forever.
Sonali Garg (15)
Notre Dame School, Delhi

Bharat has lost a Ratna, but the light from this jewel will guide us towards A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s dream destination. Every great life is a prism, and we bathe in those rays that find their way to us. His memory is best honoured by the creation of new institutions that nurture science and technology. Government must take steps to ensure that all our future generations know what an incredible man he was by compiling some of the most inspiring and motivational thoughts of Dr Kalam and  including them in textbooks of primary classes. This will be a great way to remember him.
Riya Arora (15)
St Theresa’s Convent School, Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is a man whose life gave me immense inspiration and to preserve his memory I’d continue to present and lend his books especially Ignited Minds, Wings Of Fire, Indomitable Spirit and India 2020 to the 13-23-year age group.
Chandana Kanuru
Guntur Medical College, Guntur

Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam followed a path to guide “The Young India”. His guidelines and teachings were always there to motivate the youth. To preserve the memories or teachings Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in our lives first of all we ourselves should understand what he says. He says where there is a will there is a way. And if you want to shine bright like the sun, first of all you need to burn like it which means that you work hard all the time in order to achieve success. So if we want our next generations to know about him we should inherit his good thoughts as well as deeds in our lives so that we can teach them to our coming generations and improve the future.
Akshita Mathur
IIS University, Jaipur

The future of the nation is not in building the super structures and comforts of life but in the heart and mind of young India. Our former president APJ Abdul Kalam had a dream which he put forward in his “Vision 2020” for a vibrant and young India. I personally feel that it is the responsibility of the youth of this nation to make his vision turn into reality by inculcating “his thought in our action”. This will be a real tribute to him and will preserve his memories for the next generation.
Aaryan Gupta (14)
St Joseph’s College, Allahabad

The Missile Man, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said it best when he said, “If you really want to pay me tribute on my death, then go not on a holiday go rather on your work on a holiday”. Therefore I feel that, to preserve the memory of this dynamic teacher, scientist and president we could and need to ignite the wings of fire of the new generation through the wings of freedom, education and conviction. Our simple encouragement and gentle pats for education will not only preserve Dr Kalam’s ​​memory but also would create many ‘Rocket men’ for our country.
Jameson Motilal (19)
Jnanodoya Salesian College, Salem

Being a true Indian, Dr Kalam envisioned a dream of developed and secular India. I would like to take his legacy forward by contributing to and serving the country by going for the civil service. Civil services give you a chance to work from within the system by making appropriate changes. Developed India should be a leader in technology advancement, economy, eradication of poverty and most importantly self-sufficiency. Each one of us should contribute towards the nation building in every possible way. By ensuring clean environment, good health care services, uprooting of corruption, conscious use of resources, we will not only enrich ourselves but also take the nation in achieving greatness.
Devisha Parate
St Vincent Pallotti College of Engineering and Technology, Nagpur

I would like to honour Dr Kalam’s memory by transforming India in five areas where it has core competency. He emphasized education and health as the priority area for India. Towards this we can distribute food at schools. He encouraged young minds to participate in young politics, so we can encourage youth politics. At school level we can focus on the biography of People’s President in school curriculum and to adorn the school library with the books authored by Kalam would be like an icing on the cake. Even the government has taken initiative to pay tribute to the Missile Man of India by renaming the Aurangzeb Road in New Delhi to Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Road. These are some of the ways towards preserving his memory and legacy forever.
Muskan Khullar (16)
MGN Public School, Jalandhar

Undoubtedly, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen (lovingly called A.P.J) Abdul Kalam was such a great hero that his memory ought to be preserved. He said, “You are born to blossom: Take my journey beyond”. I being a part of the youth in whom Kalam had a hope for the motherland will take the following steps to preserve the legacy of APJ for the future generation.  At my level I can donate money to municipalities for building schools in his name, give classes to the poverty-stricken in slums, form a students’ club at school. Including the autobiography of the People’s President in the school curriculum will be no less than a memorial to the name of the Missile Man of India. Last but not the least I aspire to follow Kalam’s vision for India’s ignited minds (youth): be limitless, perseverant, passionate, an avid dreamer and dare to be different.
Rashi Aneja (16)
MGN Public School, Jalandhar

I believe that the best thing I can do to preserve the memory of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is by remembering his learning, to respect and follow his teachings. He never told us that we should follow his path, instead he told us to follow our path and pursue our own dreams. We should carry with us what he taught and should try to teach it to the coming generation. One can adopt his learning and teaching and can preserve it for the next generation. Great people like him are always remembered no matter what we do to preserve their memory; their teaching always remains in one’s heart.
Harshita Mathur (17)
St Angela Sophia Sr. Sec. School, Jaipur

Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a man of values. He was a shining lamp in the dark. Thus, his values should be spread among generations to come. To make it happen I would try to imbibe his values into my character so that I can be an inspiration to others and can spread his knowledge among the youth. Also the entire literature associated with him should be preserved so that it can be passed on to the coming youth.
Alina Ali
St Anthony’s Junior College, Agra

I would be a persistent persuader of my pursuits in order to preserve the memory of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. We as budding youth have to take the initiative to try out every simple opportunity in innovative and creative ways to convert his idea of youth empowerment into reality. We as students should always think of being the trailblazers of our path and discover new ideas for development of individuals and India.
Bhavpreeta Verma (16)
St Angela Sophia School, Jaipur

On my part, I am trying to follow his principles as a student. I read his autobiography which says how hard one must work in order to succeed. In order to preserve the memory of Dr Kalam, I’ll do my best to help make India a truly developed nation by 2020. If India becomes a developed nation by 2020, that will preserve his memory for future generations.
Ezhilarasi D. (14)
Immaculate Heart of Mary Girls Hr Sec School, Pondicherry

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In the past, India’s education system took her way ahead of other nations in art, science and literature. But of late, we have lost the edge by our reluctance to adopt new and improved methods of imparting education. Today, new demands at the workplace require persons with multi-faceted abilities to handle knotty situations efficiently. But unfortunately our present education systems do not prepare people to meet these emerging requirements. If at all we excel in some fields, it is because we still have teachers who are visionaries, who think out of the box. Such an approach has always been fruit-bearing because when knowledge is gained in a comprehensive manner it produces optimum results. We have the best example of this in late Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, for whom the source of inspiration was none other than his own teachers in his early school days.

In the book Reignited: Scientific Pathways To A Brighter Future, co-authored by Dr Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh, Dr Kalam reveals the most important event of his life. He says, “My science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer was discussing in our class ‘how birds fly’. He did so with the help of a bird’s sketch with a tail, wings and head and explained how a bird flew. The same day he took us to the Rameswaram seashore where we saw dozens of seabirds flying. My teacher said, ‘Look how the birds are flapping their wings, now see how they change direction using their wings and tail. What is the locomotive force behind this flight — it is the life energy of the bird’.”

Dr Kalam tells us that that one single lecture transformed his life and led him to make a profession out of his passion: rocket engineering and space flight. The rest is history!

Now that was the kind of impact a teacher could make in the life of a student.

The progress of any nation depends on the system of education adopted by it to guide the future generation. India, even though it has one of the largest chains of educational institutes in the world, yet has failed to modernize the education system. Though we have the technology and the know-how which can help us take learning to the farthest and remotest parts of country through e-learning and m-learning, we prefer to sit idly on an unexplored gold mine, simply because we refuse to leave our comfort zones.

Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated, visionary and noble teachers who continue to make a difference in the lives of young minds, India has produced some innovative minds and nurtured exceptional talents who have excelled in different fields of science and technology. THE TEENAGER TODAY salutes all those noble souls who play a great role in forming, nurturing, challenging and inspiring young minds and hearts. HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY!

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