New Delhi: I am really shocked. I don't know what to say and where to start. I had such a long association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. I was very close to him for many decades.
I had met him last just two weeks ago on June 29. I was in New Delhi. I went to his house on Rajaji Marg in Lutyen's Delhi very close to DRDO office, which he once headed. He was very happy to see me. We discussed a lot of things. We discussed social activities and other projects. It was about the social work he was doing and wanted to do. He also asked me about several projects including the aircraft project. The aircraft project was his favourite. He asked me about everything. He told me about what needs to be done and what we can do together. We even took a walk on Rajaji Marg.
At the age of 83, he did not show any signs of slowing down. He was looking perfectly alright. He was very energetic, very positive minded, had lots of plans for the future. He was not unwell at all. Because of that I said I was shocked when I heard that Abdul Kalam has left us and his beloved motherland India. For him there was no rank, no heirarchy, nothing. For him, everybody was equal.
He was talking about how to enhance the quality of education. He was talking about how to develop mobile labs and many other things.
He was always thinking about how to achieve the higher level of growth. He was a man of great integrity.
He was always to good everybody. He never said anything bad about anybody. It was great quality. Since he had such a positive mind, he never thought or spoke ill of others. You rarely come across such a great human being.
He always treated us like his friends, he treated us like his equals. He was our boss, our project head, our mentor. But he was so good to all.
He was a great inspiration to all. Absolutely brilliant. He was an icon for the whole nation. He was not an ordinary soul. He was an extra-ordinary soul. Abdul Kalam was a man of great affection and great love. He loved his people. He loved his country, the scientific community. He was a great educator in many ways.
He had a great interest in India's first indegeniously built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project I headed. He was so happy with its success. We named it Tejas later. During my very long association with him, Kalam had supported me in every way.
He supported, guided, counselled and encouraged our scientific community every way. India's emergence as a World Power was his life long dream. He always worried about India. He always thought about its future, its growth in every sphere, education, rural development. What not?
He was one rare human being, a great man, he always taught the entire nation how to move forward.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam whom I knew so well for almost 50 years was a great man. I don't think there will ever be another Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Fulfilling his dreams would be the best tribute the grateful nation can pay him.
May his soul rest Peace.
(Dr Kota Harinarayana headed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Project. He is considered one of the best aeronautical scientists in the World. He worked with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on several defence related projects over decades.)
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