Away from the world of glamour, the young finally find a true hero they can look up to
Geetanjali Gayatri

HIS fondness for being with students is no secret and he has absolutely no qualms about displaying his affection for them. This despite the fact that he occupies the highest office in the country. For down-to-earth APJ Abdul Kalam, being President doesn’t stand between him and his love for schoolchildren.

Any awe the children might feel dissolves quickly when they see how accessible he is. Bowled over by the easy ways of the President and his impromptu mingling at interactive sessions, the children all over the country have accorded him an iconic status. It’s as if, away from the world of glamour and glitterati, they have found a man of substance, a role model in Kalam —somebody they can look up to and epitomise.

Simplicity personified, Kalam, for them, stands next to Jawaharlal Nehru in stature and Nehru is only a memory`85 In two visits to Chandigarh, he has left the teaching faculty of schools as well as the children, enthralled, both wanting more interaction time with the man.

In the city to address children from all over the country at the 91st session of the Children’s Science Congress, Kalam did what came naturally to him —teach them about values of life and a lot of science.

The President, in his speech to the children, stressed the need for developing an inquisitive mind which could unravel the mysteries of science and narrated a few of his many experiences. The children sat in the packed CSIO auditorium in rapt attention, hanging on to his every word and absorbing every bit of information he gave.

And, indeed, the interaction proved to be a rich learning experience for the students as he exhorted them to identify an "impossible mission" and strive to attain it. "These impossible missions are called vision statements," he had told the students.

The First Teacher went on to give them tips on dealing with failures, using these as steps to climb the success ladder and taught them all about owning responsibility as well as sharing their success. Everything came packed in story form, intriguing the children and keeping them engrossed all through his one-hour visit.

Kalam addressed the students as "friends" during the course of his multi-faceted interaction. He said, "Thinking is progress. Action leads to prosperity." He persuaded students to repeat these words after him.

Students asked him questions ranging from why Hindi was not given the place of pride a national language deserved to whether life was possible on other planets to exploring possibilities for a mission to the Sun, and it all happened right in the hall of the CSIO auditorium.

Before leaving, Kalam administered an oath to the children, like he does wherever he goes, whichever school he visits. This was his way of moulding young minds to think right and eventually grow up to be responsible citizens of the world, their world.

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