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A gripping account of the life of an extraordinary man
My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions GOOD books are a unique gift by the author to readers, children and descendants. People write autobiographies for different reasons; some write them for the sheer joy of seeing their name in print, others write to become famous and make money, but some great men of stature write them because they want to share their experiences of struggle, hope, achievements and despair which can transform many lives for the better. If I may, allow me to interject a personal note. I had the privilege of escorting him for 30 kilometres to Secunderabad and introducing him as a speaker at a lecture session in 1984, when he was working for DRDO at Hyderabad. His clarity of thought, simplicity and humility has left an indelible mark on me Kalam's journey has been extraordinary in more than one ways. His enthusiasm and grit took him to the heights he achieved. In the Introduction, he sums up his life in these phrases and words, “Love poured to the child…struggle….more struggle…bitter tears…then sweet tears… and finally a life as beautiful and fulfilling as seeing the birth of the full moon”. Perhaps the best compliment a grateful nation paid to Kalam was he being fondly referred to as the “People's President,” during his Rashtrapati days from 2002-2007 as India's 11th President. His achievements in the field of science and technology are well documented but his concern for the marginalised and the poor, love for the children and hope for a better India are not that well known by the common man. It is known that parents are the first teachers of a child; but a parent's role becomes all the more important when the teacher in the classroom is abdicating his responsibility as the as the torch-bearer of values and morals. Born 82 years back in the small temple town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Kalam was fortunate to get first lessons of distinguishing between right and wrong from his deeply spiritual father, even though he did not have much formal education. When his father's ferry business failed, he was forced work as a newspaper boy at the tender age of eight. He remembers the peace and harmony which was never disturbed because of the three friends Imam (his father), priest of the temple and the priest of the church, who resolved all the problems of the people. How his mother fed the children sometimes going hungry herself and how his sister pawned her jewellery to send him to Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) are permanently etched in his memory. Ahmed Jalulluddin, his cousin and brother-in-law had the maximum impact on his life, he was his friend and guide. His mentor suddenly left for the heavenly world, leaving Kalam who was then working on the SLV-3 project for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) totally shattered. He was fortunate that Dr Vikram Sarabhai, one of modern India's greatest visionaries, spotted his talent and took him under his wings. He had his highs and lows during a very eventful career; his dream of becoming a pilot in the Air Force could not be fulfilled and as leader of the SLV-3 team while carrying out certain experiment an AN-32 crashed with eight men on board. The frustrations of meeting almost impossible deadlines and leading the team through difficult times made him what he is today, a mature and humble man who rose every time he fell — to ultimately succeed in his mission. As a man of science, who was also nick-named Missile Man, his achievements have been unparalleled. His contribution even after retirement, through his love for teaching, is touching the lives of millions in India and abroad.
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Kalam's My Journey is one such book. By revisiting his past, the author has explored his journey of 82 years, perhaps in an attempt to know his true self. Such honest reflections by some one of author's stature who millions look up to, can in fact, become a tool of social change. 