Category APJ Abdul Kalam

A person knows the value of work when he has been through difficult times and has survived on simple jobs. Dr. Kalam used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them during the Second World War. He also worked as a newspaper boy.

Kalam was only eight years old when the Second World War broke out. It was the year 1939 and there was a huge demand for tamarind seeds in the market. He collected them and sold them for an anna, a very small coin, but substantial for a young boy like him.

His brother-in-law Jallaluddin used to tell him stories about the war and young Kalam would try to follow these stories through the pages of Dinamani, a Tamil newspaper. Although Rameswaram was not directly impacted by the war as it was an isolated island, trains stopped halting at the station. This meant bundles of newspapers were now thrown off running trains. Kalam’s cousin Samsuddin, who used to distribute the newspapers in Rameswaram, asked Kalam’s help to catch the bundles, and he thus started working as a newspaper boy.

Kalam earned his first wages in this work and it gave him a great sense of self-confidence and pride.

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Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was born to a Tamil family from Rameswaram on 15 October, 1931. Rameswaram was then part of the Madras Presidency in British India but it is now in Tamil Nadu. His father’s name was Jainulabdeen, who was a boat owner and imam of a local mosque. His mother was Ashiamma, a housewife.

Abdul Kalam was the youngest of five siblings. His eldest sibling was his sister Asim Zohra. He had three elder brothers, namely Mohammed Muthu Meera Lebbai Maraikayar, Mustafa Kalam and Kasim Mohammed. He was close to his family and always helped them while remaining a bachelor his whole life.

His ancestors were wealthy traders and landowners, who owned numerous properties and large areas of land. They traded groceries between the mainland and the Pamban Island and between the island and Sri Lanka. They also ferried the pilgrims from the mainland to the Pamban Island. This tradition earned their family the title “Mara Kalam lyakkivar” (wooden boat steerers), to be later known as “Maraikayar.”

Unfortunately, in the 1920s, his family lost most of its fortune, and by the time Kalam was born, the family was poverty-stricken.

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History has shown us that great men are not born every day. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was one such legend who left his mark on the world and people’s hearts.

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, also known as APJ Abdul Kalam was a scientist who had great dreams for the country. He worked as a science administrator and scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for over forty years before becoming the president of the country. His contributions to the military missile development efforts and civilian space programme of India earned him the title ‘The Missile Man of India.’ His contributions to developing the launch vehicle technology of ballistic missiles are particularly noteworthy. In 1998, he played a critical role in the Pokhran-II Nuclear Tests.

Later in 2002, he was elected the 11th president of India and was widely known as the ‘People’s President.’ He was the first scientist to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan. After serving his tenure as the president, he went on to pursue teaching, writing and reading-his most passionate vocations. He was honoured with the ‘Bharat Ratna Award’, India’s highest civilian honour, for his contributions.

He died on 27 July 2015 while delivering a talk at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong. He was laid to rest with full state honours with thousands of people attending the funeral.

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