Why APJ Abdul Kalam is human after all

Why APJ Abdul Kalam is human after all

 

Disclaimer :This blog is written by one of the Biggest fan of Dr Abdul Kalam.

 

APJ Abdul Kalam is a patriot par excellence. Dr Kalam earned for the Office of President high dignity with in India, honour outside the country.

 

He created that spark in a generation of young Indians. Undoubtedly, he is the best ( for lack of an adjective which best captures all his attributes) President young India has seen. (Old-timers put him in the same league of Rajendra Prasad and Dr Radhakrishnan).

 

In the various roles that Kalam has played in the last 50 years he has made several sacrifices to serve the Public. But just when he could have done the Supreme Sacrifice he backed out displaying that he is, after all, human.

 

Why do I say so ?

 

A P J Abdul Kalam has not, for a welcome change, been a rubberstamp President. He has applied his mind and in all cases come up with a right decision.( See Pioneer article http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~sudhakar/weblog/cache/2004/may/18/whose-inner-voice-pioneer.txt ) This has made him unpopular with Sonia Gandhi who would like to see him retire ASAP.

 

Bhairon Singh Shekawat is unlikely to act subservient to Sonia Gandhi. Hence, her own nominee is what she will back. As it stands the Prime Minister is a Sonia puppet. One shudders to imagine the state of the nation if both the Prime Minister and President becoming puppets of Sonia Gandhi. In the Electoral College the UPA nominee is likely to win if every one votes as per the party line.

 

If there is an individual with a real chance of inducing cross-voting by his sheer charm, persona, warmth and commitment to the nation, that will have to be Dr. Kalam.

 

As he had been persuaded to consider a second term the uncouth Lalus and Sharad Pawars of this world hurt the respectable gentleman where it hurts him most – badmouthing him.

 

Having served the nation selflessly for a lifetime, Abdul Kalam decided that he deserves a graceful exit ( and rightfully so). He also knows that he is the best bet to counter a Sonia nominee. In the event of a contest, he might win; he could lose too.

 

Dr Kalam would rather retire honorably than be remembered as a man who wanted another term, contested and lost. In this decision Dr Kalam, we see that you are after all human in your desires.

 

A supreme sacrifice would be to throw in your hat in the ring. If you win India wins. If you lose, opportunistic journalists and others like Lalu will speak a few ugly things. ( All Indians know that the truth is very different). But, I am sure you appreciate, it is a small price to pay if we want to have hope of thwarting Sonia.

 

The supreme sacrifice is not that of life. The supreme sacrifice is when one can forego their honour for a much Larger Cause.