Bengaluru: The World's eminent space scientist and the former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Dr K Kasturirangan had a very close association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. They had a very close friendship for decades. Speaking to CNN-IBN about Kalam, Kasturirangan narrated two anecdotes about Kalam's simplicity and humility.
Kasturirangan was a nominated member of the Upper House in the Parliament (Rajya Sabha) when Dr Kalam was the President. He was supposed to go with the President to Bengaluru in the President's special Air India flight. But, Kasturirangan had a lot of luggage with him. Fearing that the President's security might check each and everything and make him wait for a long time before boarding, he took a regular flight. When he met Kalam in Bengaluru, he said "my friend where were you? You did not take my flight. I had asked my cook to prepare some good Sambar for you. You missed it. You did not come".
Second time, he invited Dr Kasturirangan to the Rashtrapati Bhawan for a special lunch. There was no other person. Only Kasturirangan and Kalam were there. Kalam had asked the cooks to prepare Dosa, Idli etc for his special guest Kasturirangan. Kalam asked him to sit on the chair meant for the President of India in the dining hall and told him that that that day Kasturirangan was the head. He sat next to him.
After that he personally took him around and showed the massive Rashtrapati Bhawan to him. Kasturirangan was surprised and humbled to see a lungi hanging over the wall and a veena placed next to it in President Kalam's bedroom. It was looking a very ordinary, middle class room of a typical South Indian middle class man. Kalam never forgot his very humble roots and origin.
Kasturirangan feels that Kalam was the simplest man. He valued his friends, their knowledge and never considered himself a big man.
He always remembered his childhood and days of struggle. His simplicity and humility were his trademarks.
That is typical of Kalam.
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