One day I'll meet Dr Kalam

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was the most dynamic leader of our times. A pioneer among leaders. He was one of us, yet somehow above us. He had the most innovative and challenging thoughts that made his persona even more charismatic. Here's to the remarkable man whose ideas have left indelible imprints on our minds.

I was in my school days, when I first read a quote of Dr Kalam and it blew my wildest of imaginations. Dr Kalam addressed the back benchers of classrooms. The last row of benches that are exclusively degraded, mocked and despised by the faculty of teachers. The last benches were the ignored ones. The waste of oxygen like some teachers liked to call it. The quote of Dr Kalam rekindled the minds of billions who did things different. They don't solve the mathematical equation as quickly as the first or second benchers do but there is something in them that is different and extra-ordinary. Graciously, Dr Kalam with a precision of a surgeon set the wiring of the kids, separating the minds of the back benchers from those in the front.instilled the ideas of optimism, dreams coming into fruition and social change. Treating them fairly different from the ones sitting in the front with high cognitive intelligence and have an extremely good skill set that are important for self growth. He laid emphasis on a different set of thought that goes beyond rational thinking. A mind suppressed by the system into thinking dark and being afraid of the world outside the gates of schools. Kalam Saab fuelled it with a powerful set of thought. A young mind who went haywire prepared for another tomorrow. 

Education system has always rewarded obedience with validation. The ideas of free thinking are challenged by education spectrum which sucks the curiosity out of the children and turn them into bots that are meant accept commands, recycle and move on to the next task. Dr Kalam with a single idea breached the whole system of education to reach out the back benchers. Their ideas are not worthless just because they can't conform to patterns of education that is not procedural to their growth and needs. How gracefully Kalam Saab captured the imagination of young minds and liberated them of the imprisoned structured of education system. The students that are left out in the system who fail to mould themselves to the wishes of society face despondence as they are despised for not clearing a common benchmark. This despondence turns to rage. This is where the society fails collectively. Kids with hopelessness turn to streets and their survival becomes a liaility for the schooled society. People who lose their voice are swept into a stream where they have nothing to hold onto. Astoundingly, the ones who dare to follow their ideas without backing down, learning from their failures, come out as leaders of change.

Why would a professor, an author, an aerospace scientist would be interested in clicking the minds of young. Kalam Saab always encouraged the young minds to dream because everything we see right now in front of our eyes is nothing but a plan our mind planned, mapped and analysed in our minds before it was manifested. The idea born in the mind of young school kids could blossom new range of analytical, creative or social thinking which could manifest something new for us. How scared is the young passionate mind who is curious and seeking answers. The power of indomitable spirit he talked about. An innocent mind will never want to impede human growth or prosperity unlike a mind of a grown up who would be tainted by the schooling values.

All the global leaders have understood the potential of minds but seldom they have worked to diligently produce effective results. The seeds of change can be planted into the minds of young who can one day come to the positions where they can make this world a better place but truth and love will always be buried in society. A slow and dull system of education shall always be jolted by new ideas into thinking for the world. When society pushes you, rubs you off, denounces you for not being eligible then it speaks of a society sick of its own which makes this world a very dangerous place. United nation for peace is a cynical joke. The leaders of the great nations claims the system to be reforming of itself but it is stagnant.

I didn't have a fortune to meet Kalam Saab in person but I have always had a reminiscent inclination towards him like someone may have towards a parent, teacher or a guru. He did come to my school but I wasn't aware of his arrival since school had gathered only the cream of the crop to show a happy picture of education. When the news broke out and I realised what I missed I loathed existence for weeks. I may have not met him personally but I have connected to him otherwise. I use Kalam Saab as an endearing term to address him. The last bencher will always miss you Kalam Saab. You've left shoes too big to fill in. I am in awe nevertheless I solemnly promise this. One day I'll meet Dr Kalam.