About the Author 

  Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam better known as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam(15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015), was the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. A career scientist turned statesman, Kalam was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development efforts. He thus came to be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974.

Kalam was elected as the 11th President of India in 2002 with the support of both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition Indian National Congress. Widely referred to as the "People's President," he returned to his civilian life of education, writing and public service after a single term. He was a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

While delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, Kalam collapsed and died from an apparent cardiac arrest on 27 July 2015, aged 83.Thousands including national-level dignitaries attended the funeral ceremony held in his hometown of Rameshwaram, where he was buried with full state honours.

 Introduction:

The following address was delivered by Dr Kalam after being sworn in as the President of India. He expounds on his vision for a developed India in this lecture, elaborating on the nation’s strengths and the areas which need improvement. After addressing the guests, the new President went on to quote Thyagarajswamigal’s Keerthana — “Endaro Mahaanubhavalu andhariki vandanmulu” — which means, “I salute all the great noble-hearted human beings.” He said he was overwhelmed by the faith the nation had reposed in him. Thanking Members of Parliament and State legislatures for having reposed faith in him by electing him, he promised to endavour to fulfill the aspirations of the people in order to realize their shared dream of prosperity, harmony and strength.

Progress of India - Made in the fifty years since its independence:

Indian civilisational heritage is built on universal spirit. India has always stood for friendship and extends warm hands to the world. We have made significant achievements in the last 50 years in food production, health sector, higher education, media and mass communication, industrial infrastructure, information technology and defence. Our nation is endowed with natural resources, vibrant people and traditional value system.

Problems that Continue to Plague the Nation:

He said it was unfortunate that India, despite its rich natural resources, vibrant society and strong traditional value system, had remained a developing country with many of its citizens living below the poverty line, undernourished and lacking in even primary education. Besides, he said, there were other challenges such as cross-border terrorism, internal conflicts and unemployment.

Kalam’s Movement Aim to Achieve:

To face the challenges of our nation, there must be a vision to ensure focused action of one billion citizens of this great country with varied capabilities, he said asking "What can be that vision?" Replying to himself, the President said it could be none other than transforming India into a developed nation for which a "movement" was needed". This is the time to ignite the minds of the people for the movement. We will work for it. We cannot emerge as a developed nation if we do not learn to transact with speed, he said and recalled saintly poet Kabir’s wisdom: "What you want to do tomorrow do it today, and what you want to do today, do it now." At this juncture, he recalled a beautiful thought of DR GG Swell, an eminent leader from the North East: “We must have a mental infrastructure. Mental infrastructure means sincerity of purpose, of vision, or purity of heart and mind.

National Priorities according to Kalam:

Calling for a national movement to transform India into a developed country with speed and making it militarily and economically self-reliant, Kalam emphasized his “unflinching commitment to the principle of secularism”, describing it as the “cornerstone” of the nationhood and “the key feature of our civilization strength”. Outlining a world view of his vision to make India strong, the new President pleaded for making national security a national priority and expressed his unflinching commitment to secularism. Along with speedy development aimed at elimination of poverty and unemployment, nation security has to be recognized by every Indian as a national priority. Indeed, making India strong and self-reliant – economically, socially and militarily – is our foremost duty to our motherland and to ourselves and to our future generations.

Essential Elements of a Strong Nation:

He reiterated his vision of a developed and strong India. Quoting from Thirukkural, the Tamil classic, he said that the important elements that constituted nation well-being included health, high productivity, harmonious living and strong defence. He said that all efforts should be directed at building these elements at various levels in a coherent and integrated manner.

Kalam about the Constitution:

He also declared his commitment to the parliamentary form of democracy and the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. He said he was confident that the Constitution would continue to be responsive to the demands of changing situations. "The first and foremost task is to respect and uphold the constitutional processes, in the best interest of our people and our nation, without fear or favour and with fairness and firmness," he said.

Kalam’s Song of Youth:

He said it was a crime to have small dreams and read out the Song of Youth that he has been reciting at schools that he has been visiting over the past couple of years. The ceremony, which was replete with symbolism, ended with Abdul Kalam reciting from his book Song of Youth, in which he pledges to "keep the lamp of knowledge burning, to achieve the vision - Developed India".