Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute to the country’s former President and Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary, saying that the eminent scientist inspired the country to dream big. Modi said that we will continue to build the India of his dreams.
In a post on Twitter, PM Modi reflected on the life of APJ Abdul Kalam, saying he is remembered as a “visionary man who ignited young minds.”
He expressed his commitment to building a strong, self-reliant and compassionate nation as envisioned by Abdul Kalam.
Prime Minister Modi said, “Tributes to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ji on his birth anniversary. He is remembered as a visionary who ignited young minds and inspired our country to dream big. His life reminds us that humility and hard work are essential for success. May we continue to build the India he saw. An India that is strong, self-reliant and compassionate.”
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931–2015), known as the “Missile Man of India”, was an eminent scientist and the 11th President of India (2002–2007).
He was born on 15 October 1931 in an ordinary family in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. Kalam achieved this position on the basis of hard work and determination. Kalam made significant contributions as the Project Director in the development of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III), which successfully placed the Rohini satellite in near Earth orbit in July 1980 and made India a distinguished member of the space club.
He was responsible for ISRO’s launch vehicle programme, particularly the development of the PSLV configuration. He was responsible for the development and operationalization of Agni and Prithvi missiles and indigenous capacity building in critical technologies through networking of multiple institutions.
Apart from his scientific contributions, Kalam was also extremely keen to inspire the youth of India. He wrote several influential books like “Wings of Fire”, “Ignited Minds” and “India 2020”, all of which focused on dreaming big and building a strong nation.
APJ Abdul Kalam died on 27 July 2015.