APJ Abdul Kalam : Connecting "Technology" and "Culture".
The very name of APJ Abdul Kalam conjures respect, admiration, affection and awe. He was the Missile Man of India who became the Supreme Commander of the armed forces as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Technology may be his second name but his personality is strongly embedded in culture. He represented India in its true spirit.
The son of a Muslim boat-maker from a small village in Rameswaram, he had humble moorings, and was inspired by the ideologies and philosophy of his father, which gave depth to his character. He gives full credit to his parents for instilling him with values which helped him face all the adversities of life. He did not hesitate to undertake tasks like newspaper vending from the tender age of eight to support his family.
The practical lessons of his school teacher Siva Subramania Iyer kindled his fascination for flying. His path to success begins with his degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology which was made possible by his sister Zohra who pawned her jewellery for his education. He made excellent use of all opportunities to rise to the highest office in the country because he believed that all may not have equal talent but all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.
The friendship of his father, an imam, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastrigal, the Tamil priest, and Father Bodal kindled his spirituality. He said that if people respect each other's faith and beliefs and their right to hold them there would be no room for conflicts. He therefore emphasized that along with academic and scientific training, spiritual training should be imparted in schools. Values must be instilled in children only then could become virtuous adults. As can be seen, his education in the field of the sciences was strongly informed by his cultural context. This in turn is visible in the ideas he imparted about education, as reflected in the following quote:
“Inquiry, creativity, technology, an entrepreneurial mind set and moral leadership are the five attributed to be cultivated throughout the education process to create ‘autonomous learners’”
Kalam’s statement suggests that technological learning must be accompanied by both, the spirit of scientific and artistic enquiry, and values required for leadership. This link between availability of technology and cultural learning is also accompanied by a focus on use-value and accessibility, as suggested by the mention of an “entrepreneurial mindset”. Kalam believed that education gives knowledge but righteousness gave beauty to character, which led to harmony in the home, order in the nation and peace in the world. Again, the link between technological know-how and shaping character is clearly visible.
Kalam had the great opportunity and honour of working with three scientific establishments— Space, Defence Research and Atomic Energy. He observed that scientists and technologists were dreamers, but were also never afraid of failures during their missions because they adapted themselves with better technology to succeed eventually. He showed exemplary courage each time he failed whether in his admission into the air force or at the failure of RATO system. He felt that joy and sadness are a part of life and had to be handled with maturity. Indians suffer unnecessary misery all their lives because they do not know how to manage their emotions. The link between technological adaptation and resilience is of particular significance here. The possibility of scientific progress here is linked with having the mental fortitude to work through failure. What is also important is the focus on emotions, and the suggestion that effort in the technological field requires honest self-reflection on emotional and mental health. As suggested earlier, his model of education is holistic, focused on scientific progress, creating a culture which develops character, and focused on wellbeing.
Kalam’s mentorship with Vikram Sarabhai and support from Dr. Brahmbhatt or Prof. Satish Dhawan gave him wings to fly. He launched the SLV 3 and took India to the Space Club. The various missiles like Agni, Prithvi and Nag made him worthy of Padma Vibhushan. This led to envy among a few but Kalam continued undeterredly and became the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister. The title of Bharat Ratna befitted his stature for he soon conducted the nuclear tests at Pokharan II under trying circumstances. Success was always credited to his team while he shouldered the responsibility of the failures.
In his book “Transcendence”, Kalam acknowledged that the struggle between happiness and unhappiness that had so far been the story of human existence and the struggle between peace and war that had been the history of the human race must change. The power that would lead us to eternal victory amid these struggles is the power of good within us. We had to overgrow our egos and be selfless. It was his faith in God coupled with his imagination which gave him the strength. No wonder he constantly spoke to teachers and parents to ensure that their children used their imagination. He interacted with students and children and inspired them to dream, aspire and have a vision as these were the keys to a successful life.
His books have been a source of inspiration. Kalam’s writings demonstrate how he made sure that his learnings from the field of science and governance entered the cultural sphere. His sustained efforts to converse with both students and teachers show that he was particularly concerned with how the culture of education in India was shaped.
Kalam’s vision of India 2020 identified five areas of progress: agriculture and food processing aimed at doubling the present production; infrastructure with reliable electric power providing urban amenities to rural areas and increasing solar power operations; education and health care directed towards illiteracy, social security and overall health for the population; information and communication technology for increased e-governance to promote education in remote areas, telecommunication and telemedicine; and critical technologies and strategic industries, particularly the growth of nuclear technology, space technology and defence technology.
While on the one hand he was fully well versed with technology on the other hand he
was rooted in both the cultural values he grew up with, as well as the present cultural context which he actively worked on. He followed Gandhi when he said that one must not lose faith in humanity as it is an ocean, a few drops of dirt did not make it dirty. He believed in the value of institutions and felt that India’s ancient civilisation survived because of its institutions like family, schools, colleges etc. His knowledge of Gita was remarkable and he has given the crux in his book, “The Guiding Souls”:
“Kurkshetra is within you. The battle is raging within. Ignorance is Dhritrashtra; the individual soul is Arjuna; the in-dweller of your heart is Krishna, the charioteer; the body is the chariot; the senses are the five horses; egoism, cravings, likes and dislikes, lust jealousy, greed pride and hypocrisy and the host of other mental defilements are the hundred Kaurvas.” (p.25 Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari, Guiding Souls.)
While in the field of the sciences, he seems to have seen this field as intimately connected with art, creativity, and imagination:
“Science and spirituality are not antithesis but they are two wheels of the same cart or they are two faces of the same coin”
APJ Abdul Kalam was an epitome of both and will continue to inspire generations.
