Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam

India, being the biggest secular & democratic country in the world, is showing an example of its gifted & capable leadership in the field of secularism. This type of example can't be seen in any other country of the world. Since the time of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru to that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee & from the time of Dr. Rajinder Prasad to the period up to K.R. Narayanan, the country got such elites, under whose leadership, India did a considerable progress & its future remained secure in those firm hands. At present, India is showing such an example of leadership, which is incomparable in the world.

Since independence, professional politicians have been overshadowing the Indian politics. But, it is for the first time that a well known economist in the world & former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh has been presented as the Prime Minister of India by the Congress Party. Similarly, the chair of the President remained in the hands of famous senior political members. But on July 25, 2002, this convention broke down, when Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a well known scientist in the world popularly known as The Missile Man, took oath as president of India, The highest constitutional order & the first citizen of India. At present, if the Prime Minister of India is a famous economist, the president of India is being graced by an eminent scientist. Both these personalities are attributed with the one as a great economist & the other as the great scientist & at the same time both the extra ordinary personalities have the quality of secularism which is itself an example before the world.

Obviously, India instead of being a Hindu state is the greatest secular democracy but undoubtedly the Hindus are in a heavy majority here. All being so, in this Hindu majority India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister is a devoted Sikh & at the same time Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam a Muslim, is gracing the highest constitutional order as a president, shows the tolerance, open heartedness & secularism of the Indians in India.

As for the president, Dr. Kalam is concerned, when on June 18, 2002 Dr. Kalam filed his nomination as the candidate of the then ruling National Democratic Alliance, the joy of all the religions & sects knew no bounds in this country. Although the only one the Communist Party didn't vote in favour of Dr. Kalam but they clarified their position that they did so only to be disassociated with the social communal party, The Bhartiya Janta Party. But they said that they didn't doubt his ability. The historical victory of Dr. Kalam as a president proved that all the country accepted joyfully his able leadership. Dr. Kalam is the first man who won the election as a president with such a great majority. In the presidential electoral college, that have 4896 members, he got 4152 votes that is 89.58% where as communists supported, the only woman captain in the Azad Hind Army, Luxmi Sehgal got 459 votes or 10.42% of votes. This was the first time when a non-political man reached at the highest rank order with such a great majority, in the country.

Clearly this great, farsighted President Dr. Kalam in his first presidential address said the same words which India needed at this time. Dr. Kalam, on July 25, 2002 after taking oath in the central Hall of the Parliament said that we should have to keep our secular formation forever. In this way, he gave a direct hint for struggle against the communal forces. The other thing Dr. Kalam said that India has to be made a developed country by 2002. This declaration of Dr. Kalam has been named as Vision 2020. He himself wrote a book in this regard in which he tell about the co-ordination of duties & rights of every Indian. By establishing this co-ordination, every Indian can play a crucial role, by his part in Vision 2020, to make India a developed country. Dr. Kalam agrees that if we want to bring India in the class of developed countries & to realize this dream, we shall have to escape ourselves from the fabricated clever maze of the powerful countries. Respected President has prepared a plan to bring India at equality as the 6th country, with the five developed countries. He is well aware of the basic needs of our country & about the efficiency of our countrymen. He has deeply observed the education, health, national security & industries of India & how to develop them for prosperous future of India. He has a good knowledge of the facts that how India will develop in all the fields such as roads, electricity, water, education, health, industry, chemicals, private enterprise & nuclear energy by 2020. In this way, how India will stand along with the developed countries of the world, by its power & such characteristics.

Dr. Kalam's period will end in 2007. Obviously many politicians have started efforts to fulfill their desire to be seated on this chair. In reality at present it doesn't mean much to think about the political party, religion or caste of the president. The main challenge before the country is to make India a developed country while moving along the path of Vision 2020. A single consciousness needs to be developed, at every level, in the country, i.e. we should realize the dreams of Dr. Kalam & make India a developed country. In this regard, where as, all the political parties need serious thinking, at the same time all the political parties including Communist Party should unite on this matter that Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam must remain in chair of the president till at least 2020.