Teacahers' Day - Former President of India Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's message

[Guest guest]

Former President of India Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's message

on the eve of Teachers'-Day (05.09.2003)

 

(few introductory sentences could not be recorded)

 

To begin with, I am going to talk to you about my father who taught

me as a teacher.

 

My father taught me a great lesson when I was a young boy. What was

that lesson? It was just after India got independence. At that time,

Panchayat board election took place at Rameshwaram. My father was

elected as Panchayat board member and on the same day he was also

elected as President of Rameshwaram Panchayat Board. Rameshwaram

island was a beautiful place with 30,000 population. That time, they

elected my father as Panchayat Board President not because he

belonged to a particular religion or particular caste or spoke a

particular language or for his economic status. He was elected only

on the basis of his nobility of mind and of being a good human

being. Dear listeners, I would like to narrate one incident that

took place on that day he was elected President of Panchayat board.

I was at that time studying in School. Those days we did not have

electricity and we used to study under rationed kerosene lamp. I was

reading the lessons loudly and I heard a knock on the door. We never

used to lock the door at Rameshwaram in those days. Somebody opened

the door, came in, and asked me where my father was. I told him that

my father has gone for evening Namaz. Then he said he has brought

something for him, Can I keep it here? Since my father had gone for

Namaz, I shouted for my mother to get her permission to receive the

item. Since she was also under Namaz, there was no response. I asked

the person to leave the item on the cot. After that, I continued my

studies. I used to learn by reading aloud in my younger days. I was

reading loud and fully concentrating on my studies. At that time my

father came in and saw a tambulam kept in the cot. He asked

me, " What is this? Who has given that? " I told him somebody came &

he has kept this tambulam on the cot. He opened the cover of the

Tambulam and found there was a costly Dhoti, Angavastram, some

fruits, some sweets and he could see the slip that the person has

left behind. I was the youngest child of my father. He really loved

me and I also loved him a lot. He was upset at the sight of the

Tambulam and gift left by someone. That was the first time I saw him

very angry. And also that was the first time, I had got a thorough

beating from him. I got frightened and started weeping. My mother

embraced and consoled me. Then, my father came and touched my

shoulder lovingly with affection and advised me not to receive any

gift without his permission. He quoted an Islamic haziz, which

states that " when the Almighty appoints a person to a position, he

takes care of his provision. If a person takes anything beyond that,

it is an illegal " . Then, he told me that it is not a good habit,

gift is always accompanied with some purpose and a gift is a

dangerous thing. It is like touching a snake and getting the poison

in return. This lesson stands out always in my mind even when I am

in my seventees. This incidence taught me a very valuable lesson for

my life. It is deeply embedded in my mind. I would like to also to

mention a writing in Manu Smriti which states that " by accepting

gifts, the divine light in the person gets extinguished " . Manu

wants every individual against accepting gifts for the reason that

it places the acceptor under an obligation in favour of the person

who give the gift and ultimately it results in making a person to

debt which are not permissible according to law. I am sharing these

thought with all of you, particularly the young ones. Do not be

carried away by any gift that comes with a purpose and through which

one loses one's personality greatly. Do you think you can follow

this in your life? I will be very happy if you can practice this

sincerely.

 

My second teacher, primary school teacher, Sri Sivasubramani Iyer.

When I think of my second teacher, I am reminded of my childhood

days when I was studying in 8th class at the age of 13. I had a

teacher, Sri Sivasubramani Iyer; he was one of the very good

teachers in our school. All of us liked to attend his classes

carefully. One day he was teaching about a bird's flight. He drew a

diagram of a bird on the blackboard depicting beak, tail, the body

structure with the head. He explained how the bird takes the lift

and fly, he also explained how they change the direction while

flying nearly for 25 minutes. He gave the lecture with various

information about lift, drag, how the bird fly in the formation of

10, 20 and 30. At the end of the class he wanted to know whether we

understood how the birds fly. I said, " I did not understand how did

the bird fly " . When I said this, the teacher asked the other

students whether they understood or not. Many students said that

they could not understand. He did not get upset by the response

since he was a committed teacher. Our teacher said that he would

take all of us to the seashore. That evening the whole class was at

the seashore of Rameshwaram. We enjoyed the roaring sea-wave,

knocking at the sandy hills in the pleasant evening. Birds were

flying in the formation of 10 to 20 in numbers. We saw the marvelous

formation of birds with a purpose and we were all amazed. He showed

us the birds and asked us to see how the birds fly, what they looked

like. We saw the wings flapping. He asked us to look at the tail

portion with the combination of flapping wings and twisting tail. We

noticed carefully and found that the birds in that condition flew in

the direction they desire. Then he asked us a question. Where the

engine is, and how it is powered. Bird is powered by its own life

and the motivation of what it was. All these things were explained

to us with in 15 minutes. We all understood the whole bird's

dynamics from this practical example. How nice it was! Our teacher

was a great teacher. He could give us a theoretical lesson coupled

with a live practical example available in nature. This is a real

teaching. I am sure many of the teachers in schools and colleges

will follow this example. For me, it was not an understanding of how

birds fly. The bird's flight entered into me and created a special

feeling. From that evening, I thought that my future study has to be

with reference to flights and flight systems. I am saying this

because of my teacher's teaching and the event I observed I decided

about my future career. Then, one evening after the classes I asked

the teacher, " Sir, please tell me how to progress further in

learning all about flight? " He patiently explained to me that I

should complete 8th class, and then go to high school, and then I

should go to engineering college that may lead to education on

flight. If I complete ordinary education with excellence, I may do

something connected with flight sciences. This advice and the bird's

flying exercise given by my teacher really gave me a goal and a

mission for my life. When I went to the college, I took Physics, and

then I went to Engineering in Madras Institute of Technology and

took Aeronautical Engineering. Thus, my life got transformed as a

Rocket Engineer, Aerospace Engineer, and technologist. That one

incident of my teacher teaching the lesson, showing the visual life

example proved to be turning point in my life, which eventually

shaped my profession.

 

A student during his school life up to 10 + 2 spends 25,000 hours in

the school campus. His life is more influenced by the teacher and

the school's environment. Therefore, the schools must have the best

of teachers with ability to teach and live teaching and bring moral

qualities. Teacher should become a role model. Similarly, the

student must be allowed to build himself or herself with the best of

qualities and to get ignited with vision for his or her future life.

 

My third teacher, the design teacher Prof. Dhawan. I would like to

share with you another experience with my teacher Prof. Satish

Dhawan. First I worked in Delhi with Ministry Of Defense, later I

joined Defense Research and Development Organisation in 1958 at

Aeronautical development establishment in Bangalore. There, with the

advice of the Director, I took up the development of Hovercraft.

Hovercraft design needed the development of a ducted contra-rotating

propeller. I didn't know how to design the contra rotating

propeller, though I knew how to design conventional propeller. Some

of my friends told me that I could approach Prof. Satish Dhawan of

Indian Institute Of Science who was well-known for his Aeronautical

Research and he would help in designing the ducted contra-rotating

propeller. I took permission from my Director and went to meet Prof.

Satish Dhawan who was sitting in a small room in Indian Institute Of

Science with lot of books in the background and the blackboard on

the wall. Prof. Satish Dhawan asked me what the problem was that I

would like to discuss. I explained the problem to Prof. Satish

Dhawan about my project work. He told me that it is really a

challenging task he would teach me the design if I attend his class

in Indian Institute of Science between 2 pm. to 3 pm. on all

Saturdays for next 6 weeks. He was a visionary teacher. He prepared

the schedule for the entire course and wrote it on the blackboard.

He also gave me the reference material and books I should read

before I start attending the course. I considered this as a great

opportunity and started attending the discussions and starting

meeting with him regularly. Before commencing each meeting, he will

ask critical questions and assess my understanding of the subject.

That was the first time that I realised how a good teacher prepares

himself for teaching, with meticulous planning and prepares the

student for acquisition of knowledge. This process continued for the

next six weeks. I got the capability for designing the contra-

rotating propeller. Professor told me that I am ready for developing

the contra-rotating propeller for the Hovercraft configuration. That

was the time I realised that Prof. Satish Dhawan was not only a

teacher but, also a fantastic development engineer of aeronautical

systems. Later, during the critical places of testing Prof. Dhawan

was with me to witness the test and find solution to the problems.

After reaching the smooth test phase, contra-rotating propeller went

through 50 hours of continuous testing. Prof. Satish Dhawan witness

the test himself and congratulated me. That was a great day for me

when I saw the contra-rotating propeller designed by my team

performing to the mission requirement in the Hovercraft. However, at

that time, I didn't realise that Prof. Satish Dhawan will become

chairman, ISRO and I would get the opportunity to work with him as

the project-Director in the development of a satellite launch

vehicle SLV3 for injecting the Rohini Satellite into the Orbit.

Nature has its own way to link to the student's dream and the real

life later. This was the first design in my career, which gave me

the confidence to design many complex aerospace systems in future.

The Hovercraft could fly just above the ground level carrying two

passengers. I was the first pilot on this Hovercraft and I could

control and maneuver the vehicle in any direction. Through this

project, I learnt the techniques of designing and developing the

contra-rotating propeller. Above all, I learnt that in a project

problem will always crop up and we should not allow the problems to

be our masters but we should defeat the problems. Then, the success

will sparkle.

 

The three teachers in my life, what did they give me? In an

integrated way it can be said that any enlightened human being can

be created by three unique characteristics. One is moral value

system that I got from my father, the hard way. Secondly, the

teacher becoming a role model, not only does the student learn but,

the teacher shape his life with great dreams and aims. Finally, the

education and learning process have to culminate in the creation of

professional capability given to confidence and will power to make a

design, to make a project, to make a system bravely combating many

problems. What a fortune and blessings I had from my three teachers.

 

Among the listeners, there may be many parents, many teachers and a

large number of students. Every one of us in this planet creates a

page in human history irrespective of who he or she is. I realise

the experience is a small dot in human life. But that dot has a life

and light. That light let it light many lamps. My best wishes to all

of you on this occasion of " Teachers' day " .

 

Thank you.