SHILLONG, JULY 28: The misty eyes, sadden faces, worn-out looks and pages of eulogies on social media was a collective emotions of the nation that just lost its most loving public leader former president APJ Abdul Kalam on Monday evening. Never before in the annals of modern India did a nation collectively grief as much as it did on Monday evening as the death of Kalam in Shillong spread like wildfire across the nation.
But why people cutting across caste, class, religion, regions and age spectrum are so much grief-stricken at the death of Kalam that perhaps is reserved only for someone who is emotionally and physically close to them. What made Kalam the iconic figure that endeared him to all? After all, many great scientists and public figures had died in the past but people of this nation never did seem to grief as much as they are grieving now.
Surely people are not grieving because of Kalam’s achievements as scientist and, thereafter, as the country’s President. When a nine years old girl with a grave face and teary eyes is glued to the TV for five hours, minutely following news of Kalam’s death, one can only gauge the intensity of the footprint he has left on children and most of who have never met him. Children her age, obviously, aren’t impressed with anybody’s career or academic excellence, to connect and touch their heart you need to be more than a super-achiever.
Kalam in his lifetime seems to have transcended his earthly achievements to soar into the realms of an iconic figure representing ‘hope, honesty, patriotism, dream, motivator and a benevolent soul.’ The youngsters inevitable have an uncanny ability to spot such persona and he was one of them.
In a country with more than a billion populations, Kalam was one of the rarest of rare public leader who not only ‘walked the talk’ but also lived his now famous ‘quotable and inspiring quotes.’ An incorruptible, humble public figure he had the gift to connect with the people, especially the youths, and get across messages in a language that they understood.
As Kalam was aware that a better India heavily depended on the youths, he invested much of his time on students. With his incredible understanding of youth’s psychology, he tried to inject on them qualities that would make them the future leaders who would contribute to building India of his dream.
The youths, invariable, connected with Kalam. He was their ‘Icon’, ‘Role Model’ ‘Friend’ and ‘Teacher’ and in India bereft of such leader the youths were looking up to him to guide them. In his death, the youths felt like they have been orphaned and that is the reason why we see lots of Facebook posts from the youngsters mourning his death and quoting some of his inspirational quotes.- By Tilak Rai
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