Letters: A great loss

Apropos the report, "APJ Abdul Kalam: A youth icon who connected with all" (July 28). Kalam's death is shocking. His contribution to the country as a scientist and as the President of India are beyond measure.

Kalam started his career by designing helicopters for the Indian Army. Later he became the project director of India's first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III). He played a pivotal role in the Pokhran-II nuclear test of 1998 and took the lead in weaponisation of strategic missile systems.

He was called the "People's President"; he was one of the most loved too. His appointment as the eleventh President of India was backed by both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress. He launched the programme, "What Can I Give Movement" for the youth with the aim of defeating corruption.

Kalam had a spiritual side too. A theist who believed in God beyond the confines of religion, he stated this clearly in the first chapter of his bestselling autobiography Wings of Fire (1999). As the President, he led a frugal life at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. He encouraged people to keep fit and become aware of their body mass index. His patronage of herbs is also commendable. Kalam's death is an irreparable loss.

Buddhadev Nandi Bankura

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