Nation is bigger than the individual: Kalam
By Venkatachari Jagannathan | 14 Jun 2002
1
Chennai:
Missile man APJ Abdul Kalam has said he is overwhelmed
by the nations reaction to his candidature for the countrys
topmost post the President of India.
In his first public message after the National Democratic
Alliance announced its decision to field Kalam as its
presidential candidate, he said: "I am really overwhelmed.
So many phone calls, emails and media reports are pouring
in continuously from Monday onwards, after the announcement
of my candidature for the President of India."
Kalam was supposed to meet the press, but the programme was cancelled at the last moment. "I would like to thank the leaders, political parties and the nation for the confidence and faith they have reposed on me. The post of President of India indeed reflects the integrated aspirations of the nation," he said.
Quoting Bhagavad Gita, he said: "Whatever happened
has happened for the good; whatever is happening is happening
for the good; whatever will happen will happen for the
good."
Recalling an incident in his eventful life, Kalam said: "As part of my mission to meet school children and interacting with them to ignite their minds to love the country and work for national development, I was addressing 3,000 high school students at Porbandar, Gujarat. One girl, studying in the 10th class, got up and asked me, Sir, what message do you have for people like us? I said, My young children, you will all grow with a thought embedded in your mind that the nation is bigger than the individual."
Kalam was supposed to meet the press, but the programme was cancelled at the last moment. "I would like to thank the leaders, political parties and the nation for the confidence and faith they have reposed on me. The post of President of India indeed reflects the integrated aspirations of the nation," he said.
Recalling an incident in his eventful life, Kalam said: "As part of my mission to meet school children and interacting with them to ignite their minds to love the country and work for national development, I was addressing 3,000 high school students at Porbandar, Gujarat. One girl, studying in the 10th class, got up and asked me, Sir, what message do you have for people like us? I said, My young children, you will all grow with a thought embedded in your mind that the nation is bigger than the individual."
