It was an unprecedented crowd that day on the occasion of Annual day celebrations of Jaipuria School Lucknow. I had also gone there along with my family with full arrangements of video camera and a digital camera. My child was scheduled to get the annual academic prize with the noble hands of this magnetic persona. Yes! It was none other than Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the most loved personality of recent times in our country.
He arrived on schedule. All parents became hysteric and started running towards the stage to see him closely and grab his picture with a better focus. He smiled and then waved his hand for quite some time. Requests were repeatedly made from the podium to settle down. After that, started the queue of prize takers. All students wanted to touch his feet and get his closest and warmest possible blessings. My son also got a pet on his back. He was extremely pleased. Soon after the principal’s annual report was the time to hear him. This was the moment everybody was waiting for. Frankly, I do not remember the exact wordings of his speech. What all I remember today is that I was hearing someone who talked everything idealistic, but still practical and worth implementing. I can definitely say that his magnetic persona did overpower the content of his speech while he was talking from the stage, but when we returned home we could hear his words still crossing our ears. It was something to introspect within us and think about our contribution towards vision 2020 for our country.
I remember one of the teachers at my school, who was extremely good when he was standing beside the black board. Moment we used to come out of the class, we always felt that everything he taught has been washed out. In contrast, what Dr. Kalam narrated in his speech that day was little difficult to comprehend while he was speaking, but his words do stay inside us after words and the meaning becomes clearer and clearer as you try to remember them later. Surely Sir! We do remember you as a great teacher and preacher, much more than as a great scientist or a beloved President of India.
Dr. Sunil Ji Garg
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