A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India, Dies at 83

[Recursion]

Source: Time

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, one of India’s most renowned rocket scientists who served as the nation’s 11th President, died of cardiac arrest on Monday at the age of 83.

Kalam was hospitalized after collapsing during a lecture in the northeastern city of Shillong, local media station NDTV reports. He held long-standing leadership positions for India’s defense and space programs, and was elected President with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in July of 2002.

Tributes poured in from Indian luminaries on social media, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and world-renowned cricket player Sachin Tendulkar.

Kalam told TIME in a 1998 interview that he developed an early fascination with flight while growing up on the south Indian isle of Rameshwaram. “Then there were a lot of birds on the island,” he said, “and I used to watch their beautiful flight paths. That got me interested in aeronautics.”

Read more: http://time.com/3973436/apj-abdul-kalam-india-president-dies/

[CBGLuthier]

1. I saw that on the TV this morning

We get several channels from India in Mauritius and they had his face and dates of his life superimposed over people playing some Carnatic music which it seems he was both a fan and sometime player of.

Sounds like he was an interesting man.

[cosmicone]

2. He was frisked twice by TSA at Kennedy Airport

The US "sort of" apologized. If a formed US President were to get frisked anywhere, Americans would have a cow.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Former-President-APJ-Abdul-Kalam-frisked-twice-in-US/articleshow/10714158.cms

After clearing security, he was seated in the Air India plane. Then some TSA people came and wanted to take him back for frisking. When the crew protested, they took his jacket and shoes to test for explosive residue.

Utter humiliation of this great man.

[VA_Jill]

3. This was posted

on my Facebook page by a friend I used to work with who is from India. It is a story attributed to Dr. A.P.J. Kulam:

When I was a kid, my Mom cooked food for us.
One night in particular when she had made dinner after a long hard day's work..
Mom placed a plate of subzi and extremely burnt roti in front of my Dad. I was waiting to see if anyone noticed the burnt roti.
But.. Dad just ate his roti and asked me.. how was my day was at school.
I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember I heard Mom apologising to Dad for the burnt roti.
And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burnt roti."
Later that night, I went to Daddy that night & I asked him if he really liked his roti burnt.
He wrapped me in his arms & said:
"Your mom put in a long hard day at work today and she was really tired..
And besides...
A burnt roti never hurts
anyone but harsh words do!"
"You know beta - life is full of imperfect things..
& imperfect people..
I'M NOT THE BEST & AM HARDLY GOOD AT ANYTHING!
I forget birthdays & anniversaries just like
everyone else.
What I've learnt over the years is :
-Accept Each Others Faults & Choose To Celebrate Relationships
- Life Is Too Short To Wake Up With Regrets!
-Love the people who treat you right & have
compassion for the ones who don't.!!
ENJOY LIFE NOW !!
Appreciate the love you got from your loved ones becos ....
It has an expiry date !!

[bananas]

4. He was an advocate of space-based solar power

2010: National Space Society Announces the Kalam-NSS Energy Initiative
http://blog.nss.org/?p=2214

2012: China proposes space collaboration with India
http://www.democraticunderground.com/122812288

2013: National Space Society Will Pitch Space-based Solar Power To G8 Nations
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014511927