the speaking tree - Philosopher-Scientist And A Great Inspiration

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan





A P J Abdul Kalam, former President of India, was a man of in tegrity . Intellectually, he was scientific in temper and morally , a very humble person. He was born into a poor South Indian family which could not even afford to pay his school fees.But he worked very hard and continued with his education, and consequently went on to become a highly respected aerospace scientist in the country .Abdul Kalam was not `born with a silver spoon in his mouth'; yet he was born with a great `incentive spoon' which was responsible for his tremendous success. His self-motivation and high ideals helped him, and he rose to the highest office of the country . Kalam's life has a very significant lesson, that is, that people's categorisation into rich and poor or haves and havenots is unrealistic. The real categorisation is that people are either ac tual haves or potential haves. Those who today apparently belong to the category of have-nots can convert their potential into actuality, and thus enter the category of haves.
Kalam once said that, “If a country is to be corruption-free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, mother and teacher.“
This statement is a correct analysis of nation-building, because a person develops his personality in his formative period, during which he is under the supervision of his parents and teachers. If these three members of society resolve to guide the child in the right direction, then within one generation the whol within one generation the whole situation of India will undergo a drastic change.
Regarding youth, Kalam said: “My message, especially to young people, is to have courage to think differently , to invent, to travel the unexplored path, discover the impossible and to overcome problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards.“ If we express these qualities in one word, it can be said that young people should make `excel lence' their goal; they should not accept anything less than striving for the excellent. In doing so, not only will they re ach great heights of success, but will also be able to reform society along constructive lines.
It is said that even amidst his tight schedule, Kalam g found time to put pen to paper, almost every day . This is a ve ry creative habit because if a person restricts himself only to routine office work, he will experience intellectual stagnation. However, if he makes time for reading and writing, his intellectual development will go on unhindered.
Kalam once also said: “India has a message for the world that religion could be transformed into a mighty spiritual force.“ This is without doubt a realistic statement, because India has traditionally been a country of high spiritual values. If India develops in spirituality, it will certainly become a lighthouse of spirituality for the world.
When Kalam was President, a reporter who was interviewing him was referring to him as “Your Excellency“.Kalam cut him short, saying, “Call me Kalam“. This is the key to Kalam's personality ­he was modest to the core.His message is: Be modest and you will achieve success.

I can get the youth to dream. They have fewer biases about society: APJ Abdul Kalam - 


One of your passions is the youth of this country. But is there any reason to assume that the youth is any different from the older generation? What make you optimistic about the youth?

 It’s when children are 15, 16 or 17 that they decide whether they want to be a doctor, an engineer, a politician or go to the Mars or moon. That is the time they start having a dream and that’s the time you can work on them. You can help them shape their dreams. Tomorrow if I address a group of youngsters and talk about the flag flying in my heart and how I will uphold the dignity of the nation, I can get them to dream. But if I talk to people who are 40, 50 or 70 plus, it will not go down that well. Also, the youth have fewer biases about their society as compared to the grown-ups. 


Which of the former Presidents inspired you the most?

 I believe every President before me contributed something in their respective fields — some in politics, some in education and others in social services. At Rashtrapati Bhawan I found a letter from our first President, Rajendra Prasad to Nobel laureate Sir C V Raman in 1954 asking him to come to Rashtrapati Bhawan to accept the Bharat Ratna. Anyone would have jumped at the offer. Then I read Sir CV Raman’s reply to the invitation. It said, “Dear Mr President, I thank you for giving me such a great honour, but I have a problem. I am guiding a scholar and he is submitting his thesis in December-January. I have to sign the thesis and won’t be able to accept the invitation.” -

A P J Abdul Kalam’s ten inspiring quotes

“Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.”

 “All Birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the Clouds.” 

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough”.

 “Man needs difficulties in life because they are necessary to enjoy the success.”

 “If you want to shine like a sun. First burn like a sun.”

 “It is very easy to defeat someone, but it is very hard to win someone.”

 “All of us do not have equal talent. But , all of us have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.” 

“Be more dedicated to making solid achievements than in running after swift but synthetic happiness.”

 “Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your life.”

 “Without your involvement you can’t succeed. With your involvement you can’t fail. “ 

the speaking tree - Silence is Real

A S NEGI





At some time or the other, we feel intrigued about the world we are living in. Some have called it a play , or leela, of the divine. Others have called it a dream. So, what is its true nature? Any discussion about the `ultimate reality' is fruitless.Discussion involves using words. These words collide inside our minds and rebound to the questioner. Words can only perform one service: make the seeker of truth aware of the need to be silent or wordless.This was probably why the Buddha would not answer questions on the existence or nonexistence of the ultimate reality or god. He would simply ask the questioner to sit near him for two or three years in silence till the silence was total. After that, any question could be asked. Those who dared to do so found that when total silence engulfed them, all their questions had vanished too.
The ultimate reality is unknowable to words. As silence lies beyond the parameters in which words operate, the latter cannot express that which is known in silence. For, words can only describe the known.
You cannot experience the ultimate reality unless you are flowing with trust. Unfortunately, trust does not come easily to modern man. Like a miserable person who sees everyone in his own reflection, the man of distrust sees snares and traps everywhere. Silence is the only option to experience reality . Which is why the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein echoed the Buddha when he wrote, `Of which one cannot speak, of that one must remain silent.'

the speaking tree - You Have The Power To Effect Change

Vijay Hashia





All human beings are of common origin but no two are alike ­ per haps with the exception of identical twins and even that is open to question. This is because each individual is unique, governed by karmic software, impressions of our past lives. If one is successful, the other is a failure; if one is beautiful, the other is unattractive; if one is wealthy , the other is poor and if one is healthy , the other is not, and so on.Our karma is cumulatively stored samaskaras of past actions and reactions.These actions and reactions are causal and their effects are both positive and negative. For example, if love and compassion are stored up as an impression on our psyche, the impression in turn affects our future behaviour leading to new lasting impressions being formed. It leads to creation of peace, happiness and bliss which in turn leads to freedom from karmic bondage. But if negative thoughts are stored up, they have the opposite last ing impression reccurring in our future lives and unless resolved, restrict us from experiencing real freedom, happiness and entangle us in karmic bondage.
The question here is, what is the purpose of our existence? Well, the viewpoints may differ from one religion to another, and from one philosophy to another but the value of the question may coincide with the popular worldview to realise one's potential and ideal, to seek wisdom and knowledge, to do well, to do the right thing; to love, feel and enjoy the act of living and finally merge with God.
Therefore, human life is to work through personal karma and experience innate happiness, peace and bliss in state of being ­ create a new reality of deeper fulfilment and abundance in life by altering a bad karmic cycle. The journey entails learning to be a witness to our own mental and emotional patterns, our dominant beliefs and our recurring and conditioned responses. What makes us think negative and how often? What beliefs do we have that makes us feel that way? We need to take personal responsibility for our situation rather than blame our circumstances, partner or colleague; focus our attention on our own conditioned thoughts, beliefs and actions.
According to some scientists, chang ing bad thoughts, beliefs and actions may be as `simple' as changing health by doing rigorous exercises. Genes can be activated and deactivated by signals from the environment. The consciousness of the cell is inside the cell's membrane. Each and every cell in our bodies has a consciousness. Genes change their expression depending on what is happening outside our cells and even outside our bodies.
Therefore, bad karmic makeup can be modified with determined and persistent effort if we make the effort to cul tivate strength to overcome our undesirable tendencies. Cause and effect is synonymous with good or bad tendencies that evolve out of impulses and we need to watch the impulses as these arise and flood the mind. They have a life of their own but we do not have to be ruled by them. This process actually burns up destructive impulses in the fire of concentration. Changing the bad into good is not something to be postponed for the next life; it is to be designed for the present. The gifted ability to do that is what makes us so precious compared to other life forms.
Good thoughts, beliefs and actions can change bad karma and if we have the power to heal ourselves, increase our feelings of self-worth and improve our emotional state, we can never succumb to negative karma.

Jul 28 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

SC|ST atrocities Act to be harsher

Subodh Ghildiyal

New Delhi:





“Touching a Dalit or tribal woman in a sexual manner without consent“ or “actsgestures of sexual nature“ against them would invite the stringent provisions of the Prevention of SCST Atrocities Act (POA).The Centre has decided to amend the POA along the lines of UPA's ordinance, with the objective of strengthening the special law by including more crimes under the head of “atrocities“.
In an important addition, the bill provides for presuming caste motive behind a crime and puts the onus on the accused to prove otherwise.
As the legislation is set to be taken in Lok Sabha, minister for social justice Thaawar Chand Gehlot told TOI, “There is no change in the bill that was tabled in Lok Sabha (in July 2014).There is no dilution.“
The proposed amendments have been a source of political wrangling ever since the BJP government tabled the bill to turn UPA's ordinance into law, but allowed it to lapse. Congress then accused BJP of trying to dilute the changes. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi recently wrote to PM Modi demanding the immediate passage of the bill.
While sexual assault is part of the existing law, the bill makes it stringent by including “intentional touching without consent“ and “using words or gestures“ under assault of women. It also includes actions under the outlawed Devadasi system.
According to experts, the additions under atrocities, by laying out new acts in specific terms, would curb the scope of misinterpretation by police or the accused.
“These actions are criminal in nature but the atrocities law provides for stronger provisions: there is more protection for victims and witnesses, and there is a bar on anticipatory bail,“ Dalit activist S Prasad said.
The POA states that any non-SCST public servant who neglects his duties on crime against Dalits would be punishable with a jail term of six months to one year. Now, the changes specify the official's duties as registering an FIR, reading out information given orally before taking the signature of the informant and providing a copy of the said complaint.
In place of POA provision that a sessions court be deemed a special court to try offences, the bill states that exclusive courts be established in districts to dispose of cases within two months while appeals in HCs should be disposed of in three months. Also, it would be the duty of the state to provide protection to the victims and witnesses.

Jul 28 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

THE MAN WHO WON INDIA'S HEART

S Nambi Narayanan





My colleague, a karmayogi

When I got an interview call from from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in Thiruvananthapuram for the job of a technical assistant (design) in September, 1966, I knew precious little about the organization. A bunch of young people handpicked by Vikram Sarabhai were working out of an old church in the sleepy fishing village of Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram, with the common goal of making rockets.To know more, I went to a lodge called Indira Bhavan where some of the scientists were put up. As I was enter ing, a man in a pale blue shirt and dark trousers was coming down the stairs. I introduced myself as an applicant. He replied: “I am A P J Abdul Kalam, rocket engineer.“
Soon I found myself among the small group of men at the church with little resources and big dreams.Kalam, as my team leader, gave my first assignment -to make an explosive bolt. Our association started there, and continued till Kalam's end.He was a karmayogi. Without a family or any possession worth mentioning, he dedicated himself to work.
Life, for Kalam, meant setting goals and achieving them steadfast. Death, he never bothered about. Once, while I was doing an experiment on the inert behavior of a variety of gunpowder in low pressure, Kalam insisted on seeing it up close. He stood so close to catch the action that his famous nose touched the jar in which the gunpowder was to be ignited. According to theory , it would not ignite.
But a helper had forgotten to switch on the vacuum pump that would reduce the pressure in the jar. This I realised when the countdown had reached the final five seconds.I threw myself over Kalam and the two of us landed on the floor. Glass pieces flew in all directions like bullets. While I thanked God that neither of us was injured, Kalam stood up, dusted his trousers, and said: “Hey man, it did explode!“ Later I pursued liquid propulsion systems, while Kalam stuck to his love -solid propulsion. When I was heading a team of Isro scientists at the Viking engine joint venture in France in 1975, Kalam visited us and had kind words for us, though he was a hardcore votary of solid propulsion systems. On a personal level, too, Kalam was always helpful. This was the time when I was finding it difficult to get my six-yearold son into a decent Englishmedium school in France. I wanted to send him back to India. Kalam, visiting us in Vernon, offered to take my son back to India. He held the boy's hand through the journey till he was safely deposited at my sister's place.
Neither criticism nor praise moved Kalam. And Isro chairmen like Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan knew Kalam's vision and let him do what he wanted. At the core of India's first success with satellite launch vehicles was Kalam's single-minded pursuit.
The greatness of the man was his intellectual honesty . In one of our recent interactions, I told Kalam that he might not find everything in my upcoming book flattering. He said: “Then I will write the preface.“
That was not to be.
(Nambi Narayanan who was in charge of Isro's cryogenic engine project spoke to TOI's Arun Ram)