Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Apr 1: In an inspiring address at TMA Pai Conventional Hall in the city on Tuesday April 1, former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam urged young voters to elect a leader who is capable of defeating any problem and whose heart is filled with righteousness.
Addressing an interactive programme organized by the district administration as part of Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, he said, "I first came to Mangalore 60 years back in 1954 when I was studying in Chennai. I met Mahabaleshwara Bhat who became a good friends of mine.
"Mangalore is a beautiful city and one of the cleanest in the country," he added.
He said there are four steps to success, which are also qualities a winner should possess. These are: "One should have a great aim in life before the age of 20, but only aim is not enough. Secondly, one should acquire knowledge by reading a lot; third, work very hard; and four, perservere to achieve your goal. Do not be afraid of any problem. The problem should be afraid of you.
"The one quality in a leader should be that he should not be afraid of any problem. He should be able to defeat every problem. We need such kinds of leaders, and we need to elect such leaders," he said.
He then recited lines from the poem 'I will Fly' and made the students repeat after him.
"You should decide, vote and elect a good leader for this nation. My message to you is this - Education gives wings to fly. Knowledge makes us fly. Knowledge can also make you a good doctor, architect or teacher - or also a good political leader or politician," he said.
He further said there are three qualities - creativity, righteousness in heart and courage - that together add up to knowlege (knowlege = creativity righteousness in heart courage) and make a person important to India.
Elaborating on the above equation, he said, "Creativity leads us to thinking, thinking provides us knowledge, and knowledge makes us great. When there is righteousness in heart there will be beauty in character, when there is beauty in character there will be change in harmony at home. When there is harmony at home there will be order in nation; when there is order in nation, there will be peace in the world. So you should strive for rightneousness in heart. You need to choose a leader who has righteousness in heart."
Appreciating the students for turning up in good numbers, he said, "I am delighted to see the students of Mangalore here. Mangalore was also ruled by Ashoka and various enterprising activities took birth here, mainly in banking, commerce and mobility. Mangalore is a clean city. Econmically too, three-fourths of the coffee exports are from Mangalore. It is a home for refineries and fertilizer companies."
He further said three people play important roles in a person's life - father, mother in spiritual development and teacher in school.
He concluded his hour-long speech urging the new voters to exercise their franchise without fail. "Democracy is useful when we vote. We should vote and tell our families and friends to vote. This should be the mission of first time voters," he said.
"Democracy gives ample opportunity to every citizen. Every citizen has the right to live with dignity. Constitution provides access to dignity and aspiration to every citizen in this country. Vote for a vibrant democracy," he added.
"This election is very important; it is the largest election exercise in the world. One million first time voters will cast their votes this time. Your decision will play a vital role in shaping the future of this nation. Hence choose the right person who has good leadership qualities. Cast your vote for the right candidate fearlessly," he advised.
"Have courage in life, have the courage to think differently, invent, travel into unexplored paths, discover and combat and succeed. When the youth work with courage they achieve success in all their missions," he said.
Dr Kalam also narrated a story about his primary school teacher Shiva Subramanya Iyer who he said was a great teacher, an inspiration to Dr Kalam in his life. He admired his teacher because of his purity of knowledge and Gandhian way of life.
He also said, "As the youth of my nation, you should work and work with courage to achieve success in your tasks and enjoy the success of others. Our motto should be 'Let not my winged days be spent in vain'."
Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim welcomed Dr Abdul Kalam and the gathering. ZP CEO Tulasi Maddineni proposed the vote of thanks.
Election observer Sawanth IAS and others were present. A few students interacted with Dr Kalam during the question-answer session.