Ignited Minds

Unleashing the Power within India

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is an Indian scientist and who served as the 11th president of India
from 2002 to 2007.

Born: October 15, 1931 (age 83), Rameswaram.

Full Name: Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam

Awards: Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, more.

Parents: Ashiamma Jainulabiddin, Jainulabiddin Marakayar.

Education: Madras Institute of Technology (1955–1960), St. Joseph's College,Tiruchirappall

i(1954).

He played an important role in the second Pokhran nuclear test in 1998. He was also
associated with India's space program and missile development program. Therefore, he is also
called "Missile Man". 

In 2002, Kalam was elected 11th President of India. After 5 years of service, he returned to
teaching, writing, and public service.

More than a leader he was person who lived a life with human morals and ethics. He was
one of the few people whom the whole world admired. There are many incidents which reflect
his leadership qualities.

He had written many(25 books) inspirational books such as "wings of fire", "India 2020",
Ignited Minds" etc. He was a great personality and inspiration to the youngsters of the country.
According to him the real assets of a country where its youth and that's why he always had
motivated and inspired them to achieve their goal

Among his many accolades, including honorary doctorates from 40 universities, he was
granted the Padma Bhushan (1981), the Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the Bharat Ratna (1997)
— India's highest civilian awards — for his contributions in modernizing government defense
technology.

He took his last breath at IIM, Meghalaya on 27th of July 2015 because of a sudden cardiac
arrest. He was a man who spent all of his life to make the world a better place. He will always
remain one of the most excellent human beings that ever lived. His legacy will continue to
inspire youth not only in our country but the whole world.

Dedication :

APJ Kalam dedicate this book to a child who is studying in class 12. Her name is Snehal
Thakkar. On 11 April 2002 when he reached Anand by road in the evening, it was under curfew
following communal disturbances. The next day, at the Anandalaya High School, while talking to
the students, a question came up: ‘Who is our enemy?’ There were many answers, but the one
we all agreed was correct came from her: ‘Our enemy is Poverty.’ It is the root cause of our
problems and should be the object of our fight, not our own.

Ignited Minds: Unleashing The Power Within India  continues the trajectory of thought
taken up in two of his earlier works, Wings of Fire  and India 2020: A Vision For  The New
Millennium. The object of this work, according to him, is to ignite young minds so that India turns
into a developed nation by the year 2020. Dr Kalam places enormous trust on the power of
India’s youth to make a difference and fulfil his vision of a developed India. The narration is in
the first person and the language, simple and lucid for everyone to understand. The book is
organized into nine chapters and is peppered with Dr Kalam’s own rich experiences, which
makes it all the more delectable.

CONTENTS :

1. The Dream and the Message

2. Give Us a Role Model

3. Visionary Teachers and Scientists

4. Learning from Saints and Seers

5. Patriotism beyond Politics and Religion

6. The Knowledge Society

7. Getting the Forces Together

8. Building a New State

9. To My Countrymen - Song of Youth

Chapter 1 (The Dream and the Message)

The book opens with the statements that Dr Kalam makes every youth he interacts with
take as a sort of pledge:
 "Dream, Dream, Dream;

Dreams transform into thoughts; 

And thoughts result in action".

In a way, this is the essence of what he wants to convey to his readers and his countrymen
at large. He talks about the power of dreams and says that spirituality has to be integrated with
education, focusing on self-realization. The Dream and the Message Spirituality must be
integrated with education. Self- realization is the focus. Each one of us must become aware of
our higher self. We are links of a great past to a grand future. We should ignite our dormant
inner energy and let it guide our lives. The radiance of such minds embarked on constructive
endeavour will bring peace, prosperity and bliss to this nation.

Chapter 2 (Give Us a Role Model)

In the second chapter, he recollects the interactions he had with children in different parts
of India. He reiterates the need for the right kind of role models for the youth of India. A role
model can provide answers to many questions children have as they grow up. Give Us a Role
Model A nation’s wealth is the young generation of the country. When they grow up, who can be
the role models? Mother, father and elementary schoolteachers play a very important part as
role models. When the child grows up, the role models will be national leaders of quality and
integrity in every field including politics, the sciences, technology and industry.

“”All Birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the clouds.
Problems are common but attitude makes the difference .”” –by Dr-A-P-J-Abdul-Kalam

“”Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do
something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability
to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.”” - Mahatma Gandhi

Chapter 3 (Visionary Teachers and Scientists)

In the third chapter, Dr Kalam devotes considerable space to discuss the vision and
achievements of illustrious sons of Mother India in fields as diverse as astronomy, mathematics,
physics, space science and entrepreneurship. He briefly touches upon the lives of Aryabhatta,
Brahmagupta, Bhaskaracharya, Ramanujan, Sir C V Raman, Prof S Chandrasekhar, Dr D S Kothari,
Dr Homi J Bhabha and Dr Vikram Sarabhai. He also fondly recalls his association with Prof Satish
Dhawan and Prof H A Yefremov and his meeting with the milkman of India, Shri Varghese Kurien.
Certainly, all of these personalities have served as role models for Dr Kalam. In this exercise, he
shows remarkable awareness about, and respect for all of them. In between, he also shares an
interesting anecdote about how he and his team were able to get the necessary space to locate
the rocket launching centre at Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram, buttressing the fact that science
and religion are not mutually exclusive.

Vision ignites the minds. India needs visionaries of the stature of J.R.D. Tata, Vikram
Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and Dr. Verghese Kurien. These type of visionaries can involve an entire
generation in mission- driven programs which benefit the country as a whole.

‘’’You must build on the resources represented by our young professionals and by our
nation’s farmers. Without their involvement, we cannot succeed. With their involvement, we
cannot fail.”’

Chapter 4 (Learning from Saints and Seers)

It is then a smooth take-off to the next chapter where Dr Kalam impresses upon the
reader, the importance of spiritual development. An important observation he makes here is
that the unification of science and spirituality is essential to take the benefits of science and
technology to the mankind. He recounts his visits to, and meetings with, Pramukh Swami
Maharaj of Swaminarayan Sanstha at Ahemedabad, Dargah Sharif of Sufi mystic Kwaja
Moinuddeen Chishti, Mata Amritanandamayi, Ramakrishna Mission, Kanchi Shankaracharya and
Sri Sathya Sai Mission and shares his learning and experience from all these visits and meetings.
According to him, the vibes and mental peace one gets at these places is one and the same. Dr
Kalam says that we must draw upon our heritage and wisdom to enrich our lives.

We survived as a nation the onslaughts of invaders and the numbing effects of colonialism.
We have also learnt to adjust to the rifts and divisions in our own society. In the process of all
the adjustment, we also lowered our aims and expectations.

Our spiritual wisdom has been our strength. We must regain our broad outlook and draw
upon our heritage and wisdom to enrich our lives. We need to home- grow our own model of
development based on our inherent strengths.

Chapter 5 (Patriotism beyond Politics and Religion)

In the next chapter, Dr Kalam notes that unfortunately for India, historic forces have not
given a common memory to all communities by taking them back to their roots a millennium
down the ages and that not enough effort has been made in the years since independence to
foster that memory. This has led to divisive forces rearing their ugly heads at times. He calls for a
patriotic fervor that transcends politics and religion. He cites A R Rahman’s Vande Mataram as
an example for this.

There are success stories among failures. There is hope among chaos, promise among
problems. We are one billion people with multiple faiths and ideologies.
 In the absence of a national vision cracks at the seam keep surfacing and make us
vulnerable. There is a need to reinforce this seam and amalgamate us into one national forum.

““I do not care for liberation, I would rather go to a hundred thousand hells, ‘doing good
to others (silently) like the spring’, this is my religion.”” Swami Vivekananda

“”The task of casting a strong India is in the hands of a visionary political leadership.”” by a
p j abdul kalam

Chapter 6 (The Knowledge Society)

In the chapter Dr Kalam puts up a strong case for India becoming a knowledge society and
regaining the status it had enjoyed in the ancient past. He puts forward the idea of PURA
(Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) for rural development, which is the need of the
hour.

Ancient India was a knowledge society that contributed a great deal to civilization. We
need to recover that status and become a knowledge power. We must learn from our mistakes
to achieve a better standard of life. A developed India will supplant a spirit of defeat with the
spirit of victory.

“”Wisdom is a weapon to ward off destruction; It is an inner fortress which enemies cannot
destroy.”” - Thirukkural 421 (200 BC)

Chapter 7 (Getting the Forces Together)

Dr Kalam lays down five areas for integrated action viz., agriculture and food
processing, power, education and healthcare, Information Technology and the strategic
sector. According to him, action in these five areas, properly integrated, would lead to
food, economic, social and national security. The rest of the chapter is about how to align
and co-ordinate action in these areas for the nation’s development.

 We need to adapt the implementation of our programmes and policies into a mission
mode to succeed. Progress cannot be swift and far-reaching if the path is full of potholes. The
abundant national resources, human and material, remain to be fully utilized.

““Determine that things can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.””
-Abraham Lincoln

Chapter 8 (Building a New State)

The need for value-addition in the activities performed in our country is very well brought
out in the next chapter, wherein Dr Kalam cites the case of beryllium diaphragms. This is relevant
in current times too, where the rising Rupee has made the stakeholders realize the need for
value-addition in our exports. Again, he calls for integrated efforts in mission mode for rapid
development.

The way to development is through purposeful activity. The young especially have to be
guided properly, so that their lives find a proper direction and their creativity is allowed to
flower. To facilitate this, certain educational reforms must be initiated. With regard to improving
the pace of development, Centre-state efforts should be coordinated in a few key areas and
efforts across sectors and organizations integrated and taken up in a mission mode. The mindset
must change, showing willingness to take risks. Success will follow.

““If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with
all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow—in some parts a very paradise on
earth—I should point to India.”” -F. Max Müller

Chapter 9 (To My Countrymen)

In the last chapter, as in the first chapter, Dr Kalam urges us to dream and work towards
making India a developed country. He prays to God Almighty to give us Indians the willingness
and ability to toil hard.

We need to realize that missions are always bigger than organizations, just as
organizations are always bigger than the individuals who run them. Missions need effort and the
mind provides the purpose. We need a vision that is shared by the entire nation. No ideology is
above the security and prosperity of our country. No agenda is more important than harmony
among the people. Our freedom did not come as a gift. The whole country struggled for decades
to achieve the first vision of independence, so we have to protect it.

He ends the book with a Song of Youth, the theme of which is "Small Aim Is A Crime".

Conclusion

Nations consist of people and with their effort, a nation can accomplish all it could ever
want. Motivating India’s youth especially, is the central theme of Ignited minds. Igniting Minds is
all about breaking away from the forces that would prefer selling cheap labour and raw materials
and providing a large market for goods and services of other nations. It is about developing that
conviction in ourselves, and discarding the things that hold us back.

In this book, Dr Kalam laments the fact that despite all our skills, resources and talents, we
Indians often tend to settle for mediocrity in everything. He also firmly believes that Indians have
the potential and wherewithal to rise and realize the dream of a developed India. He has tried to
show a way to fulfil this dream, by taking up different themes and tying them together with
success stories to serve as motivation to everyone. Through this book, we see in Kalam the ideal
Indian citizen – one who is proud of India’s glorious past and traditions and works in the present
to make the future bright and exciting.

The beauty of this book lies in the fact that, while emphasizing on the technological
development of nation to make India stand in the elite group of developed Nations the author
also drew attention on social and cultural aspect. The author mentioned how spiritual education
along with Knowledge can create wonders.

The book talks about how one should integrate our cultural and social values (ethics) with
modern thinking, Enthusiasm of youth. This integration will produce potential leaders, Role
models for tomorrow which will have integrity, respect and the thought of “Nation comes first”
embedded in their hearts and minds.

Dr. Kalam writes, embed the thought “Nation is bigger than the Individual” in the minds of
the leaders and people. And when they recite this, I see the developed India.

Ignited Minds  is a book that should be read by all self-respecting Indians, especially the
youth who are the future of India and for whom it has been written.  Definitely a must-buy!!

Quotation :

“Learning gives creativity

Creativity leads to thinking
Thinking provides knowledge
Knowledge makes you great.”
― A.P.J. Abdul Kalam