I am typing this when OUR PM is showing his final respects to
the departed People’s President. The leaders of different states holding
different ideologies and ambitions have just joined him in paying the floral tributes to
the technocrat .Outside the ground chosen for funeral, thousands and thousands of
people from different parts of Tamilnadu are standing silently, under the scorching sun
getting the glimpse of the final moments of the leader. What brought these poor
people to this temple city? How did this chemistry develop between him and the people?
Are they craving for an icon to guide them from above while the POWER on earth
has failed them?
While watching the final moments I am virtually going back to February 3 1969
when C N Annadurai the CM of Tamilnadu then called affectionately the elder brother to everyone in Tamilnadu
passed away. I was a final year MA student of Presidency College at that time ; the Madras city was filled with
people from all over the state..I was at
Rajaji hall on 2 when his boedy was laid there swimming through the crowd and
again in the crowd on 3 Feb on the sands of Marina shedding tears.
But Anna and MGR belong to a different shade and stature. Tamils have shown by
this spontaneous overflow of emotion that simple living and high thinking will
endear millions and the current tribe of politicians must learn The LKG lesson
from this massive funeral procession .
. In terms of the spirit and intensity of feelings ordinary people of Tamilnadu have shown love and
respects to good souls not craving for wealth but leading the3 life of
austerity and becoming the symbol of honesty and integrity in public life Our
man did not appropriate the affluence of
Rashtrapathi Bhawan as his successor,
the lady president did more successfully and more shamelessly but treated
himself only as a tenant for the short term.
Now Kalam’s
body is gently placed under the ground. He will be assimilated into his native
soil and dissolved into cosmos soon. Will our leaders and academicians bankers and
bureaucrats religious heads and the so called revolutionaries and rebels including
the militants, internalise the true quality of his life and understand the eternal truth that
simple living and honesty alone matters
most and that the ill-gotten wealth or
position or even fame will be shortlived.
Therefore,my fellow countrymen, WE shall always remember the
words of the famous philosopher of
ancient china LAO TZU: In dwelling live close to the ground. In thinking keep
to simple. In conflict be fair and generous. In governing don’t try to control.
In work do what you enjoy. In family life , be present.
Mr Abdul Kalam came from a family but preferred ot to have a
family of his own and treated the entire humanity as his family. Perhaps that
explains why despite his ordinar4y background and and scholarly PHD type of paper education he could reach an exalt5ed position it he
country and more important enter into the hearts of many the young and the
old and I am typing with one finger as I
have not learnt typing at the young age.
The music is still flowing.
The leaders will depart and attend to their work and the poor will suffer with
no worthwhile job and the Supreme will be a witness as a mute spectator for ever.
May his soul rest in peace.
