He was spellbound.
There before his eyes was a panoramic view of the Mughal Gardens.
"I wish I could walk on a full moon night in the Mughal Gardens," he mumbled.
Kalam's host, then President K.R. Narayanan, was somewhat taken aback.
"You are most welcome to come here on a full moon night," Narayanan had said after a pause.
Kalam did come back months later. And he stayed for five years, an unconventional and independentminded President who had moments of uneasiness with both the NDA and the UPA regimes during his tenure from 2002 to 2007.
The former President, whose popularity outlived his stay at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, died on July 27, 2015, doing what he loved best: igniting young minds.
He was 83. He was born on October 15, 1931.
Kalam collapsed while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong on "Liveable Planet Earth" where his targeted audience was made up of 130 second-year students.
Kalam was considered the "People's President" as he did not come from a political background. In 2002, the political equations were such that neither the ruling BJP-NDA nor the Congressled opposition had enough votes to get a nominee elected. It was said that Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav toyed with the idea of Kalam as a "consensus" man for Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, keen to strengthen his liberal image following the anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat earlier that year, seized the opportunity.
The rocket scientist, credited with India's nuclear bomb and missile programme, has shared his dreams in his book, India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
LG direct for immediate appointment of 2,346 Home Guards
Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed for the immediate appointment of 2,346 Home Guards, who have qualified for their Physical Measurement and Efficiency Test (PMET) and written test, even as other vacancies amounting to 7,939 await outcome of two pending court cases, said an official statement from Lieutenant Governor office on Tuesday.
'Discoms colluding with AAP for windfall gains'
The Delhi BJP on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, calling for an investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the power distribution companies, or discoms.
Delhi faces unusually high temperatures in Nov
This year, however, daytime temperatures have not fallen below 30 degrees Celsius, with the lowest recorded so far at 31 degrees Celsius.
SUPREME COURT DIRECTED PUNJAB GOVT, SEC TO NOTIFY MUNICIPALITY ELECTIONS IN 2 WEEKS; TO BE COMPLETED IN 8 WEEKS THEREAFTER
The Supreme Court in the case The State of Punjab and Ors. Versus Beant Kumar And Anr modified the Punjab and Haryana High Court order which directed that Punjab municipality elections be notified within 15 days.
HC pulls up Delhi Govt Finance Dept for delayed funds to Asha Kiran
During the hearing, the bench expressed strong disapproval, stating, \"The urgency is not impressed upon you... 14 people have died... You should have called the MCD official and asked him the queries.\"
Govt. distributes heaters to curb winter pollution and help night workers
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has launched a campaign to distribute electric heaters to night security guards in an effort to reduce air pollution in Delhi.
OVER 2.7 LAKH VEHICLES FINED FOR LACK OF PUC SINCE JAN 1
Delhi Traffic Police has issued over 2.70 lakh challans to vehicle owners for driving without a pollution under control (PUC) certificate between January 1 and October 31 this year, the highest in three years, official data showed.
AAP TO CONDUCT SURVEY FOR ALL SEATS
Ahead of the polls, Kejriwal and other senior AAP leaders are holding gatherings at the district level to prepare the party workers for campaigning. No matter who contests on AAP ticket, the party workers should think as though the former chief minister was fighting on all the 70 seats and should have their allegiance to him only, Kejriwal has said.
MCD fines Rs 2.69 cr for violations of dust pollution norms
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has issued fines amounting to Rs 2.69 crore for violation of dust control norms during construction and demolition (C&D) activities between April and October this year, according to official data.
Supreme Court Dismissed Man's Petition To Deactivate 'Machine' Controlling His Brain: 'Bizarre'
The Supreme Court in the case observed and has dismissed a petition filed by a man who alleged that his brain was being controlled by other persons through a machine.
