Students, teachers and general public had an inspiring insight into Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's life and achievements as the Vahini carrying the former President's legacy stopped over at schools, colleges and significant landmarks in the city during the week. The bus, jointly designed by House of Kalam and Chinmaya Mission is a project to spread the message of Kalam, making people aware of his contribution to the educational and scientific growth of the nation. The mobile exhibition depicts the early life, education and different phases and accomplishments at ISRO including Pokhran II in which Kalam played a major role.
“This kind of a demonstration arouses curiosity among children, especially when the visual appeal is more,” says Shivaraj S, an academician, referring to the miniature models of rockets and satellites displayed in the bus. “The awareness level increases naturally and students get to know about the legacy of a great personality. It's like a little sojourn outside the classroom to break the monotony.”
Guhakumari, a former teacher and now a volunteer with Chinmaya Mission says that Kalam is someone who transcended boundaries and increased his relevance to the people of the country. “The bus carries some lesser-known and interesting anecdotes about Kalam. Like for instance, during the Pokhran missile testing, the activities were carried out in the desert of Rajasthan and had to be done in secrecy, to avoid satellite detection. And it was Dr. Kalam who came up with the idea of concealing the cables and equipment under sand dunes and natural vegetation. It was an effective, simple yet genius idea,” she adds.
“It was an eye-opener to know what a multi-faceted personality Kalam was. He had great ideas for the county and was a visionary. As a student, I feel obliged to contribute to his dreams,” says K Sujana, a class V1 student of Mahatma Montessori School, Surveyor Colony. “Kalam invested his faith in the youth and not in politicians or stars. It's our duty to uphold his values and toe his path,” says Pranav, a class VII student.
“It's important to teach the younger generation about a science laureate like Kalam. He was an icon for the youth and hence it makes sense to take his message to students,” says Puneet Arora, a volunteer in the bus. After enrolling for a course in social service at the Chinmaya University, Arora was happy to be part of the mission. “The response of the public has been extremely heart warming. Even at public places like Periyar busstand where we were stationed for nearly two hours, people steadily poured in to take a look at the presentation.”
The bus will be touring over 500 cities and towns across 17 states in the country, before reaching Rashtrapathi Bhavan in Delhi on Kalam's birthday in 15 October. A music video on Dr. Kalam, made by the students of Delhi Public School, Noida is also being played at various places where the Vahini stops.