"I have three visions for India" - Kalam's famous speech"

I have three visions for India. In 3000 years of our history, people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards, The Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and Tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others.

That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of Independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.

My second vision for India's DEVELOPMENT, For fifty years we have been A developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation. We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self-reliant and self-assured. Isn't this incorrect?

I have a THIRD vision. India must stand up to the world. Because I believe that, unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. Only strength respects strength. We must be strong not only as a military power but also as an economic power. Both must go hand-in-hand. My good fortune was to have worked with three great minds. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai of the Dept. of space, Professor Satish Dhawan, who succeeded him and Dr.Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I was lucky to have worked with all three of them closely and consider this the great opportunity of my life.I see four milestones in my career:

Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given the opportunity to be the project director for India's first satellite launch vehicle, SLV3. The one that launched Rohini. These years played a very important role in my life of Scientist. After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and got a chance to be the part of India's guided missile program. It was my second bliss when Agni met its mission requirements in 1994.

The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had this tremendous partnership in the recent nuclear tests, on May 11 and 13. This was the third bliss. The joy of participating with my team in these nuclear tests and proving to the world that India can make it, that we are no longer a developing nation but one of them. It made me feel very proud as an Indian. The fact that we have now developed for Agni a re-entry structure, for which we have developed this new material. A Very light material called carbon-carbon.

One day an orthopedic surgeon from Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences visited my laboratory. He lifted the material and found it so light that he took me to his hospital and showed me his patients. There were these little girls and boys with heavy metallic calipers weighing over three Kg. each, dragging their feet around.

He said to me: Please remove the pain of my patients. In three weeks, we made these Floor reaction Orthosis 300-gram calipers and took them to the orthopedic center. The children didn't believe their eyes. From dragging around a three kg. load on their legs, they could now move around! Their parents had tears in their eyes. That was my fourth bliss!

Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?

We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self driving unit.

There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert land into an orchid and a granary.

It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news. In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE?

Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.

YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.YOU say, say and say.

What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS.

Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best.

In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are. You pay $5(approx. Rs.60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity. In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.

"YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, "Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost." YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand. Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. "Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place," he said." And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?" He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.'

So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government.

Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians,The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too....

I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

"ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY"

Lets do what India needs from us.

Thank you
Abdul Kalaam

Before leaving his office :"I will go with two small suitcases," said an emotional President APJ Abdul Kalam on Wednesday as he prepared to leave Rashtrapati Bhawan with a desire to see India as a developed nation by 2020.

Story for everyone to Remember

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer- contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

Ten Little things you could do for the environment

1. Use a glass when brushing your teeth. Every year, billions of liters of fresh water is wasted by simply not using a glass when brushing your teeth.
.2. Don’t use straws. They say the straw is the most stupid invention. They are unnecessary and only add to our waste problem.
.3. Say NO to plastics when shopping. Bring your own reusable bags when doing your grocery, or when buying single items like books or cd’s, a plastic bag, or even a paper bag is unnecessary.
.4. Turn off the lights. When there is ample daylight or when no one is in the room. You not only save on electricity, you also lower temperature as light gives off heat.
.5. Walk. Take the stairs. Or car pool or take public transportation. You not only lower your carbon gas emissions, you are also doing your heart good when you walk regularly.
.6. Unplug cell phone chargers after use. As well as all unused electronic appliances. Some appliances use more electricity even when not in use. Microwave oven with timers uses more electricity on stand by mode the entire day than when you cook dinner with it.
.7. Use both sides of the paper. And make sure to recycle it after. You not only lessen your wastes but you also help stop the unnecessary cutting of more trees.
.8. Turn off shower when soaping. And make sure to avoid long and frequent showers. Showering three times a day not only uses precious fresh water, but also creates more waste water that goes into our rivers and lakes. It dries your skin too.
.9. Never burn anything. Burned resources are lost forever. Burning also releases harmful substances into the atmosphere. Reduce and reuse always. Compost and recycle what you can.
.10. Tell your friends about this. Spread the word, and together we can make a difference.

Liked it when i read this, thought of sharing with it all.If atleast one thing that you could follow would do a lot for the environment.Happy reading.

21 Rules of Life

1. Marry the right person . This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
*2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
*3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
*4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
*5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
*6. Be generous.
*7. Have a grateful heart.
*8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
*9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
*10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
*11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
*12. Commit yourself to quality.
*13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationship with people you love and respect.
*14. Be loyal.
*15. Be honest.
*16. Be a self-starter.
*17. Be decisive even it it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
*18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
*19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
*20. Take good care of those you love.
*21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

Social Networking - Future

I was conversing to one of my best friends about the difficulty over a profile i was sourcing for my company and he came up with a suggestion of why not post it on orkut though it sounded strange, i was for it and was helped by that strange piece of advice . How much Internet and social networking sites have occuiped us made me scribble this blog. Popular social networking sites, including MySpace, Orkut and Facebook, are changing the human fabric of the Internet, given their youthful user base -- they are unusually vulnerable to the next 'new new' thing. As quickly as users flock to one trendy Internet site, they can just as quickly move on to another, with no advance warning.A social network service focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others, and which necessitates the use of software. Most social network services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat,messaging,email,video,voice chat,file sharing, blogging, discussion groups and so on. Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base.Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads. Social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world.
In general, social networking allow users to create a profile for themselves. Users can upload a picture of themselves and can often be "friends" with other users. In most social networking services, both users must confirm that they are friends before they are linked. On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators. In addition, there is a perceived privacy threat in relation to placing too much personal information , allowing a profile to be produced on an individual's behavior on which decisions, detrimental to an individual, may be taken. Furthermore, there is an issue over the control of data - information having been altered or removed by the user may in fact be retained and/or passed to 3rd parties.
No matter how their future takes shape, these types of networks are ingrained in Internet society. "They're here to stay. The idea of joining online communities and being able to participate in them is not going to disappear."
If you are yet join a community get going now.

Lessons that I Learnt on Love

The lesson I've learned is love never fails! We don't have to love perfectly or even consistently, or just the way we or everyone thinks we must - sometimes it's just loving desperately and with a violent determination that will break through all obstacles.
Real Love happens when presumptions are out of the way, when open communication is happening, and when both are growing in faith. If you are meant for one another, then love will come. Love cannot be forced, manipulated, conjured up, or pretended to be real. You can try to force love for a while, but it would be like teaching a dog to walk on its two hind legs. It will be able to do it for a little while, but not very long, and not very well!
One of the first signs of love is seen when you desire what is best for the other person. You begin to have their best interests in mind, with passion and/or conviction along side, when their feelings and needs are of greater importance to you than your own. What love is not is when you place your needs and plans over theirs, and you project what you think their needs are or should be. When you become the one who chooses what the other wants, then you are on the path of self-gratification and manipulation, and not love.
They may need correction, you may need correction, they may need to change, and you may need to change. Therefore, a balance has to occur between fulfilling their needs, and fulfilling the right needs. Nevertheless, the bottom line, the litmus test is, that you desire to put them before yourself. You are not being selfish or manipulative or have hidden agendas, and neither do they. Of course, there will be times we want to control or change them, but we have to be willing to repeal those selfish desires in our heart in favor of their desires.

I learnt it the hard way. But i did.

India - The Road Ahead

I was reading an article,which inspired to put my impressions on the same lines. When everyone is looking as to what the future hold. The past tell you how your present and future would be. The year 2006 had a lot in hold for us. 2006 in a lot of ways was very India centric be it growth, culture or geopolitically. Foremost being US recognizing India as a major N-power. Efforts in other areas of development!ISRO announcing its intent for Mars mission is testimony of the distance it has rocketed since its inception. Global Indian acquisition can be termed as the highlight in corporate world! L N Mittal stands so does others in IT, Steel, Electronic firms standout for their hunt! Young & dynamic Kiran Desai wrote her way to booker prize. Moment to relish for Indian’s! India to flourish like this in the years to come, my humble suggestion is to have an economy that is educated, educated in the true sense of the word. All these achievements and achievers owe their success to their education. Lets all take a resolution to mentor one uneducated child, we would go a long way. This to many would be a dream but I am reminded of Sunita William's famous statement "If you believe in your dream it will come true" caught the imagination of millions of Indian youth. She will remain a living testimony of courage and perseverance. Let take a resolution to work for a greater India and educated India!