World Students’ Day 2021: Remembering former president A P J Abdul Kalam’s inspirational words

The calendar marks October 15 as the World Students’ Day in honour of the former president of India Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, who was born on October 15, 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.

Dr. Kalam occupied some distinguished positions as administrator and scientist with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). His contribution to the Indian military’s missile programs and the country’s civilian space are noteworthy.

Fondly called as The Missile Man of India, Dr. Kalam attained universal popularity for his inspiring lectures and motivational writings especially targeting the students and youth. World Students’ Day endeavors to remember and appreciate the efforts of the icon in promoting the cause of sound learning and motivating the student community in achieving excellence in every sphere of life.

Here is a collection of Dr. Kalam’s inspiring quotes relevant to Students’ Day.

Be possessed by a dauntless spirit

As evidently shown in his autobiographical work “Wings of Fire”, Dr. Kalam’s life was not a bed of roses. He worked his way upwards in life through sheer hard work supported by his dauntless spirit. No doubt, human life is full of challenges and no man can escape from confronting the difficulties of life. Nevertheless, a dauntless spirit is something that can fuel a man’s journey. Dr. Kalam says, “All Birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the Clouds. Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference.”

Be inquisitive

Dr. Kalam always encouraged students to be inquisitive. A famous Sanskrit quote reads thus, “Shraddhavan Labhate Gnanam”, meaning “Only the one with earnestness attains wisdom”. In the same lines, Dr. Kalam enjoins the students to ask questions, which is a prerequisite to gaining knowledge. He says, “One of the very important characteristics of a student is to question. Let the students ask questions.”

Be original

Every child is born on the earth with a lot of dreams. As the child grows up, it endures the pressure from the parents, siblings, friends and the society that force it to fit into some pre-existing stereotypes. In the battle to be unique, only a few succeed while the rest lose the game and settle with what the world expects. Thus, society always ends up crippling man and thwarting his dreams to be original. Dr. Kalam says, “While children are struggling to be unique, the world around them is trying all means to make them look like everybody else.” Here we can see the pains of a teacher who always wanted his students to be original and creative.

Never fear failures

Failures are a part of life. Fearing failures will impede man’s efforts to succeed. Dr. Kalam has said so much on not worrying about failures. He says, “Don’t fear failing in the first attempt because even the successful Math starts with zero only.” According to Dr. Kalam, failures must be approached with the right spirit and when this is done, failures can help open up gates to success. In highlighting how failures can teach us, he says, “If you fail, never give up. Because fail means “First Attempt in Learning”. Nevertheless, hard work is essential to one’s success and Dr. Kalam brings this to surface by saying, “You see, God helps only people who work hard. That principle is very clear.”


SEE ALSO:
Vijayadashami 2021 — Here is a list of warm wishes you can send to your near and dear ones