For the man loved by all

Whoever i've spoken to since last night has shown one common trait: a nostalgic form of sadness for Dr APJ Kalam. It's understandable why this is so. We lack worthy leaders and APJ came across as a person who not only preached but also practised his words. An utter rarity in today's times. His austerity, as reflected in his manners and writings, shall always be a guiding light even to those who claim that Indians don't have non-reel idols to follow. After all, for a man of science to achieve a stature like his is no mean feat. Especially when you take into consideration the fact that he decided to run for President knowing very well that it could have backfired as it has happened several times earlier. Regardless, he could only manage to leave behind a lasting impression on the Parliament and more importantly, on young people. For a nation that has the highest concentration of youth on the planet, it speaks a lot about the person that he was. Even the best of personalities got charred by political fire, hadn't they? APJ, on the other hand, continued his journey of inspiring as many young minds as possible. Small gestures like standing in the queue to cast his vote and visiting his old teacher highlighted something we seldom get to see from a towering figure like him. His impact on impressionable minds can obviously make our country a better place. The reason i'm emphasizing on youth is there's little to no point in targeting the not-so-young ones as the mould is already set. The grief we felt yesterday is a testament to the loss that we suffered. Youngsters who confessedly don't-give-a-flying-fuck were seen grieving and sharing his quotes. One of the reasons why this happened was APJ led an exemplary life with no controversies whatsoever. There was not much left to achieve for this Bharat Ratna but he continued traveling far and wide, talking to students as much as possible. In fact, he passed away while delivering a speech in Shillong (which might explain the delay in his news reports given the disconnect we enjoy with Seven Sisters). How many of us would be fortunate enough to see our end while in the middle of something we cherish? Anyway. They celebrate Science Day in Switzerland on May 26 just because APJ gave them a presidential visit on that particular day. His rootedness, reflected in his Tamil-accented English, was admired for a reason. Of course, the peaceniks can cry wild that there's nothing nice about building missiles but if only our subcontinent was THAT straight. Besides, how many missiles have India launched on others so far? All things said and calculated, there's a gaping hole in our country today. And the question remains, who's going to fill it now?