Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was the people’s President in the true sense, a visionary who was giver of wisdom, inspiration and kindness. His final tweet symbolises this. “An indomitable spirit stands on two feet …vision and firm thought,” he tweeted on July 23.
I remember first meeting him as a member of his media delegation on his first foreign trip as the President in of India to UAE, Bulgaria and Sudan in 2002.
 During that week that we travelled together he would often drop by to media section interacting with each of us, even asking us to repeat what he had just told us. Taking about his favourite PURA (providing urban amenities to rural areas)
 While he had a frugal meal of just some idlis with sambar but he always took care and checked on each member of his delegation if they had eaten.Â
In UAE, he was the headmaster who had the royals spell bound with his power point presentation, and his foreign hosts were impressed that a man known as India’s missile man could be so humble and inspiring, as the President of the biggest democracy in the world.
Subsequently we kept in touch and I had the privilege of attending many Presidential banquets during his tenure where he would remember his interactions, and even minute details of the conversations. “You email me if you have any ideas of questions’. And he was diligent in his response and remembered even minute details in a conversation. During his tenure he made Rashtrapati Bhavan apolitical and brought in his simplicity and enthusiasm to the high office that he occupied. He was a statesman who brought scientific temper and strategic thinking to Raisina Hill.
His inspiring thoughts impressed students and head of states alike and he was equally at ease with a childlike chuckle.
Always smiling, we will miss you Dr Kalam and now you can shower us with your magnetic smile from your heavenly abode. RIP