Dear Kids,

This blog is especially created for you! I'll post small stories, puzzles, jokes, etc. (mainly old ones, occasionally new ones) for you from time to time. This blog is dedicated to three people: (1) My grandpa - Fondly known to all of us as Appappa - who told me so many lovely stories (2) My cousin and friend (Uncle S for you) - who keeps teaching me lots of things that I can do on the computer. (3) My beloved wife (Aunty P for you) - who likes to hear my grandpa's stories from me. Hope you like this blog - Keep visiting! [If you are not a kid (or a kid at heart!!), use this blog to entertain kids known to you!]

Love,
Uncle N

(Pl see the note of caution at the bottom of this page)

July 28, 2007

SIMPLICITY OF ABDUL KALAM, THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT OF INDIA

SIMPLICITY OF ABDUL KALAM, THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT OF INDIA

Dear Kids,

Those of you who are from India would be familiar with our beloved Abdul Kalam - A great president, and more importantly, a loveable human being.

All of you must have heard many stories about his various positive qualities (besides his great intelligence) - simplicity, transparency, honesty, etc.

Here is an example:

One year after he became President of India, on the morning of July 14, 2003, at 8.40 am, the RAX (President's Office Phone Exchange) in the office of the secretary to the President rang.

President Kalam was at the other end.

"Mr Nair," he said in a voice that was (as always) cool and composed, "last night I could not sleep because my bedroom was leaking..."

P.M. Nair froze and muttered something. "Any other President," he now recalls, "and my head would have rolled, although for no fault of mine."

At the other end of the line, the President (sensing Nair's embarrassment), continued reassuringly, "Don't worry Mr Nair, I know you will immediately set things right in my bedroom. What I am worried about are those houses on the President's Estate where they may not have a second bedroom to shift to when the only one that is available leaks."

So Nair got moving, and with the help of the CPWD, the old staff quarters - until then dilapidated and neglected - were transformed into bright new leak-proof houses: in almost record time.

Nair tells me that he was greatly impressed at the concern and compassion shown by the President - not for himself but for other inmates on the Presidential Estate. It has been said that no man, however great, is a hero to his own secretary or his own valet. But as with all such sayings there are exceptions - from that point on, Nair had found his hero!

Truly remarkable, indeed. That too, in these times when many smaller men - politicians, managers, school authorities, doctors, etc. act as though they are "Big Shots" who should be worshipped.

All of you must learn about simplicity from such examples from the lives of great men.

Happy reading!

Uncle N



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