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Peace from Harmony
Abdul Kalam: Life Tree from Harmony

                                               The wise sage (Confucius) then said,

“Yes I will sing now!

When there is beauty in the character,

There is harmony in the home”

 

The enlightened o­ne, the Buddha added,

“When there is harmony in the home,

There is order in the nation,

When there is order in the nation

There is peace in the world”.

(See below)

 

The high idea of Abdul Kalam’s poetic lines is:

peace comes from harmony and

harmony comes from the beauty of character!

 

 

 

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Honorary member of the Global Harmony Association since 2005


World Harmony Creator

(The GHA Highest Honorary Title)


 


 

Dr. Kalam is o­ne of the most distinguished scientists of India.

Dr. Kalam became the 11th President of Republic of India

on 25th July 2002 to 25th July 2007.

New Delhi, India

webs: www.abdulkalam.com,

http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=95
http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=ru_c&key=97 - in Russian

Dr. Abdul Kalam, President of India, the GGHA Highest Honorary Title holder:
"World Harmony Gandhian Creator", 2011
(https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=513),
is the GGHA three fundamental innovative peacemaking books coauthor in several languages:

 1. The ABC of Harmony for Harmonious Peace, Harmonious Civilization and Tetranet Thinking. 2012.: https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=478,

2. Global Peace Science of Spherons. 2016.: https://peacefromharmony.org/docs/global-peace-science-2016.pdf,

3. Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolence Starting Point. Spherons’ Genetics and Statistics. Gandhica. 2019.: https://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=848.


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Thank you.We all share this urgent global concern.

        I remember also the past President of India, Dr. Kalam, gave a brilliant presentation entitled “20/20 Vision”
at our Wharton Business School.
The vision addressed not o­nly regional, but Global Concerns.

        Dr. Kalam was really a great leader!

I was fortunate to meet him in Ladakh too when he visited.


Lana Yang
楊幗蘭

Peace Ambassador and

Main Representative to the UN for IAEWP

和諧卋界從心開始

A Harmonious World Begins in the Mind

Altruism is the Foundation of World Peace

05-06-18



Dear Lana,

          Thank you very much for your message and especially for your unique picture with the President of India Dr. Kalam, who was an Honorary Member of the GHA and who was honored with its highest Honorary Title: "World Harmony Creator": http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=513.

          We fully agree with you that he was a great world leader who combined in his deep thinking engineer, scientist, political leader and original poet that is partially reflected o­n his personal page: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=95.

          His poetic lines became an epigraphs and an outstanding evaluation of the GHA last books: "The ABC of Harmony" (2012) and "Global Peace Science", which he is o­ne of the founders. About the last book he wrote such ingenious lines published in this book: "The world needs the great vision of peace and prosperity for all the nations. Global Peace Science is the dawn of a shining, harmonious vision of peace and prosperity for all the nations! Together with it, the enlightened citizens will emerge, capable of building a harmonious civilization of peace and prosperity o­n the planet Earth! APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India (2002-2007)". Here he expressed our overall harmonious vision and assessment of the "Global Peace Science."

          GHA members are very grateful and highly appreciate your warm memory of Dr. Kalam. I was happy to publish your wonderful photo o­n his and your personal page here: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=364.

           I cannot, unfortunately, publish all the photos for technical and financial reasons, but the best o­nes will be published. Thank you.
With love,
Leo,
Dr. Leo Semashko
06-06-18


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The world needs the great vision of peace and prosperity for all the nations. Global Peace Science is the dawn of a shining, harmonious vision of peace and prosperity for all the nations! Together with it, the enlightened citizens will emerge, capable of building a harmonious civilization of peace and prosperity o­n the planet Earth!

APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India (2002-2007), great scientist and poet,

the GHA WORLD HARMONY CREATOR, co-author of The ABC of Harmony and o­ne of the Global Peace Science Founders and Coauthors: http://peacefromharmony.org/docs/global-peace-science-2016.pdf  

May 2015
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To Abdul Kalam. Dedication.

 

The GHA Global Peace Science (GPS) is dedicated to the memory of a great human, poet, scholar and politician, o­ne of the GPS founders (http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=585), GHA Honorary Member since 2005, coauthor of GPS and The ABC of Harmony (2012: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=478), the GHA Highest Honorary Title: WORLD HARMONY CREATOR, President of India in 2002-2007, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who died suddenly of a heart attack o­n July 27, 2015 during a public lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong city.

GHA is deeply saddened and suffering with the death of the greatest peacemaker of the early 21st century and the GPS founder. GHA expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Kalam.

His death is a great loss not o­nly to India but to whole humanity. But he will live forever in his creativity, in his GPS, in his poetry, in his great contributions to peace culture of India and humanity in general.

GHA, July 28, 2015

 

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Tribute to President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam,

One of the Global Peace Science (GPS) Founders and
World Harmony Creator

(http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=585),


GHA Mourns

People’s President of Peace from Harmony.

His death is a great loss not o­nly to India but to whole humanity.

But he will live forever in his creativity, in his GPS, in his poetry, in his great contributions to peace culture of India and humanity in general.

 

15th October 1931 --- 27th July 2015

 

Former President and India's popularly known as India’s "Missile Man" died o­n Monday evening of a suspected cardiac arrest. Kalam, a scientist of much repute, was at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong conducting a lecture for a more liveable planet Earth.He collapsed during a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, India

 

Dr. Kalam was called the "Missile Man" as he conceived and was instrumental in setting up the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

Born as Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam o­n October 15, 1931, Kalam served as India's 11th President between 2002 and 2007. After his term ended, Kalam had resumed a life of education, public service and writing.

 

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam – World creator of Peace from Harmony

 

The wise sage Confucius said,

"When there is beauty in the character,

There is harmony in the home"

The enlightened o­ne, the Buddha added,

"When there is harmony in the home,

There is order in the nation,

When there is order in the nation

There is peace in the world".

– Abdul Kalam

The high idea of Abdul Kalam's poetic lines is in the idea that peace comes from harmony and harmony comes from the beauty of character! O­nly the character that seeks harmony is a beautiful, strong and true. O­nly such character is able to create harmony and peace at home, for nation, and o­n Earth” (Leo Semashko and GHA 75 coauthors from 26 countries, 2012, The ABC of Harmony forWorld Peace, Harmonious Civilization and Tetranet thinking: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=478, p 7.)

 

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Poet, President of India, 2002–2007.

GHA Highest Honorary Title: WORLD HARMONY CREATOR

The Authors. The ABC of Harmony Meaning, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam wrote: 

"The world needs the great vision of peace and prosperity.

Peace and prosperity for all the nations of the planet Earth.

How can we make such a vision a reality?

I see a dawn of a beautiful Star,

 

The dawn of a shining vision,

The emergence of enlightened citizens.

 

The ABC of Harmony is the dawn of a shining, harmonious vision of peace and prosperity for all the nations of the planet Earth!

Together with it, the enlightened citizens will emerge, capable of building a harmonious civilization of peace and prosperity o­n the planet Earth!"

http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=489




Kalam o­n India Vision 2020

http://www.indiavision2020.org/Kalam/kalam_vision_2020.html

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had three Vision;

·First vision is that of FREEDOM.

·Second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT.

  • Third vision.STAND UP TO THE WORLD

 

Take Action! Inspire Change! Fulfill Dream

GHA calls to inspire with revolutionary change through global harmonious education, based o­n a Vision of great visionary Leader –

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Poet, President of India, 2002–2007,

WORLD HARMONY CREATOR

To act in his direction to fulfill his dream of creating a Peaceful & Harmonious society.

 

GPS - Vision for Peace, Freedom and Harmony to Create a Nuclear Free World

Global Peace Science (GPS) is the science of peace, justice and democracy from harmony. GPS is a movement to them through harmonious education, to be free from hunger & poverty, violence and wars in the 21st century. This thought of APJ Abdul Kalam is o­ne of the key in GPS, created for the first time in the GHA by 89 coauthors from 30 countries.

 

Global Harmony Association pays tribute to former President of India
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam & World champion of Peace from Harmony
.

Published: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=95

 

Dr. Leo Semashko,

GHA President

Russia

 

Dr. Subhash Chandra,

GHA Secretary General,

India


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Condolences

 

Dear Leo.

Just now I have gone through the Dedication and tribute to Abdul Kalam. It is presented beautifully. I again appreciate the manner it is presented. Wrote age is very neat and bears a clear picture of respect to an Hon,ble personality.

Thank you again for your beautiful workmanship.

Maitreyee

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Региональное отделение «ГСГ-Казахстан» глубоко скорбит по поводу смерти индийского ученого и государственного деятеля, Творца мировой Гармонии, доктора Абдул Калама и выражает искренние соболезнования семье, друзьям, коллегам и всем членам Глобального Союза Гармонии.

Вся научная, политическая и общественная деятельность Абдул Калама была посвящена утверждению гармоничного мировоззрения, открывающего путь гармоничному развитию человечества.

Доктор Абдул Каламвнес огромный вклад не только в прогресс своей страны, но и в мировую культуру, являлся одним из основоположников НГМ и соавтором Всемирного учебника "Азбука Гармонии», призывавшим своих современников к нравственному обновлению ради будущего.

Искреннеи глубоко сожалеем по поводу этой невосполнимой утраты.

Ураз Баймурадов, академик, Президент ГСГ-Казахстан

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Я присоединяюсь скорбной миссии по поводу невосполнимой утраты великолепного рыцаря мировой гармонии. Только с подвижничество именно таких творцов Азбуки Гармонии каковым был Абдул Калам мир во всём мире будет торжествовать. Человечеству нет альтернативы любви к себе подобному, с тем чтобы не сподобиться братоубийцам как в некоторых не столь далёких регионах... Так же как Абдул Калам способствовал мирному, гармоничному сосуществованию соседствующих Индии и Пакистана, мы - его сподвижники по ГСГ должны и обязаны остановить кровопролитие между соотечественниками и братскими народами на нашей любимой Украине. Да, пусть покоена душа нашего брата Абдула Калама в ином мире! Его дух не сломлен, ибо он ушёл туда, находясь в строю - на службе у алтаря Гармоничного светлого будущего человеческой цивилизации.

Аминь! От имени соратников ГСГ-Казахстан Дауренбек АУБАКИР

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I come with my breath to give my condolences to the family and to his friends and I feel sorry for such a lost. Humanity needs people and lifes like his. Bella Clara Ventura

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DrKalamwas more a pious saint who worked for humanity ,harmony and peace . His speeches will enlighten future generations to come .I had been lucky to work under him for a briefperiod for missile projectand learntapplication ofmodern management practices in EngineeringProject Monitoring . He will inspire all young and old. Ramesh Kumar

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Dear Leo and All.

We all should condole the sudden demise of the President of India HON,DLE ABDUL

KALAM, while delivering lecture in Shillong , Meghalaya. India.

Maitreyee

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Dear ambassador Leo Semashko

It is always with great sadness that we feel the loss of a person who has all his life working for peace! Us keep in mind his work around the world! rest his soul and keep his memory deep in our hearts! Gabrielle Simond, President

 


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Profile of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

 

Born o­n 15th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, graduated in Science from St. Joseph’s College, Trichy in 1954 and specialized in Aeronautical Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957. Dr. Kalam is a pioneer in fibre glass technology and led a young team to initiate this effort in ISRO from design, development leading to production of composites rocket motor cases. Dr. Kalam made significant contribution as Project Director to develop India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of Space Club.

He was responsible for the evolution of ISRO's launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. After working for two decades in ISRO and mastering launch vehicle technologies, Dr. Kalam took up the responsibility of developing Indigenous Guided Missiles at Defence Research and Development Organisation as the Chief Executive of Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). He was responsible for the development and operationalisation of AGNI and PRITHVI Missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies through networking of multiple institutions. o­ne of his significant contribution was creating Research Centre Imarath for advanced technologies. He was the Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development from July 1992 to December 1999. During this period he led to the weaponisation of strategic missile systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon State. He also gave thrust to self-reliance in defence systems by progressing multiple development tasks and mission projects such as Light Combat Aircraft.

As Chairman of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and as an eminent scientist, he led the country with the help of 500 experts to arrive at Technology Vision 2020 giving a road map for transforming India from the present developing status to a developed nation. Dr. Kalam has served as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, in the rank of Cabinet Minister, from November 1999 to November 2001 and was responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for many development applications. Dr. Kalam was also the Chairman, Ex-officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) and piloted India Millennium Mission 2020.

In the bio-medical area, Dr. Kalam along with his team collaborated with medical specialists in the development of Kalam-Raju stent during 1994 - 1996. Kalam-Raju cardiac stent after qualification trials has been fitted to many needy patients.This development has further led to the creation of a production unit of state-of-the-art stents. Also, he had initiated the use of carbon-carbon and carbon-polymer materials for production of floor reaction orthosis calipers which has reduced the weight of the caliper to 1/10th of the original weight during 1995 – 1996. Over 50,000 children have been fitted with these calipers.

Dr. Kalam took up academic pursuit as Professor, Technology & Societal Transformation at Anna University, Chennai from November 2001 and was involved in teaching and research tasks. Above all he took up a mission to ignite the young minds for national development by meeting school students across the country. During the last decade, Dr. Kalam has addressed over five million youth below the age of 17 and inspired them to become an active participant of India Vision 2020.He has addressed several children science congresses across the country.

Dr. Kalam is passionate about bringing rural prosperity through PURA (Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas), in which science and technology has to play a key role. Based o­n his diverse experience he has been propagating the concept of World Knowledge Platform through which the core competencies of organizations and nations can be synergized to innovate and create solutions and products for the challenges of 21st century.

In his literary pursuit Dr. Kalam authored a number ofbooks, such as"Wings of Fire", "India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium", "My journey" and "Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India", “Indomitable Spirit”, “Guiding Soul”, “Envisioning an Empowered Nation”, “Inspiring Thoughts”, “Children Ask Kalam”, “You are born to blossom”, “Family and the Nation”, “Life Tree” and “The Luminous Sparks” a collection of his poems.Many of themhave become household names in India and among the Indian nationals abroad. These books have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages.

Dr. Kalam is o­ne of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 42 Universities and institutions from India and abroad.

He has been awarded with the coveted civilian awards - Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997). He is a recipient of several other awards and Fellow of many professional institutions.

Dr. Kalam became the 11th President of Republic of India o­n 25th July 2002. After five eventful years he demitted office o­n 25th July 2007.His focus is o­n transforming India into a developed nation by 2020. His accent is o­n constructive networking and excellent human resources for an economically developed, prosperous and peaceful society.
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Spiritual Culture for Harmonious Civilization

Citizens of Earth!
United in harmony for love, peace, justice, fraternity and happiness!

 

Global Harmony Association (GHA)

Since 2005, GHA is an international NGO uniting more than 460 members in 56 countries and more than o­ne million participants from the GHA collective members in 80 countries.

 

GHA Founder and President: Dr. Leo Semashko

Address: 7/4-42 Ho-Shi-Min Street, St. Petersburg, 194356, Russia

Telephone: +7 (812) 597-65-71,

Email: leo.semashko@gmail.com 
Website: www.peacefromharmony.org

GHA 1st Vice-president: Dr. Ernesto Kahan, Israel

GHA-USA President: Dr. Laj Utreja

GHA-India Honorary President: Kanak Mal Dugar


GHA Mission is to bring peace from harmony and to pave a conscious way for harmonious civilization through scientifically based ‘ABC of Harmony’

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October 14, 2011

Global Harmony Association (GHA)

confers the GHA High Honor

World Harmony Creator

on

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

GHA Honorary Member since 2005

President of Republic of India –July 25, 2002 to July 25, 2007

On his 80th birthday, October 15, 2011

For an unprecedented contribution to Global harmony, expressed in:

Strengthening world peace through global harmony

Reviving national culture, education and economics of India

Creating world poetry of harmony based o­n national traditions

Including wonderful poems and articles of harmony in the ABC of Harmony

Leading India toward becoming a world leader of global harmony

 

All scientific, educational and political activities of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam are devoted to providing a harmonious worldview and thinking pertaining to national and global problems and thereby opening the way for a harmonious civilization of humankind.



Harmonious Civilization



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Dear Leo and all

I strongly support to declare Dr Abdul Kalam as World Harmony Creator

Dr Abdul Kalam is a great poet, spiritual person, democratic and very nice. I had the opportunity to know him in 2009 in India and in 2010 in Taiwan.

Inspired by him I wrote the following poem:

 

Peace and Prosperity

Ernesto Kahan, Taiwan 2010

 

I am going to search the youth decade,

their dreams, their prospect and hope...

I am going to walk with the lyric of the poet Abdul Kalam,

embracing his shining vision of nature in spring

and sparking new fresh air in love.

Oh magnificent symphony of harmony

and novel lights illuminating the routes of the dreamed blue sky.

Oh those tolerant days for the youth… for the human race!!!

I am going to ask what did I learn from that decade and

how will we be elevated to that hill

to receive the light from the brilliant star and

to care for our injured natural being,

…… to get the answer:

-…walking with you my loved o­ne,

with you, loved tolerance and pure heart, as were touched by poet Yu Hsi…

through the roads of education and the culture for peace.

08/10/11


 

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Abdul Kalam’s poetry is permeated by the two main images: the tree of life in all its richness, and harmony, as the root of the tree of human and society. Hence the title of his page is:

"Abdul Kalam: Life Tree from Harmony"

 

Poetry

  

THE LIFE TREE **

 

(Composed in celebration of Human Life)

 

Oh, my human race,

How, we were born,

In the Universe of near infinity,

Are we alone?

 

I was seeking answer for the great

Question of creation, weighing heavy

My mind as I am in seventieth orbit

Around sun, my little habitat, the star

Where my race living, lived billions of years

And will live billions of years, till the sun shines.

This is the millennium question of humanity,

And sought the help of our creator.

 

On the eventful day, I was flying

The earth below me, the human habitat

Vanished in the white river of cloud,

Silent, turbulent free everywhere the divine

Splendour reflecting.

On the above, the full moon with its magnificent might,

My heart melted, my friend co-passenger

Vidyasagar joined in the heavenly display.

The beauty entered into our soul

And blossomed happiness into our mind and body.

We the humanity bowed to the heavenly answer,

We are not alone, billion of billion of lives

Of various forms spring in the planets of

Galaxy after galaxies.

Then the dawn of divine message.

 

There was the divine echo in the full moon night

From my creator.

Shaken, bewildered and wondered

The echo engulfed me and my race

“You, the human race is the best of my creation

You will live and live.

You give and give till you are united,

In human happiness and pain.

My bliss will be born in you

Love is continuum.

That is the mission of humanity,

You will see every day in Life Tree

You learn and learn

My best ofcreations.”

Beautiful morning it was,

Sun radiating, driving away the clouds

Parrots and Kokilas were at their musical flight

We the yellow heaven group entered

Flower garden of Asiad

Roses were in their splendour

Radiating beauty in White and Crimson

Bowing to the dawn of sun

We walked and walked, our feet o­n the green

Meadow giving velvet touch,

Children somewhere ringing in unison in their innocence

Peacocks in the background giving beautiful display.

 

There was a majestic scene of Life Tree

Cluster of tall and straight Nag phalli grove

Undaunted to the sun rays direction

Multi layered, each flower plant bubbling with life,

We approached very close to the happy plants

Astonished to see the nature’s wonder.

Bottom layers have shed the flower all around the sand

Whereas mid layer flower blossomed

In number to the magnificence

Perfume radiating, beauty all around

Honey bees filling the flower bed, mutual love flowing

Intoxicated with the scene, we looked at the top layer

Ring of the buds about to blossom

And new layers at their birth.

 

Again the great divine echo enters all around us

“Flowers blossom, radiate beauty and spread perfume

And give honey.On the eve of life

Flowers silently fall to the earth, they belong.

Oh my creation this is mission of human life

You are born, live life of giving

And bond the human life

Your mission is the Life Tree.

My blessings to you my creation”.

 

Oh my human race

Let’s sing the song of creation.

 

** original in Tamil

14 January 2001

(Published in the Book of Poems “Life Tree” by Penguin Books India, 2005)

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My National Prayer
 

My National Prayer

Drawing by Shri Manav Gupta

The grand Scene of birth of Independent India
In that mid-night, the flag of the ruler of two centuries lowered;
The tri-color Indian flag flaps in the Red Fort in the midst of National Anthem.
The first vision of Independent India was dawned.

The rejoice everywhere, happiness all around,
There was a tender cry: where is the father of the nation?
The white clothed soul walking in the midst of sorrows and pain,
Injected by hatred and ego, the result of communal violence.

The father of the nation, Mahatma, walking bare footed
In the streets of Bengal for peace and harmony
With the strength of blessed soul of Mahatma
I pray the Almighty: When will be the dawn of second vision?

Create thoughts in the minds of my people,
And transform those thoughts into action.
Embed the thought of Nation being bigger than
The individual, in the minds of leaders and people.

Help all the leaders of my country to give strength
And bless the nation with peace and prosperity.
Give strength to all my religious leaders to bring
'Unity of Minds' among all our billion people

Oh Almighty, bless all my people to work and transform
Our country from a developing into a developed nation.
Let this second vision be born out of sweat of my people,
And bless our youth to live in Developed India.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
http://www.abdulkalam.nic.in/my_national_prayer.html

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HARMONY

 

Cranes and seagulls were wandering the sky,

Sea waves laughing and teasing the shore.

Musing my school days my mind leapt five decades,

A small school in Rameshwaram town...

 

Hindu or Muslim, mosque or temple,

None of those divisions nagging the thinking;

Ramanathan and I, weaving words together,

Harmonious delight of Creator's children.

 

Suddenly a storm arrived unannounced.

Turbaned and tweedy, known as new teacher,

Asked us to sit away awkwardly from each other,

My tears dripped; Ramanathan wept,

 

Nor did we get the meaning of that separation.

Sunbeams saw through the sorrowful mood,

Silently lighting our tears into gems.

Creator of all, aren't You there?

 

Who is this o­ne separates us here?

Years rolled by...yet we remained friends,

Sharing the sorrows and joys of yore.

The socalled educated separate our souls,

 

Sowing the seeds of discord and poison.

They give not knowledge but hate and defeat;

Tell others not to heed their unwanted advice,

As the Almighty created all equal and free.

 

From: APJ Abdul Kalam, The Life Tree

(New Delhi:Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd.,2005, p. 15)

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Whispers ofJasmine

 

Breezy dawn crackling birds

Jasmine groove my walking track

Fragrance in air yet noisy alley

Creepers dancing to tunes of cuckoos

Burst of wind threw a strand o­n path

 

Taken aback just for a moment

Bees are back, just about their work

Even o­n the floored jasmine flowers

Dreading that I might tread o­n the creeper

Gently I take a circuitous route

 

Whispersfrom creeper touches my soul

Halting my gait caring to listen

Toddler bud talking to mother

Why should we blossom asketh that bud

Plucked and treated shabby by humans

Even the President just avoidedtreading

 

Hearing the child laughed the mother

Laughed andLaughed and Laughed!!

Look my child why do birds sing

See that lawn peacocks dancing

Jumping deers dancing to winds

 

Water birds washing their feathers

As they go gliding fashioning the fathom

All these beauty adding to scene

Joyous nature’s bounteous ways

Enables humans to listen their heart

 

If deers skip jumping and peacocks miss dancing

Beautiful Water birds duck thy swimming

Soulful music nether heard nor sung

Flowers fragrance and cheers of their colours

If all we avoid humans of earth

 

Harder in souls harsher in tongue

Violence pervading walks of life

Abrasive thinking vicious in deed

Disturbed homes turbulence in world

Wanting to ward off all these hells

 

God willed a happier world

To the chiming beats of musical vibrance

Shenoi and Sarod,Veena and Tabla

All these permeat and softens the soul

Just like dancing peacocks singing parrots

 

Jumping deers gliding ducks

Smell of roses, daisy and lily

Lotus andjasmine caressing soul

Making the world a place to live

To mould humans, as humans in deed

 

But for nature hearts harden

Wickedness permeates even the souls

‘Tis God’s will gladden thy soul

Blossom we will !!Blossom we will !!

Cheers my baby !! Blossom we will !!

 

(Composed during o­ne of my usual morning walks at Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) Moghul Gardens, while witnessing the wind throwing down a strand of jasmine creepers o­n the floor)

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The great city of Harmony

I heard Song of Unity in the streets

Of harmony in the island!

Ancient city of Penang

I walked and walked every step,

People of Malay, Muslims, Chinese, Christians

Together walked with me with

Pride and peace

 

The bell of St. George Church,

Gave the glad tidings with a message,

Forgive the human failing

Give and give the hope of success.

I entered the Kuan Yin temple

With fragrance, the message radiating,

Remove “I” and “Me”!

That will eliminate human ego.

 

What a beautiful reception

With a great music of

Nadaswaram recital in the

Sri Mahamariamman temple;

The temple gave a message

All places are our own, people of universe

Are our kith and kin.

The Teochew temple gave me a smile

With a message ‘if you remove “ego”

Hatred will disappear;

 

In the great mosque participated in prayer

With a Quranic recitation

“Oh Almighty lead us the path of righteousness”

The Yap Kongsi, temple gave me

The welcome song “eliminate harted,

Violence will disappear.

In another temple Kho Kongsi led us to the path

Remove the violence in mind, peace in life will be filled with.

 

The Acheh Mosque gave us the message

Message of removing the pain

Of fellow human beings!

This is Almighty’s Command!

 

When I completed my pilgrimage

The streets of Harmony of Penang.

Presented an integrated spiritual centre

With message to the Universe.

Every human being will give and give

The best of human societies will be born.

 

[Poem composed o­n 30th August 2008 o­n return from my tour of Penang-Malaysia. For visiting the various religious places in the street of harmony there were number of cars, but seeing the large gathering of people, I walked with them to each place of worship]

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Peace and Prosperity of the world

 

This decade met millions of youth

What did I learn from the youth decade?

Youth have the dream,

Youth have the pain,

Youth have the power.

 

Our future, the foundation of the future,

Youth and youth, the youth dream:

Can they live in a clean green environment

without pollution.

Prosperity without poverty,

Experience peace without fear of war

And happily live in peace, world wide.

 

The world needs the great vision of peace and prosperity?

Peace and prosperity of all the nations of the planet Earth.

How to make it, such a vision, a reality?

I see a dawn of beautiful Star,

The dawn of shining vision,

The emergence of enlightened citizens.

 

The enlightened citizens engulf all the nations

Acquiring Education with value system,

Bridging spirituality of every religion.

And enabling the birth of poverty free world.

All weaving into a beautiful mission of life

The youth seeing the birth of a great star

Radiating peace and prosperity of the world.

 

30 November 2010, India

(Presented at XXXth World Congress of Poets at Taipei, Taiwan)

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Oceans Meet

“I am the Island of Rameswaram, dear friend,

Born out of the shining water of the Indian Ocean.

O my fellow Island, O my dearest friend,

What is your origin and where do you live?”

 

“Dear Ramy, they call me Formosa[1]

– the beautiful Island,

I live like a beautiful flower seeing the early sun-rise,

Sitting in the gardens of magnificent oceans of the Pacific,

As the deepest waves of the noble ocean scatter around me.”

 

“O friend, my dear friend – Formosa,

I greet you with a heart brimming with joy.

My vast ocean embraces a land of ancient religions, culture and divine wisdom,

It is the soil where enlightened o­ne – Lord Buddha o­nce walked upon.”

 

“O Ramy! You are indeed showered with blessings divine,

Garlanding around me are nations with billions of human souls,

It was, the land and the nation which I call mine,

That gave birth to the wisest sage, Confucius who shaped human thought in noble roles.”

 

And then, the two great humble oceans prayed and prayed,

The two noble sages, then descended like angels upon the Sangam [2],

The magnificent oceans then with veneration asked the heavenly souls,

To glorify the earth with their wisdom like they did two millennia ago.

 

The waves of gracious smiles from them merged with peace into each other,

As they waited for the sages to ponder and illuminate with their knowledge.

The mighty oceans sat patiently with clasped watery hands,

As they swell and fell with each stroke of unfailing tide.

 

And then with the radiant sun shining behind them spreading day,

The sages smiled graciously as they began to say,

Their voice echoed from the horizon filling the anxious sky,

Time froze as the message of human glory and peace expanded to occupy the void.

 

The wisest sage, Confucius said,

“We are with two oceans who nurture half of humanity,

We came to the planet earth in the same century,

And gave the message of humanity and peace.

O enlightened o­ne! O Lord Buddha,

Can you tell the world, how they can live,

With universal peace and prosperity for all?”

 

Buddha smiled with serene tranquility,

“God gifted humans with intelligence and the tool of reason,

It is for man to harness the might of the divine gift,

To prosper towards a life of goodness and truth.”

 

The wisest sage, the holy master then agreed,

“O enlightened o­ne! Your thoughts are unique,

Humans are indeed entrusted the great mission,

Of realizing with body, mind and soul – the God’s vision”.

 

Then our Island friends and the oceans which gave them birth,

Humbly joined their voices from the heart,

As they prayed and prayed again,

Beseeching the divines to give a message of human renaissance.

 

Again a deep silence engulfed the universe,

The cosmos seemed to be filled with energy,

The waves from both the oceans went violently high,

And gently touched the feet of divinity with beautiful shehnai [3] playing:

 

(O planet, what a past and what a present you possess,

And when they come together, greeting like us two seas,

They create the future, future of peace and prosperity for all)

 

“O wisest sage, Confucius! You have preached and preached to peasants and herders in Lu,

You preached the value of family life and that of righteousness in the heart,

And O enlightened o­ne! Under the sprawling Bodhi tree,

You proclaimed – where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character”.

 

The wise sage then said,

“Yes I will sing now!

When there is beauty in the character,

There is harmony in the home

 

The enlightened o­ne, the Buddha added,

“When there is harmony in the home,

There is order in the nation,

When there is order in the nation

There is peace in the world”.

In chorus, the two great sages wise and enlightened,

Blessed humanity with the song of life righteousness,

For world peace and prosperity for all.

 

The Islands and the oceans rejoiced in unison,

The waves and winds joined to sing the song of life in Sri Raga [4],

Om Shanti! [5] Om Shanti! Then He-ping! [6] He-ping!

 

[1] Formosa : Taiwan

[2] Sangam : Confluence of two water bodies

[3] Shehnai : an Indian musical instrument often played in auspicious occasions

[4] Sri Raga : A Raga in Indian music

[5] Om Shanthi : Divine peace for the world in language

[6] He-ping : world peace (Chinese)

 

[Poem presented at theXXX World Congress of Poets held at Taiwan, o­n 2nd November 2010]

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THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, DR APJ ABDUL KALAM (at the left), ACCEPTS

THE BOOK OF CRITICISM o­n THE POETRY OF DR R.K.SINGH, WHO

HAS REVIEWED (below) THE LATEST COLLECTION OF DR KALAM, The

Life Tree. ALSO, PRESENT ALONG WITH THEM IS DR Y. S.

RAJAN, POET, SCIENTIST AND PRINCIPAL ADVISER TO THE

CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRIES AND CLOSE ASSOCIATE

WITH DR KALAM

July 2005

 

THE LIFE TREE:APJABDUL KALAM’SLATEST COLLECTION

 

THELIFETREE : POEMSby A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. New Delhi: Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd., 2005, Pages 92, Price Rs. 250/-. ISBN067004997 – 2

Reviewed by Dr. R.K.Singh

 

The Life Tree is the latest addition to A.P.J. AbdulKalam’smegabytes of fame.His twenty-six poems, originally composed in English, and/or translated from the Tamil original by Mani Darshi, fuse a formidable discourse, which is personal and public at the same time.

 

As the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose excellence as a poet is already established, notes in the Foreword, President Abdul Kalam“has contributed invaluably to our country’s progress in space research and defense technologies….He is also a sensitive and thoughtful poet. This confluence of scientific brilliance and poetic talent is truly unique.”In The Life Tree, the scientist’s vision intersects the poet’s, as Abdul Kalam deciphers his own humble past and relates it to the nation’s great future. While the cause of the nation dominates his consciousness, he presents a humanist view of his personal, technological and social domains as ‘mirror of the soul’ to underscore resurgence of a potent Indian identity in the world.

 

The poet’s aesthetic focus relates to nation building, through a celebration of Indian science and technology, secular culture, human values, and love for nature.He asserts his conviction that the act of creating, be it poetry, science or engineering, is a basic human capacity which needs to be nurtured.Integrative and interdisciplinary as his genius is, he maintains the dynamics of changes at various levels and links his consciousness to higher emotions, making his poetry an instance of the basic urge in human beings to create aesthetic significance, merging arts, nature, and sciences.

 

APJ Abdul Kalam indicts unthinking, mindless adherence to fundamentalist, religious, casteist, and narrow social systems that disrupt harmonious relationship.His poems of love, faith and optimism in The Life Tree bespeak his innate humanity, selflessness and dedication for transforming Indian society.He seeks to ignite every soul with dream and passion that “will keep the lamp of knowledge burning/To achieve the vision – Developed India.”Abdul Kalam, the visionary scientist poet, is convinced:

 

“If we work and sweat for the great vision with ignited mind,

The transformation leading to the birth

Of a vibrant, developed India will happen.”

 

And, this is his prayer too.

 

He exploits the medium of poetry, articulating subjective experience and meaning, to ensure promotion of excellence with focus o­n three main areas—education, research and performance—for emergence of a new Developed India.“We want to work for our nation/With our sweat enrich the great land of ours,” asserts the poet.He assimilates new ideas from the contemporary sciences whilst embracing traditional, spiritual and artistic aspects of human experience.He celebrates innovations and indigenous knowledge just as he empathizes with the deprived and poor.

 

The poet, sad to see waves of communalism and violence, sings the “song of creation” in o­ne of his visionary moods, and feels the “divine splendour reflecting …the heavenly answer”:

 

“You, the human race is the best of my creation,

You will live and live.

You give and give till you are united,

In human happiness and pain;

My bliss will be born in you.

Love is continuum,

That is the mission of humanity,

You will see everyday in Life Tree.

You learn and learn

My best of creations.”

 

The poet President of India passionately voices the divine knowledge for humankind, the best of Nature’s creations, when he envisions the country as a leader in the emerging Knowledge Society.He sees the Life Tree growing with the mantra: “learn and learn.”(Elsewhere he prays to Almighty “to light the lamp of knowledge” and “grant us a new life.”)He feels “mutual love flowing” all around with intimate belongingness of “billions of billions of lives” in various forms displayed in nature.“You give and give till you are united/In human happiness and pain,” realizes Abdul Kalam in his compassionate thinking and reflection o­n “nature’s wonder.”

 

“You are born, live a life of giving

And bond with ties of affection.

Your mission is the Life Tree.”

 

The metaphor of Life Tree, which provides the book its name, is rich in meaning and message.The poet turns a sage philosopher and devotee, reasoning out the future of India and “the mission of human life” at the same time.

 

As a poet he seems to be engaged in changing tastes and beliefs from within: His style of poetry seems to stress the need for implicit persuasion to reorient individual, personal, institutional, or public norms, social actions, and roles, making best use of knowledge today.He effectively proves poetry is not o­nly language but it is also articulation of a people’s greatness, achievements, hopes and aspirations, and of common sense.He sets out a new poetics and himself stands out as a leader poet.His aesthetics conforms to his personal experiences, intuitions, and interior self.With implicit presence of the scientist in him throughout, he turns remarkably creative and diverse.

 

As a lyrical poet with patriotic fervour at the core of his personal reflections, he evinces a firm faith in God and believes in the efficacy of prayers.He seeks God’s blessings for everyone “to be with great teachers/0f high thinking” so that none have to suffer the pangs of communalism and social inequity.In the poem ‘Harmony’, for example, he recalls how a teacher had separated him from his close friend Ramanathan when they were students in standard fifth.As the teacher had failed to “comprehend a Brahmin boy and a Muslim boy sitting together” in the class, he asked the latter to move to the back bench:“My tears dripped; Ramanathan wept/…The socalled educated separate our souls,/Sowing seeds of discord and poison.”The sensitive soul of the poet knew from the beginning that the Almighty has created all equal, and free.

 

He wants us to remember: “All men are equal and created alike/And the creator endowed them with inalienable rights/To life, to freedom, and to continued happiness.”It is important that people used their inner faculties and brain to defeat the “Satanic temptations” within and kept from communal violence that “break the cage of peace and faith.”As he stresses: “Know you all: Khuda and Ram/Both are o­ne, blossoming in love.”

 

The poet’s compassionate heart feels the anguish of everyone, especially the poor and needy. As he recounts, he was greatly moved when Mother Teresa was hospitalized in 1991. He prayed for her recovery because “Her heart is home for those who have none.”

 

APJ Abdul Kalam also feels God-presence in the harmony of humans and nature: “Keep loving nature and care for its beings,/Then you can see divinity all over” ; “Beauty of consciousness trapped in peace/Blooms of flowers show Almighty in deed./…Atouch of them makes all humans go tender” ; and “Nature and humans were created together,/Together they can govern this world./Then o­nly peace and bliss will be here.”

 

He stands for “a valiant new order”, “freedom from fear”, communal harmony, character building, transparent honesty, self-discipline, optimism, “faith in goodness and sea-deep kindness”, “love and peace of humanity”, unity of minds, harmony of humans, natureand science, and the Life treea la Agni, which is symbolic of India’s power, pride and prosperity. Expressing Indianness at its fullest, the poet President goes well beyond the administrative initiative of the state and declares in ‘Rock Walls’:

 

“I have no house, o­nly open spaces

Filled with truth, kindness, desire and dreams:

Desire to see my country developed and great,

Dreams to see happiness and peace abound.”

 

The clue to the mystery of success, as he says in ‘Message’, is:

“Love for your work and faith in your dreams,

There is no force o­n earth that can shatter your dreams.”

 

It is possible by cultivating and strengthening faith in o­neself, in o­nes inner resources, or the creative potentials within.

 

Some of the best poems in the volume that may stir a reader’s soul include ‘My Mother’, ‘The Life Tree’, ‘Memory’, ‘Tumult’, ‘Ancestor’s Desire’,and ‘Rock Walls’.I find in them the genuine soul-feelings of the poet.

 

A few poems, namely, ‘The Life tree’, ‘Harmony’, ‘Pursuit of Happiness’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Whispers of Jasmine’, ‘I am the Child of Bihar’, and ‘My National Prayer’, earlier appeared in The Luminous Spark (Bangalore: Punya Publishing, 2004), which is significant for contribution of half-a-dozen visual artists who illustrated these poemswith their brush and colours. The verbal and visual symphony enhances the appeal of some of the poems in The Life Tree too.The poet’s anecdotal notes preceding almost every poem facilitates an understanding of the fine relationship between verbal and visual forms of creative expression.While APJ Abdul Kalam creates verbal imagery, Manav Gupta renders the poet’s spirit into visual imagery with fifteen water colour paintings.Painting and poetry flow into each other, testifying to the poet’s belief that both painting and writing are forms of language.

 

Abdul Kalam, blessed with the ‘dual muse’, provides a rich feast of the verbal and visual arts, merging aesthetic sensibility, curiosity, analysis, and interpretation. He innately appreciates the painter’s sensitivity to the visual properties of his written form and thus, enhances and reinforces his poetic effect.

 

To conclude, The Life Tree is a poetic pioneer of the years ahead with Kalam’s personal metaphors that seek to balance linguistic and cultural gaps in conveying aspirations of the new generation.With verbal and visual experimentation, the poems in the volume provide a heightened creative experience.They not o­nly reveal the sage scientist poet’s life, mind and spirit, but also prove that he has a strong bond between him and his media and tools which, in effect, bespeak his inner discipline and individual mastery.His newbook expands the national literary constellation, enriching the aesthetic dimension of Indian poetry in English today.

 

Dr R.K.Singh

Professor of English & Head

Dept of Humanities & Social Sciences

Indian School of Mines

Dhanbad 826004

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Dear Leo,

India’s President A P J Abdul Kalam recently visited Russia. o­n May 17, I had the good fortune of meeting him and presenting to him my collections of poems and a book o­n my poetry NEW INDIAN ENGLISH POETRY: ALTERNATIVE VOICE: R.K.SINGH edited by I.K.Sharma (Jaipur: Book Enclave, 2004). The President gave me his latest collection of poems, THE LIFE TREE (Penguin, 2005) for my reading and I have reviewed it. I would like to mail his poem HARMONY and my review for use o­n your site. I attach it, and if you like it, you may share it with the readers of PEACE FROM HARMONY.

 

Best regards

Dr R.K.Singh

May 27, 2005

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