FOR THE RECORD -- 1 ::

KALAM’S CLASSMATE RECALLS HIS COLLEGE DAYS

BY P S SUNDAR

For M N Bhojan (84), the demise of former President Abdul Kalam is a personal loss of a classmate.

“We studied together two years (1950-52) in Intermediate at St Joseph’s College, Trichy.  Then, Kalam chose two-year BSc Physics while I studied BA Economics.  All four years (1950-54), we stayed in the college’s New Hostel.  I stayed next to his room”, Bhojan told me.

“We were good friends. Both of us hailed from ordinary families and were determined to study well.  Kalam used to have vegetarian food with us. We never smoked.  We used to spend time together discussing many issues of significance.   Kalam had come with me to Thiruvanaikkaval temple.  He used to perform Namaz in the hostel”, Bhojan recalled.

“After college days, I lost touch with him.   I moved over to Nilgiris and worked as teacher.  In 2008, I was Principal of Gurukulam Matriculation School in Agalar village when I heard that Kalam was to visit JSS College of Pharmacy in Ooty.   I wrote to him refreshing our college days and sought appointment.  He was so happy that he asked me to bring my family to meet him”, he said.

“Kalam was very pleased to see us.   When I showed him of our Intermediate course group photo taken in 1951, he took on to himself the task of identifying us and laughed like a child spotting us.  We spoke of our college days, teachers and fellow students.  It was the most memorable re-union I had with him”, Bhojan reminisced.

“When Kalam asked me about Gurukulam School, I told him that our Correspondent Arjjunan had such a great respect for him that he had named a portion of the school as ‘Abdul Kalam block’.   I also told him that we follow Kalam’s ‘one student one tree’ scheme whereby each student is required to plant and nurture one tree in the school campus.   He told me not to give much publicity for him but hailed the tree concept”, Bhojan disclosed.

“Later, Kalam sent to us an official letter from Delhi hailing our tree project which we preserve as treasure”, added Bhojan who is now Academic Adviser to Gurukulam School, which is also affiliated to World Institute for Scientific Exploration (WISE), Harvard University Branch, USA. 

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)