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of an indigenous ship-launched anti-sea-skimmer missile. The same year, I received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the IIT, Bombay. In the citation read by Prof. B Nag on the occasion, I was described as “an inspiration behind the creation of a solid technological base from which India’s future aerospace programmes can be launched to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century”. Well, perhaps Prof. Nag was only being polite, but I do believe that India will enter the next century with its own satellite in geo-stationary orbit 36,000 km away in space, positioned by its own launch vehicle. India will also become a missile power. Ours is a country with tremendous vitality. Even though the world may not see its full potential or feel its full power, no one dare ignore it any more. On 15 October, I turned sixty. I looked forward to retirement and planned to open a school for the less privileged children. My friend, Prof. P Rama Rao, who was heading the Department of Science and Technology in the Government of India, even struck up a partnership with me to establish what he called the Rao-Kalam school. We were unanimous in our opinion that carrying out certain missions and reaching certain milestones, however important they may be or however impressive they might appear to be, is not all there is to life. But we had to postpone our plan as neither of us was relieved from our post by the Government of India. It was during this period that I decided to put down my memoirs and express my observations and opinions on certain issues. The biggest problem Indian youth faced, I felt, was a lack of clarity of vision, a lack of direction. It was then that I decided to write about the circumstances and people who made me what I am today; the idea was not merely to pay tribute to some individuals or highlight certain aspects of my life. What I wanted to say was that no one, however poor, underprivileged or small, need feel disheartened about life. Problems are a part of life. Suffering is the essence of success. As someone said: God has not promised Skies always blue, Flower-strewn pathways All our life through; God has not promised Sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain. I will not be presumptuous enough to say that my life can be a role model for anybody; but some poor child living in an obscure place, in an underprivileged social setting may find a little solace in the way my destiny has been shaped. It could perhaps help such children liberate themselves from the bondage of their illusory backwardness and hopelessness. Irrespective of where they are right now, they should be aware that God is with them and when He is with them, who can be against them? But God has promised Strength for the day, Rest for the labour Light for the way. It has been my observation that most Indians suffer unnecessary misery all their lives because they do not know how to manage their emotions. They are paralysed by some sort of a psychological inertia. Phrases like ‘the next best alternative’, ‘the only feasible option or solution’, and ‘till things take a turn for the better’ are commonplace in our
usiness conversations. Why not write about the deeprooted character traits which manifest themselves in such widespread, selfdefeatist thought patterns and negative behaviour? I have worked with many people and organizations and have had to deal with people who were so full of their own limitations that they had no other way to prove their self-worth than by intimidating me. Why not write about the victimization which is a hallmark of the tragedy of Indian science and technology? And about the pathways to organizational success? Let the latent fire in the heart of every Indian acquire wings, and the glory of this great country light up the sky. * * *
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WINGS OF FIRE As chief of the count
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provides only a thumbnail sketch of
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tributes to these fine persons, I a
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1 I was born into a middle-class Ta
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partnership with Him. He would pres
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his best to break social barriers s
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2 O nce I settled down at the Schwa
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seeks acceptance under the guise of
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Plate 2 The locality in which I gre
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Plate 6 A family get-together. Plat
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technologies and expected his stude
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(HAL) at Bangalore as a trainee. Th
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sorrow. He offered no explanation o
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time to review the progress of our
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interviewers usually display when t
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II
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4
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procrastination. Actually, problems
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out target-tracking functions. The
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Dreamers D uring his frequent visit
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woven into a matrix that encloses i
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unfolded his plan of developing a r
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unforeseen costs. “You name the t
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6
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awareness of Stage IV problems thro
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Electrical and mechanical integrati
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Dr Brahm Prakash advised me to take
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7
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Through mechanical engineering, the
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in the areas of aerodynamics, struc
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help determine the forces that dete
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8
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temple, shining sand and dancing ti
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own destinies. Was I too stubborn o
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Total commitment is a crucial quali
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spellbound to see our hopes flying
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Builders Dr Brahm Prakash helped me
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discussing some finer aspects of th
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envisaged, though as a distant drea
Page 82 and 83: Padma Bhushan award on me. The next
Page 84 and 85: PROPITIATION [ 1981 - 1991 ] Let cr
Page 86 and 87: Seekers A minor tussle over my serv
Page 88 and 89: air. Once we opened the windows wid
Page 90 and 91: Plate 12 Two gurus of Indian Space
Page 92 and 93: final phase of integration. He help
Page 94 and 95: Nothing to be discouraged! We have
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Page 98 and 99: stature, sitting in the all-powerfu
Page 100 and 101: Stewards T he launch of the IGMDP w
Page 102 and 103: to share their power with others an
Page 104 and 105: agencies would participate in the c
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Page 108 and 109: Shrimati Gandhi asked. I said, “J
Page 110 and 111: weaver shall look into the whole cl
Page 112 and 113: Triumphant The young engineers, 280
Page 114 and 115: was related to the tremendous speed
Page 116 and 117: motivational inventory of a leader
Page 118 and 119: a circle within which 50 per cent o
Page 120 and 121: Torchbearers Indian core competence
Page 122 and 123: clock for the next ten days, our sc
Page 124 and 125: In today’s world, technological b
Page 126 and 127: CONTEMPLATION [ 1991 - ] We create
Page 128 and 129: Emancipators O n Republic Day 1990,
Page 130 and 131: dedicated to making solid achieveme
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Page 136 and 137: continues on a regular basis as the
Page 138 and 139: centres and 41 production centres s
Page 140 and 141: uilt nothing, possess nothing—no
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