Defeat the defeatist tendency: How Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s failure became India’s success!

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam dreamt of becoming a pilot since his days as a student in Rameswaram’s elementary school. The enigma of flying high in the sky inside a marvellous machine thrilled him to such an extent that young Dr Kalam started pursuing this audacious dream despite the financial hurdles imposed upon him by his modest background. 

In 1950, Dr Kalam invested his frugal resources to take up a Bachelor of Engineering degree from St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli. Later, he studied Aeronautical Engineering at Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) before pursuing a practical course on the same from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore. After completing his academics, he dedicated his prime to the arduous preparations for the Indian Air Force recruitment exam. Dr. Kalam did not think twice before jeopardising both his time and resources in his vision.

In 1958, Dr Kalam could see the light at the end of the tunnel as he received two letters of interview from two prestigious institutions. One was from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Delhi, where he delivered a perfect interview. However, he was more keen on getting selected by the second one.

He was one of the 250 invitees who received the interview letter from the Indian Air Force’s base in Dehradun. Out of the 250 potential candidates, only nine made the cut for the final medical round, and Dr Kalam was the last among them in the queue.

He realised he was just one step away from achieving his childhood dream, but the catch remained: unless at least one of the preceding eight candidates failed the medical test, Dr Kalam would not get selected for the post. 

As fate would have it, none of the preceding candidates failed the test, and a young Kalam’s fervent dream was over for good. Dr Kalam was grieved beyond words. The one dream that he had harboured since the days of his schooling had fallen apart, and all his struggles appeared to be lost in vain. 

A dejected Dr Kalam boarded a bus from Dehradun to return to Delhi but stopped midway at Rishikesh. 

On November 26, 1958, Dr. Kalam’s life met a new turn. During his stay at Rishikesh, the serenity of the Ganges harboured his anxiety, and the tranquillity of the river offered solace to his crestfallen soul. Dr Kalam immersed his body in the Ganges, imploring the almighty to show him the way. Soon, he found himself standing before Swami Shivananda Saraswati’s Ashram (aka, ‘Divine Life Society’).

Inside sat Swami Shivananda Saraswati himself, engulfed in a mystic aura, radiating an energy that made Dr Kalam gravitate towards him. In Dr Kalam’s own words, Swami Shivananda resembled the likeness of Gautam Buddha’s calm and stoic demeanour, and he was perplexed when Swami Ji beckoned him to come nearer at the end of the sermon. Dr Kalam felt a mild apprehension while asserting his Muslim identity, but Swami Ji did not mind. 

Swami Shivananda Saraswati asked Dr Kalam, “Why do you look so dejected?” Dr Kalam answered dolefully, “Swami Ji, I wanted to be a pilot. But I failed to get selected.”

Swami Ji upheld the Bhagwad Gita and started reciting the 11th Adhyay of the book, where Krishna showed his “Vishwarupa” to Arjuna to break the latter’s dilemma over joining the holy war of Mahabharata. 

Swami Ji elaborated, “The objective of your existence is predestined. Go along with your life, and new paths shall unfold as you do! Being an Air Force Officer is not your destiny. Thus, this failure was necessary. Your destiny stays hidden still, and you must discover it on your own accord. Keep your faith in God, and remember what Krishna said to Arjuna, ‘Do not fear defeat! Do not run from worries! Instead, defeat the defeatist tendency!‘

Since then, Dr Kalam had never looked back. Upon returning to Delhi, he joined DRDO instead as a Senior Science Assistant. There, he created the pioneering ‘hovercraft Nandi.’ As the words of his prowess spread, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR: the forerunner of ISRO) reached out to him and hired him as their Rocket Engineer.

In 1980, Dr Kalam led the project that manufactured the Special Launch Vehicle (SPV) III for India’s indigenous ‘Rohini Satellite.’ Dr Kalam designed ballistic missiles like ‘Agni,’ ‘Prithvi,’ and ‘Aakash,’ and eventually became the ‘missile man of India.’ 

As a groundbreaking scientist, Dr Kalam received numerous accolades like the ‘Padma Shri’ in 1981, ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 1990, and the ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1997. In 2002, Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam became the 11th President of the Republic of India! 

Dr Kalam always revered Swami Shivananda as his Guru and considered the mantra “defeat the defeatist tendency” as the dictum of his profound life. Had he gotten selected as an IAF Pilot in 1958, his country would not have been able to witness the journey of an unpresuming man to become ‘the missile man of India’ first and ‘the people’s president’ later!

On June 8, 2008, Dr Kalam fulfilled his childhood dream by flying the Sukhoi-30 MKI (fighter plane) at the Lohegaon Air Force Base in Pune. He also became the first Head of State to fly a fighter plane!

[This article is inspired by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's autobiography, "Wings of Fire," and several of his speeches available in the public domain.]