E-mail to Kalam

Sir, 

I am just another citizen of this vast country of a billion people. And I am just another of your fan, of all the widespread fan-following that you have. And furthermore, this will be just another e-mail of the many thousands of e-mails you must have been receiving… Yet, I feel, this e-mail is the best means I have to reach a living legend, whom I have always respected and idolized.   

Being from a low-profile state of Goa, I have never been blessed with a tête-à-tête meeting with you, which I have always dreamt of. You visited our state on many occasions, but I couldn’t witness your presence because of some commitments or other. But the overwhelming wish to meet you and converse with you has always been there… This mail is a sincere effort in somehow fulfilling that wish of reaching out to you. 

Sir, I would like to share an incident that happened recently, and which triggered me more into writing this mail. I was traveling in bus with a friend, and during the journey, we just happened to discuss things happening around us. The discussions then lead to a very healthy argument…. The argument had finally boiled down to, what is “Patriotism”, and who is a true “Patriot”??? My friend was prompt enough to say, “A true patriot is like Dr. Kalam”. Now, this was one of the things we highly agreed on with each other. But I told him not to personify a Patriot, but to tell me his (my friend’s) concept of “Patriotism”.

He said, a true patriot is a person who has pride and genuine love for his country. I further argued, that how do we measure this pride and love? We just cannot judge a person’s patriotism based on hearsay. Even a terrorist in disguise may say he loves the country, to disguise him! 

I was questioned back by what is my idea of Patriotism. I said, Patriotism certainly means loving your nation, having pride in it, but at the same time, having a desire to give something back to your country. The country that has given you education, knowledge, an identity, values and culture, as a patriot, we should have a desire to contribute in a small or big or whatever way possible, to the development of our country. It may not be in a big way, which would make a big difference. But a small effort as small as, working in your own country-land and using the knowledge you gain from your education, for your own country, rather then go to United States or other western countries in the quest of earning dollars, and contributing to the development of these western countries with the knowledge and education that is imparted in your own country, India. Would you call an NRI or a Green Card holder, a true patriot, when he says he still loves his country, but contributing to the development of a western country? With due respect to all NRIs, I, in no sense mean that they don’t love their country. I, by no means doubt their patriotism. But don’t you think patriotism sounds complete, when you can say that you love your country, have pride in it, and you can say that you have made some contribution towards the development of the country? Because, Dr. Kalam himself once said in one of his speeches that, “When you are working or doing a job, you are actually contributing to the development of the country”. 

We have very famous NRIs, making waves on the global scene. Kalpana Chawla is regarded with very high respect, as a NASA astronaut. But world sees her as an American. All her success and achievements are credited to the United States. She goes in the history books as a legendary American Astronaut. The professional golfer, Vijay Singh, who has created waves in the sports of Golf, all his achievements are again credited to Fiji. The list can go on and on.   

My friend argued that they are certainly right in moving to the respective country, in search of a better prospect to display their talents. They have moved to those respective countries as these countries offered them something that India couldn’t. Better facilities and infrastructure, a better podium, added with better resources and of course good money in the offing. If a country can offer them a better stage to display and make justice to their talents, then they should certainly be encouraged to do so. What stops India from working towards arranging such world-class infrastructure and a centre-stage that countries like America and England offer professionals of the world? He said, expecting every citizen to work in India is analogous to a “Communist” approach. 

This made me think, that if we let this brain-drain happen, then good talent will continue flowing to west, further strengthening the West, and stagnating India’s situation as it is. This, itself will stop India from making advances in world arena, and reaching at par with western countries. Today we say India doesn’t offer us better facilities, better stage and better infrastructure, and set towards the west. But if we ourselves don’t work on making India better, by contributing back to it, then our future generations will continue blaming the country like we do now… 

Since this argument began with a thought that “Dr. Kalam is a true patriot”, which we both agreed with, a thought just crossed my mind, that what would Dr. Kalam himself opine on this?? And this thought led me to compose this mail. I would be overwhelmed if I get your esteemed views on this, but I would consider myself very honoured even if my views just reach out to you. 

Hoping that I have succeeded in reaching out to you, let me thank you with all my gratitude, for spending some of your precious time in reading this mail, and pondering on the views I have expressed in it. 

You will always continue to inspire me with your visionary approach. 

Thanking you… 

Your Sincere Fan,

Harish Usgaonker.