Dr. APJ Abdul Kalaam's speech in Hyderabad. > > > > A must read for every Indian. > > > > > > > > Quote: I have three visions for India. > > > > > > > > In 3000 years of our history people from all > over the > > > > world have come and invaded us, captured our > > > > lands,conquered our minds. From Alexander > onwards. The > > > > Greeks, the Turks,the Moguls, the Portuguese, > the > > > > British, the French, the Dutch, all of them > came and > > > > looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we > have not > > > > done this to any other nation. We have not > conquered > > > > anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their > culture, > > > > their history and tried to enforce our way of > life on > > > > them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of > others. > > > > That is why my first vision is that of > FREEDOM. I > > > > believe that India got its first vision of > this in > > > > 1857, when we started the war of independence. > It is > > > > this freedom that we must protect and nurture > and > > > > build on. If we are not free, no one will > respect us. > > > > > > > > My second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT. For > fifty > > > > years we have been a developing nation. It is > time we > > > > see ourselves as a developed nation. We are > among > > > > top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We > have 10 > > > > percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty > levels > > > > are falling. Our achievements are being > globally > > > > recognized today. Yet we lack the > self-confidence to > > > > see ourselves as a developed nation, > self-reliant and > > > > self-assured. Isn't this incorrect? > > > > > > > > I have a THIRD vision. India must stand up to > the > > > > world. Because I believe that unless India > stands up > > > > to the world, no one will respect us. Only > strength > > > > respects strength. We must be strong not only > as a > > > > military power but also as an economipower. > Both > > > > must go hand-in-hand. > > > > > > > > My good fortune was to have worked with three > great > > > > minds. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai of the Dept. of > space, > > > > Professor Satish Dhawan, who succeeded him and > Dr. > > > > Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I > was lucky > > > > to have worked with all three of them closely > and > > > > consider this the great opportunity of my > life. > > > > > > > > I see four milestones in my career: > > > > > > > > ONE: Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given > the > > > > opportunity to be the project director for > India's > > > > first satellite launch vehicle, SLV3. The one > that > > > > launched Rohini. These years played a very > important > > > > role in my life of Scientist. > > > > > > > > TWO: After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and > got a > > > > chance to be the part of India's missile > program. It > > > > was my second bliss when Agni met its mission > > > > requirements in 1994. > > > > > > > > THREE: The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had > this > > > > tremendous partnership in the recent nuclear > tests, on > > > > May 11 and 13. This was the third bliss. The > joy of > > > > participating with my team in these nuclear > tests and > > > > proving to the world that India can make it, > that we > > > > are no longer a developing nation but one of > them. It > > > > made me feel very proud as an Indian. The fact > that we > > > > have now developed for Agni a re-entry > structure,for > > > > which we have developed this new material. A > Very > > > > light material called carbon-carbon. > > > > > > > > FOUR: One day an orthopaedic surgeon from > Nizam > > > > Institute of Medical Sciences visited my > laboratory. > > > > He lifted the material and found it so light > that he > > > > took me to his hospital and showed me his > patients. > > > > There were these little girls and boys with > heavy > > > > metallic callipers weighing over three > Kg.each, > > > > dragging their feet around. He said to me: > Please > > > > remove the pain of my patients. In three > weeks, we > > > > made these Floor reaction Orthosis 300 gram > callipers > > > > and took them to the orthopaedic centre. The > children > > > > didn't believe their eyes. From dragging > around a > > > > three kg. load on their legs,they could now > move > > > > around! Their parents had tears in their eyes. > That > > > > was my fourth bliss! > > > > > > > > Why is the media here so negative? Why are we > in India > > > > so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, > our > > > > achievements? We are such a great nation. We > have so > > > > many amazing success stories but we refuse to > > > > acknowledge them. Why? We are the first in > milk > > > > production.We are number one in Remote sensing > > > > satellites. We are the second largest producer > of > > > > wheat. We are the second largest producer of > rice. > > > > Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the > tribal > > > > village into a self-sustaining, self-driving > unit. > > > > There are millions of such achievements but > our media > > > > is only obsessed in the bad news and failures > and > > > > disasters. > > > > > > > > I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the > Israeli > > > > newspaper. It was the day after a lot of > attacks and > > > > bombardments and deaths had taken place. The > Hamas had > > > > struck. But the front page of the newspaper > had the > > > > picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five > years had > > > > transformed his desert land into an orchid and > a > > > > granary. It was this inspiring picture that > everyone > > > > woke up to. The gory details of killings, > > > > bombardments, deaths, were inside in the > newspaper, > > > > buried among other news. In India we only read > about > > > > death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we > so > > > > NEGATIVE? > > > > > > > > Another question: Why are we, as a nation so > obsessed > > > > with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we > want > > > > foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.Why > this > > > > obsession with everything imported. Do we not > realize > > > > that self-respect comes with self-reliance? > > > > > > > > I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a > 14 year > > > > old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked > her what > > > > her goal in life is: She replied: I want to > live in a > > > > developed India. For her, you and I will have > to build > > > > this developed India. You must proclaim. India > is not > > > > an under-developed nation; it is a highly > developed > > > > nation. > > > > > > > > Allow me to come back with vengeance. Got 10 > minutes > > > > for your country? > > > > > > > > YOU say that our government is inefficient. > YOU say > > > > that our laws are too old. YOU say that the > > > > municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU > say > > > > that the phones don't work, the railways are a > joke, > > > > the airline is the worst in the world, mails > never > > > > reach their destination. YOU say that our > country has > > > > been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. > YOU > > > > say, say and say. > > > > > > > > What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his > way to > > > > Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a > face - > > > > YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are > at your > > > > International best. In Singapore you don't > throw > > > > cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the > stores. YOU > > > > are as proud of their Underground Links as > they are. > > > > You pay $5 (approx. Rs.60) to drive through > Orchard > > > > Road(equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder > Road) > > > > between 5 PM and 8 PM. > > > > > > > > YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your > parking > > > > ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant > or a > > > > shopping mall irrespective of your status > identity. In > > > > Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU > wouldn't > > > > dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in > Dubai. YOU > > > > would not dare to go out without your head > covered in > > > > Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee > of the > > > > telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds > (Rs.650) a > > > > month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls > are > > > > billed to someone else." YOU would not dare to > speed > > > > beyond 55 mph (88 kmph) in Washington and then > tell > > > > the traffic cop, "Jaanta hai main kaun hoon > (Do you > > > > know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take > your two > > > > bucks and get lost." YOU wouldn't chuck an > empty > > > > coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage > pail on > > > > the beaches in Australia and New Zealand. Why > don't > > > > YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why > don't YOU > > > > use examination jockeys or buy fake > certificates in > > > > Boston? > > > > > > > > We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who > can > > > > respect and conform to a foreign system in > other > > > > countries but cannot in your own. You who will > throw > > > > papers and cigarettes on the road the moment > you touch > > > > Indian ground. If you can be an involved and > > > > appreciative citizen in an alien country why > cannot > > > > you be the same here in India. Once in an > interview, > > > > the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay > > > > Mr.Tinaikar had a point to make. "Rich > people's dogs > > > > are walked on the streets to leave their > affluent > > > > droppings all over the place," he said. "And > then the > > > > same people turn around to criticize and blame > the > > > > authorities for inefficiency and dirty > pavements.What > > > > do they expect the officers to do? Go down > with a > > > > broom everytime their dog feels the pressure > in his > > > > bowels? In America every dog owner has to > clean up > > > > after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. > Will > > > > the Indian citizen do that here?" He's right. > > > > > > > > We go to the polls to choose a government and > after > > > > that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back > wanting > > > > to be pampered and expect the government to do > > > > everything for us whilst our contribution is > totally > > > > negative. We expect the government to clean up > but we > > > > are not going to stop chucking garbage all > over the > > > > place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a > stray > > > > piece of paper and throw it in the bin. > > > > > > > > We expect the railways to provide clean > bathrooms, but > > > > we are not going to learn the proper use of > bathrooms. > > > > We want Indian Airlines and Air India to > provide the > > > > best of food and toiletries but we are not > going to > > > > stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This > applies > > > > even to the staff who is known not to pass on > the > > > > service to the public. > > > > > > > > When it comes to burning social issues like > those > > > > related to women, dowry, girl child and > others, we > > > > make loud drawing room rotestations and > continue to do > > > > the reverse at home. > > > > > > > > Our excuse? "It's the whole system which has > to > > > > change, how will it matter if I alone forego > my sons' > > > > rights to a dowry." So who's going to change > the > > > > system? What does a system consist of? Very > > > > conveniently for us it consists of our > neighbors, > > > > other households, other cities, other > communities and > > > > the government. But definitely not me and YOU. > When it > > > > comes to us actually making a positive > contribution to > > > > the system we lock ourselves along with our > families > > > > into a safe cocoon and look into the distance > at > > > > countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to > come > > > > along & work miracles for us with a majestic > sweep > > > > of his hand. Or we leave the country and run > away. > > > > Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run > to > > > > America to bask in their glory and praise > their > > > > system. When New York becomes insecure we run > to > > > > England. When England experiences > unemployment, we > > > > take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the > Gulf is > > > > war struck, we demand to be rescued and > brought home > > > > by the Indian government. Everybody is out to > abuse > > > > and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding > the > > > > system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money. > > > > > > > > Dear Indians, The article is highly thought > inductive, > > > > calls for a great deal of introspection and > pricks > > > > one's conscience too....I am echoing > J.F.Kennedy's > > > > words to his fellow Americans to relate to > > > > Indians..... > > > > > > > > "ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS > TO BE > > > > DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER > WESTERN > > > > COUNTRIES ARE TODAY" > > > > > > > > Lets do what India needs from us. > > > > > > > > Forward this mail to each Indian for a change > instead > > > > of sending Jokes or junk mails. Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
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