Former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam addresses about 300 guests at the Holiday Inn on Saturday, September, 29, in Ocala, Florida.
Lee Ferinden/Special to the Ocala Star Banner
By Carlos E. Medina
Correspondent
Published: Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 5:06 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 5:06 p.m.
A former president of India visited Ocala on Saturday, bringing with him a message of selfless giving within the community.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam served as president of the world's second most populous country from 2002 to 2007. He was in Florida to speak to students from the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida, but made a detour to address about 300 people at the Holiday Inn in Ocala.
Kalam's visit was organized by the Indian Association Cultural Educational Center.
?It's an honor for a small town like Ocala that the ex-president comes to visit,? said Dr. Nandkumar Karve, a retired general surgeon who has lived in Ocala since 1974.
?He's a simple, honest, sincere person. He is not a politician. He likes to inspire the younger generation,? Karve said.
A physicist and aerospace engineer, Kalam is considered a national hero in India. Under his direction, the country developed its own missile systems, which helped make India a nuclear power.
It's an achievement that is a great source of pride to Indians across the world, Karve said.
?He was able to do it with indigenous equipment and technology from within India, without any help from outside,? Karve said.
After his term as president, Kalam returned to teaching in India.
?He's not just a president, he's known for his scientific achievements. He's a great man. He's a simple man. He lives in a small apartment with no worldly possessions,? said Lakshmi Jagalui, a mental health counselor.
On Saturday, Kalam stressed not merely charity, but sacrificing for others. He told a story of a missionary in India who donated a kidney to a stranger. Then an industrialist did the same, and soon several people had continued the ?kidney chain.?
?You should give to the people where you are. What can you do for the society where I am living?? Kalama asked the audience.
?Can you be a lantern? Can you be a lifeboat? Can you be a ladder? Help someone's heart. Help someone's heart,? he said.
Source: http://www.ocala.com/article/20120929/articles/120929691
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