A Political President Too
- Kalam though revered as president had a career trajectory marred by certain pitfalls
- Critics accuse Kalam of having a soft corner for the BJP, a party that made him president when it came to power
- He received flak for voicing support in favour of BJP’s demand for Uniform Civil Code
- His visit to Puttaparthi to meet Satya Sai Baba also frowned upon since it was deemed as scientific temper bowing before religion
- Move to go ahead with President’s Rule in 2005 backfired when the decision was quashed by the Supreme Court
“Whatever is profession you do, you should like, whatever job or task you undertake, you should like it...If you have a problem, become the master of the problem and succeed in it,” APJ Abdul Kalam told a group of school students in one of his many interactions with them after demitting office of president.
He apparently liked his job as president and was not averse to a second term, but the political climate had changed after 2007. While the NDA backed him, the UPA, Left and the Shiv Sena, which preferred a Marathi manoos, supported Prathibha Patil’s candidacy, scuttling his chances.
Avul Pakir Jainulbdeen Abdul Kalam is undoubtedly the most revered and acclaimed president India has ever seen. With his apolitical background and profound scientific temperament, the missile-man-turned-president, indubitably, has left a mark on the collective Indian psyche. Nonetheless, he was not without his foibles, as head of state.
His critics accuse him of being soft on the saffron camp. He was critiqued for backing the BJP demand for a Uniform Civil Code. Some felt that as president he tried to usurp executive power.