Letter to Dr Kalam

Rajesh Mandlik, Pune.

13/08/2003

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

His Excellency President of India, New Delhi

Ref: Wings of Fire

Dear Sir,

First of all, let me wish you a very happy Independence day. 

This letter of mine is in the context of your book Wings of Fire which I have recently read. I am deeply impressed by the views expressed in the book which prompted me to pen down my feelings. While catching words to express feelings, I realized that I was riding on different waves while reading this book. Can we say it be a pride towards country, or pride being an engineer, or happiness towards success of defense achievement, or inner feeling of learning management philosophy. 

Your journey, which started from Rameshwaram to MIT and then to heights in rocketry and missile technology, is not only amazing but gave a different perspective of living this awarded human life. I am really touched by the respect you have shown to your masters, kindness shown towards colleagues and expectations shown from youth of India. Your success story of SLV 3 and Agni has left me in tears of happiness as I could feel the mammoth efforts you have put in making this venture successful. Ironically SLV 3 is noted as one of the facts that changed India by "India Today" which I noticed next day of reading Wings of Fire. 

I found many management principles which have naturally flown in this book. And these principles are so important that I am sure, if one consistently pursues the same, he/she shall be choose a path of delivering the best. I must state here that you have reached peak of mountain in chapters PROPITIATION and CONTEMPLATION while expressing qualities of leader,  thoughts toward country and a poem where you compared yourself with a well of divinity. 

We all know that there is a endless list of great people in this country who give us sense of pride of being an Indian. From bottom of my heart I place name of Dr Kalam to join such great Indians. 

I would like to end this letter by  committing myself to deliver the best in whatever business I am in and share a  contribution, though squirrel size, in turning out India as developed nation by 2020, which is your dream and now of every Indian's. 

Keeping the faith, with warm personal regards

Sincerely yours


Rajesh Mandlik