“We are all born with a divine fire in us. Our efforts should be to give wings to this fire and fill the world with the glow of its goodness.”
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has been an inspiration to the country. He loved kids, and many of us consider him as our teacher. IIM Shillong has been privileged in this regard as he had been a regular visiting faculty to IIM Shillong and helped shaped its future. Two years ago, he passed away here, while delivering a lecture. Since then, IIM Shillong has been celebrating his birthday with joy and enthusiasm, in remembrance of his teachings.
The institute organised a “Shradhanjali” where the public, especially the students, were invited to the college to pay tribute to the “People’s President” remembering his life and his teachings. We witnessed scores of people coming and paying homage, remembering his ideas and what his imagination was for India's future. Students from various schools visited the institute to pay homage to Dr. Kalam. To continue Dr. Kalam’s teachings forward, the institute organises Saturday classes, known as Nurturing Minds, for school students to help them learn not only gather academic knowledge but also develop holistically.
Dr. Kalam taught us of love and to be thankful of what we achieve in our lives. These are the same values that we carry forward, and we thought that the best way to keep his teachings alive is by sharing the love he showered on all his students. This year IIM Shillong decided to thank the people who safeguard our home, our country, so that we can stay safe. The entire student fraternity and faculty of IIM Shillong wrote postcards to the armed forces, the sentinels of this nation, thanking them for their service. All the postcards were subsequently presented to personnel of Assam Rifles in Shillong. To wake up in the morning, get dressed, reach the Happy Valley, visit the cantonment of Assam Rifles, be amazed by its beauty and maintenance, and finally, the expression on the face of the troops as they read the wises they received from the participants, knowing that their immeasurable contribution to this nation is not forgotten, it’s a priceless experience.
The institute also organised an on-campus event to commemorate Dr. Kalam’s birthday. The students of the college came together to create a mosaic of Dr. Kalam. It was an engaging activity, and the students enjoyed every bit of time they spent making the mosaic. The initial progress was slow, with the students cluelessly wondering about the final position of the pieces of the mosaic and the ensuing noises throwing everything into a chaos. But, as the mosaic started taking shape, Dr. Kalam’s smile became clear, and it filled the students with joy. The student’s expressions depicted the sorrow of losing a guide and the innocence of his teachings at the same time. It’s difficult to measure their happiness as the mosaic took form.
Every student of IIM Shillong strives to take Dr. Kalam’s legacy forward, to ardently work on what we love and try to make our surroundings better. The celebration of his birthday is just a part of our continuous efforts in doing the same.