A Hypocrite, Opportunist and Dedicated Servant of Capital, Ex-President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Collapses at 84

- Rajesh Tyagi/ 28.7.2015

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, ex-President of India, died yesterday, at the age of 84.

As he started reading to the students at IIM Shillong, his scripted lecture on ‘sustainable development’ at 6.30 p.m., Kalam collapsed at the dais. He was removed to hospital, but could not be resuscitated. Around one hour later, at 7.45 p.m. he was declared ‘dead’ of a massive cardiac arrest.

While ‘New York Times’ has cited him as ‘missile man’, the indigenous media has also engaged in showering praises upon Kalam. A seven-day national mourning is declared by the Centre and both the Houses of the Parliament would make obituary references and adjourn as a mark of respect to his memory.

Kalam, who pushed the country into race for nuclear bombs and missiles, immensely burdening further the already squeezed working and toiling masses of the country and around, had emerged as darling of extreme right-wing sections of the ruling elite.

Celebrity of Abdul Kalam among elites and powerful, revolves around his ardent support to 1998 nuclear program of NDA government under Vajpayee that culminated in Pokhran nuclear tests. These tests, triggered a blind race to the detriment of billions in Asia, the region that is home to unspeakable poverty, illiteracy and diseases.

Born as Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam on Oct. 15, 1931, on an island off coastal state of Tamil Nadu, 11th President of India, Kalam played the most venomous role in arming the Indian bourgeois with nuclear might at the expense of most basic needs of billions of the poor.

Due to his opportunist support to nuclear program under right-wing NDA government in 1998, Kalam succeeded securing favours with saffron-nationalist right-wing elements that proved instrumental to his ascendency as President in 2002.

In his election to the office of President in 2002, Kalam was supported by all bourgeois political parties across political spectrum, from BJP to Congress. He defeated with huge margin, Capt. Laxmi Sehgal, the left candidate and a veteran freedom fighter who had worked with Subhash Chandra Bose as leader of women wing of INA, the army organised by Bose with the help of fascist Japan to drive British out of the country. Later, in 2004 general elections to parliament, the Stalinist left, clung back to the tail of the Congress Party and supported its United Front government from outside.

An icon of hindu nationalism, and popularly identified as 'hinduised muslim', who claimed to have faith in hindu scriptures as well, Kalam was a virtual pictogram for Hindu supremacists, to cow down minority muslims in accepting hindu supremacy. In fact Kalam had opportunistically adapted to hindu supremacist view to close ranks with hindu majoritarian sections and use it as stepping stone in his career.  

In this adventure, Kalam made Pramukh Swami, head of Swaminarayan sect, who exerts immense influence upon right wing sections of hindu elites in south India, subject of a biography authored by himself, where he claimed that many problems in his life were resolved with blessings of Pramukh Swami. 

Far from having a scientific orientation in life, Kalam consistently bowed down to religious orthodoxy, while paying only lip service to science and technology, to which he made no real contribution at all. 

At the very start of his term in Presidency, Kalam was witness to the state organised anti-muslim pogroms in Gujarat. However, he did nothing to stop these pogroms and chose to keep mum about the criminal role of Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and his saffron government in organising these pogroms.

Years later, after BJP was out of power, Kalam switched over his loyalty to the then ruling Congress and resultantly BJP refused to support his candidacy for re-election to the office of President, as major opposition party in 2007. In most opportunist way, Kalam then vomit out his indignation claiming that the then Prime Minister Vajpayee did not want him to visit Gujarat in the aftermath of the ‘communal riots’ in February 2002.

He also looked at the mercy pleas of Afzal Guru, an accused in conspiratorial state-sponsored attack on Parliament, with indifference and did not pay any heed to his pleas. Afzal Guru was ultimately hanged on perjured evidence.

Similar was the case with Dhananjay Chatterjee, the poor lad employed as guard in a housing complex, who was implicated and hanged during Kalam's tenure, as he could not defend himself because of his poverty. His mercy pleas also fell on the deaf ears of Kalam.

Kalam's support for corporate Vedanta was yet another most controversial aspect, amongst others, during his tenure.

Obscuring his shameful past and his real, detrimental and all negative role he played towards the interests of billions of poor masses of the country, the bourgeois media however, has prompted to crown him as ‘peoples’ president’.

In its attempt to cut out a false figure for this servant of elite, to garner sympathy and support for him among the poor masses, the media has zealously underscored the humble origins of Kalam. The truth however is that Kalam rose to the highest office only through betrayal of the class from which he had originated. He instead, served for whole of his life, the interests of the rich, elite and powerful and covered up his role through demagogy and false utterances.

Kalam left no trace of any scientific achievement to his credit. Albeit, for his past record as fervent advocate for right-wing politics based on bourgeois nationalism, Kalam rose higher and higher in bureaucratic hierarchy and was finally appointed scientific advisor to the Prime Minister Vajpayee under NDA regime in 1998.

As top bureaucrat in the state apparatus under right-wing NDA government, Kalam pushed for core right-wing nationalist agenda of developing and accumulating armament and weapons, at astronomical costs. He did this, at the expense of and in open defiance of the needs and demands of the billions of poor for food, shelter, health and education.  

His contribution, if any, is strictly limited to flinging the country and the entire South Asian region with it, in endless pursuit of bombs and missiles, that threatens today the stability and peace in the whole region.

Kalam had no academic achievements to his credit as well. After obtaining elementary qualification in engineering from Madras Institute of Technology, he made no notable advances. Even his most enthusiastic admirers find themselves at loss in pointing out to a single such achievement. His rise to highest office of president of the country is not attributable to his academic proficiency in any way, but to the maneuvers he had mastered in taking opportunist twists and turns.

Kalam knew how and when to touch upon the right nerves. NDA government that rested upon the dual hinge of hindu-muslim and Indo-Pak rivalry, was tapped by Kalam towards a nuclear advance. It was this knock that made Kalam the face for a new thrust of NDA towards nuclear might and a celebrity among the sections of Indian bourgeoisie.

Appealing to the regional hegemonic aspirations of the Indian Bourgeois, Kalam uttered “We must think and act like a nation of a billion people, not like that of a million people,” “Dream, dream, dream!” he added.

The false morality, which Kalam vouched for so loudly, was torpedoed by him frequently. As President, he signed the bill that excluded many core public offices from the purview of ‘office of profit’ that he knew well was an apparent illegality and impropriety.

During his tenure in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for almost two decades, from late 1960’s to 1982, Kalam developed an opportunist obsession with destructive side of nuclear power and continuously labored for deviating the nuclear research towards destructive goal of making bombs instead of energy reactors.

Devoid of any brain useful for humanity, Kalam emerged as the brain behind the nuclear program of India as it took more and more to the right.  

While condoling the death of Kalam, reactionaries of the world have joined in showering adorations and applauses in honour of Kalam. This is obviously in recognition of the service he has rendered to bourgeois establishment.

Former President Pratibha Patil told news channel 'Times Now', "He was the best human being I came across. I feel very sorry. He had good humour, had very good presence of mind and always wanted to give something to society."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “My mind is filled with so many memories, so many interactions with him. Dr. Kalam enjoyed being with people; people and youngsters adored him. He loved students and spent his final moments among them.”

"I got to work with him closely. I have lost an uttam marg darshak. The country has lost a son who worked for the strength of India. He had spent every moment for the youth of India. No person will be able to fill the gap left by him. His work will inspire us to work for the development of the nation. India mourns the loss of a great scientist, a wonderful President & above all an inspiring individual. RIP Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam". Modi added further.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, tweeted, "Dr Kalam was a man of impeccable character, indomitable spirit, profound knowledge and firm conviction. Deeply saddened at the sudden demise of the former president of India Dr. APAJ Abdul Kalam. He was an inspiration to an entire generation. The death of Dr. Kalam is an irreparable loss to this nation. He has left a big void hard to fill. I deeply mourn his death. RIP Kalam Sahab".

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, "His contribution as a scientist and as a President was unparalleled. The whole country will mourn his death and we will all continue to remain inspired by him."

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said  “Kalam won over the hearts and minds of a nation with his warmth and wisdom. Deeply saddened at the passing away of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. A man of many parts-he won over the hearts and minds of a nation with his warmth & wisdom.”

Delhi CM Arvind kejriwal tweeted that "Very sad to hear that Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is no more. Nation has lost a real bharat ratna".

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also reacted to Kalam's demise as he told India Today, "He was a man who was always surrounded by knowledge. He never had an iota of politics around him." In fact Sambit Patra was attempting to cover-up the fact that Kalam supported and assisted the politics of ruling elite for his entire life.

Terming Kalam a bridge between rich and the poor, Prominent leader of Congress, P. Chidambaram said  “In recent history, only a few had endeared themselves to the young and old, poor and the rich, and to people belonging to different faiths”.

"He had a special love for children and fought to constantly inspire the youth of our country. Dr Kalam will be long remembered for his passion, science and innovation and his contributions have enabled scientists, educationists and writers. His achievements as leader of DRDO vastly enhanced the security of our nation. In his passing away, we have lost a great son of India who dedicated his entire life to the welfare of his motherland. Dr Kalam was a people's president during his lifetime and will remain so," said President Pranab Mukhejee.

Ruling classes force their servants upon the working people as ‘national icons’ and attempt to glorify their gory and unjustifiable misdeeds. Through this they encourage obedience and compliance and ward off defiance and opposition to their power.

It is the case with Kalam. Sections of rich and elite are eulogising Kalam in an attempt to pose him as a national hero, covering up his reactionary and worthless past.

The workers and toilers however would remember Kalam as a renegade who was born and brought up among them, but betrayed them to assist their class foes -the capitalists- to pulverise and exploit them.