A REVIEW of "wings of fire"
Avul pakir jainulabdeen abdul kalam has come to personally represent to many of his country men the best aspects of Indian life. “Wings of fire “,his autobiography stands as an icon for Indian life and culture. Wings of fire is a guide to the patriotic youth of the present day.it reveals that kalam has contributed a very different aspect to the society that a scientist is not expected to do ie, he exceptionally played the role of an excellent writer.
In total the book talks about the how a boat owner’s son born to a poor family of rameshwaram turned to be the first citizen of India.
The book is interwoven with his deep involvement with first satellite launch vehicle SLV-3 and AGNI programmes. his experience at MIT as a student and later a tutor is narrated in a splendid way. his experiences with vikram sarabhai ,the eminent scientific jewel of the time, while exploring the sections that dealt with his career I found how brave enough he was to face the failures of his missions. He believed that failures contain within themselves the seeds of further learning that can lead to better technology and to a high level of success . he made us feel that scientists are great dreamers and their dreams finally culminated in spectacular achievements.thus he commented in his book
“Dream ,Dream,Dream
Dreams into thought
And thought to action”.
He was really successful in casting the true patriotic feel of the scientist while he worked for the nation. For common men they were only elite groups who controls the society and its developments but kalam through his words proved that they were never mere technology men,but those who dedicated their their souls for sprouting motherland.
His description of self –reliance mission and technology vision 2020,gives us a bird’s eye view of the existing condition of our motherland and our effort for a development India.
His autobiography can also be analysed in a religious level. Even though he was a technology man the voice of a true believer is evident in the writings although. he consider science only as a tool devised by the lord almighty to create and destroy,again recreate in the forms of which he wishes too. kalam has inscribed in his book that
“God has promised
Strength for the day
Rest for labour
Light for the way…. These words given as an idea ,how deep rooted his religious belief is .its really a challenge to those who argue that science and religion can never join their hands together.
He spoke to us the trifles he had to face during his childhood days the odd jobs he had done to meet his academic needs.his decision to become a pure vegetarian during his college days is only due to the shortage of money to make his ends meet.the real poverty that he has to face with is poor family that never gave him a mind of defeatist but inspired him to strive hard.might be these trifles framed such a brilliant and dedicated professional in him.
The story is gonna end with him because he had acquired nothing other than knowledge ,built nothing,possess nothing –no family ,sons ,daughters. But had left a small life before us ,which proves that small is beautiful that is revealed completely through his wings of fire. His autobiography is not written in a mood to set itself or his life as an example to others,but to enable a few souls draw inspiration from that .
“in a well in this great land
Looking at its million boys and girls
To draw from me
The inexhaustible divinity
And spread his grace everywhere
And does the water from a well” –writes kalam in the concluding portion of his autobiography.
So simple in his style ,never rhetoric or complex in his words and being modest in his writings he creates a new realm that that is best for an Indian .his wings of fire give wings to the readers who go through that .i can comment with confidence that his grace will never end,for it is eternal.its nothing of an autobiography sort,but a warm and intensely personal ,deeply passionate story of a common man’s son who has become India’s most distinguished living technocrat,altogether the book is kalam- in- feel.
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