Kalam's moment of disappointment in Gaya

GAYA: Late President APJ Abdul Kalam, along with the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru will always be known for their love for children. This correspondent could personally feel it, as during his Gaya visit in May'2003, President Kalam came to know about a very old orphanage in Cherki village of the district. Kalam was in Bodh Gaya in connection with a function to celebrate the inclusion of Mahabodhi Temple in the UNESCO list of World heritage sites.
An impulsive child lover and someone with a first hand experience of poverty and deprivation, APJ Abdul akalam expressed the desire to be with the orphanage inmates of Cherki.
SM Khan, the late President's press secretary, who accompanied Khan, conveyed the President's desire to visit the orphanage to the district officisls. As the orphanage visit was not on the President's official itinerary, district officials put their foots down on the plea that the massive security arrangements needed for the Presidential visit could not be made at such short notice. Moreover, the orphanage was located in an area having large scale Maoist presence.
Recalling the incident Cherki Orphanage president Dr Farasat Hussain, told TOI that the President was very much eager to meet the orphanage inmates. In deference of the Presidential wish, a group of orphans from the Cherki orphanage were hurriedly transported to Bodh Gaya.
In Bodh Gaya, the President played perfect guardian to the orphans and spent quite sometime with them ensuring the overawed orphans felt comfortable in his company.
Besides, the 2003 visit, the late President visited Gaya once more, this time on 11 February 2010 to inaugurate the third Bihar Science Congress hosted by Gaya College, Gaya.
The second visit took place three years after Kalam demitted office in 2007. It was at the persuation of Gaya College alumni and the then VC of Hyderabad University Ehtesham Hasanain (currently teaching life sciences at IIT Delhi) and a Kalam favourite that the former President agreed to inaugurate the Bihar Science Congress meet, a somewhat small event, going by the ex-President's stature.
Gayaites fondly remember, Kalam's charming and earthy manners, as the first thing he did on reaching the dias to insugurate the event was to discard the majestic ceremonial chair specially placed to seat him. Discarding the ceremonial chair, President Kalam opted for an ordinary one.
At the Bihar Science Congress inaugural function, Kalam's love for the state and his desire to see Bihar progress and prosper was in full display. Instead of discussing rocket/missile science at the gathering of Bihar scientists, Kalam, for the better part of his long speech discussed the availability of water resources in the state and the strategy to harness water resource as a growth engine and also the all important issue of Ganga cleaning and river inter linking.