Inside the police quarters on Greams Road, the family of K. Venkatesh keenly followed the arrival of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s mortal remains to the capital on television. Mr. Venkatesh, a policeman, was the ‘missile man’s’ driver whenever he used to visit south India during his tenure as President of India.
“He advised me to educate my daughters Madhumita and Nivetha so that they could achieve great heights,” recalled Mr. Venkatesh, who is now a head constable at the Mylapore police station. He used to drive the bullet-proof car for VVIPs including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi whenever they visited Tamil Nadu.
“In 1999, when Mr. Abdul Kalam visited Tamil Nadu as a scientist, I drove the car for him. After this, when he visited the State after becoming the President, I picked him up from the airport. I have been with him to places in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
During their rides, the former president would tell him about his rise from a humble background. “His mission was to make more people like him,” Mr. Venkatesh said.
The ‘missile man’ used to ask him to drive fast. “He used to speak to students and youngsters wherever he went. So, most often, we were late for the next programme. He used to ask me to drive fast to catch up,” he said.
Whenever he saw a huge crowd waiting by the road, he used to ask Venkatesh to slow down. “But the personal security officer used to signal me to not do so. But, how could I refuse the President? He would then open the door of the slow moving car and wave at the people,” he added.
“He was very simple and more like a family member,” he added.
