Ignited Minds

I read this great book titled ‘Ignited Minds’ written by former president of India-Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. I found it very invigorating, exactly what I was looking for these days. Through this book, he has made a successful effort of unveiling the power of imagination in young. He dreams of a developed India by 2020 & emphasizes on developing a vision common to all citizens of India, to achieve the same. He mentioned that through his projects in space, defence & nuclear sectors, his interaction with children, industry leaders, teachers, saints & seers, he has come to know that Indian people have a fantastic mix of belief & knowledge which sets them apart from the other world; Indian people have ability to achieve the best in the world. The only reason, we are way behind is that our potential remains untapped because we have become used to being subjugated & docile. The book is all about breaking away the forces that prefer India to remain a nation of billion selling cheap labor and providing a large market for goods & services of other nations. The book asks us to ‘start moving.’ He says – Thinking is the capital, Enterprise is the way, Hard work is the solution. This book is all about developing that conviction in ourselves and discarding the things that hold us back. The book says that India is truly blessed with abundance of resources. Their scarcity is not the cause of our problems. The only problem seems to be the attitude problem. The trapped energies and suppressed initiative need to be freed and properly harnessed. Ancient India was a knowledge society that contributed a great deal to civilization. We need to regain the status & become a knowledge power.

The way to development has to be made through purposeful activity. Youth have to be guided to a proper direction with a vision & their creativity has to be allowed to flower. Certain educational reforms have to be initiated. The center-state efforts have to be coordinated in key areas & have to be taken up in mission mode. Our mindset needs to change, having willingness to take pragmatic risks. Success will follow. We need to realize that missions are always bigger than organisations, just as organisations are always bigger than the individuals who run them. It is a power that is deep within us.

The whole country struggled to achieve the first vision of independence, over decades. To protect it, it is our bounden duty & not a matter of choice & convenience. We again need a vision that is shared by the entire nation.

Ignite minds & think big!