Book Review | Wings of fire | written by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari

 Wings of Fire book is a magnificent autobiography of former 11th Indian People's president and scientist Late Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (APJ Kalam). Scientist cum author Arun Tiwari co-authors this book.

If I have to describe Dr. APJ Kalam in one sentence, I would say “a man of humble beginnings and from humble background and love to live simple life.” In this book tried to mix up an odd mixture of religious convictions with the soul of scientific inquiry. In 1931, Kalam was born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and belonged to the Muslim family. Across the whole world, Kalam was also known as “Missile Man” of India.

Dr. Kalam’s worked had worked with several different Indian government organizations which work in the field of defense and space, i.e. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). During his whole life, he apprise us some of the very advanced and breathtaking scientific facts of independent India to the people.

His excellent knowledge in rocket science and space technology has taken India to become a shining star for youthful countries wanting to stamp their understanding and skills not just over the globe. Some Intial pages of this book give tributes to his family and especially to his mother.

The first part of the book is all about the life journey of young Kalam. There’s a interactions with his loved ones, friends, and teachers. The book is filled with various kinds of pictures like learning from teachers, getting out from Rameshwaram, and many more.

Some incidence of his intial schooling were also included in the book like when he was doing a diploma in Aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology.

Kalam grew up with a brew of Hindu as well as Muslim culture. However, he was born in a Tamil Muslim family, but still, he loves all religions and culture.

When Kalam was a young, he used to sell newspapers to help his family and improve their financial condition while completing his education. In Wings of Fire, the demand and support of friends and family are picturise, and it turned out to be the life changing moment of Kalam's life.

In the second part of this book, the wrhole focus was on his advancement as a man of science and discoveries. 

After finishing the schooling, Kalam’s professional life begins with the DRDO where he had worked on Hovercraft project.

After working with DRDO, he joined ISRO where he had got  second mentored of his life, who was expert in Science and Technology, Professor Vikram Sarabhai, Dr. Werner Van Braun, along with Professor Satish Dhawan, and many more.

While working with DRDO, he has taken part in several satellite launches throughout his spell. In 1980, he was the manager of SLV-III project which is India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle.

At this part of Wings of Fire, he tried to construct a path into the world of science and technology. The book also describes some of his interactions with all other colleges and the ordinary people related to the organization as well as the outside world.

Back in 1982, Kalam joins the defense labs again at the DRDO as a Director. During his period, he was the main member of some most incredible scientific advancements of India like PSLV, most essential missile programs like Akaash, Naga, Agni, Trishul, and Indian Intercontinental Ballistic Missile series.

The book also pays tribute to the best Indian scientific minds and has a pleasant and nostalgic feel for this. Several pictures of Kalam and his mates were added in the book to provide a better insight about his life to the reader. 

In the last part, a new era of Kalam’s life took place. In 1992, He became the scientific advisor in India’s Defense Ministry.

 The nuclear test conducted in Pokhran, Rajasthan which gives surprises the entire world and explicit status of “what India Can Do?,” Kalam was one of the very important members of this team.

Kalam has recieved India’s top three civilian awards, i.e. Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma .

Also he has recieved the plenty of degrees from several University.

Summary of book

The book is a journey of a very common and down to earth man who born in a working-class Muslim family to becoming India’s president.

It’s an outstanding tale of a very common and very down to earth person with excellent talents. This book also telling us a journey of a far-sighted leader whose works are far louder than his words.

He lives in a country where communal riots are ordinary. In spite of all, he gives his entire life to his country. Even, he was so patriotic that he died at the stage of IIM, Shillong while giving a lecture to the IIM's Student.

This book is for those people who wants to do something for their Nation and for their Nation's people.

Book Review || Ram Rajya Written By Ashutosh Rana || Compelled you to see Ramayna from different Angle

 

There are so many forms of Ramkatha. From the Ramayana of Adikavi Valmiki to Ramacharitmanas of Tulsidas. Apart from the Mahakavis of Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali and other languages, folk tradition, dialects also have many forms of Ramkatha. In every Ramakatha, there is a change in narrative and interpretation.

Now film actor Ashutosh Rana has tried to interpret Ramkatha in a different way. He has tried to expand the character of the characters portrayed as villains, saying that the characters who are considered villains played an important role in making Rama The Rama.

The Ramayana, the Ramcharit Manas and the rest of the texts portray Rama's step-mother Kaikeyi and Ravana's sister Shurpanakha as the undisputed villain. But through the dialogues between Rama and Kaikeyi in this book, it is told that Rama's mother was Kaushalya but in fact it is Kaikeyi who filled Rama with feelings of life, truth, duty, responsibility.

Kaikeyi was responsible for sending Rama to exile, it is in every legend but it is told in the book that Kaikeyi was not happy with King Dasaratha's decision to hand over the throne to Rama. At one point in the book, Kaikeyi tells his servant Manthara, "Those who are born from their own womb, are they called sons?"

Motherhood is an emotional state, not a physical one. Dharana, Reason and Tarana, these three qualities in which they exist, is the mother. If Kausalya has adopted Rama in his womb, Kaikeyi has embraced Rama's inherent qualities in his mind. "

Through the question and answer between Rama and Kaikeyi, the message is given that Rama was not willing to sit on the throne, but Kaikeyi continued to insist that Rama should sit on the throne. At the same time, Rama obliged Kaikeyi to ask for his two boons from King Dasaratha and help him on his way to the forest.

By writing this incident Ashutosh breaks the myth of Kaikeyi's villain. This dialogue between Kaikeyi and Rama is said to have happened in Kaikeyi's library. Kaikeyi was aware of the fact that Saraswati resides in the library and where Saraswati resides, nothing can go unpunished.

She also says, "Rest assured, Kaikeyi had to bear the stigma for your welfare, even then Kaikeyi will not back down." Kaikeyi is called Kumata but in the book she tells Rama that she is Vimata but not Kumata.

Both are interesting in dialogues and try to understand the difference in emotions arising in humans like love, fascination, affection, motherhood, youth-old-age duties, curiosity, patience and the reality of life.

In the book, the double character of Suparna-Shurpanakha is also excluded from the image of villain like Kaikeyi's character. The Ramcharit Manas depicts the use of Shurpanakha to kill Rama and Sita.

In the book, Shurpanakha and her father Vishrava's dialogues reveal that Shurpanakha had become a factor in bringing Ravana's negative energy into contact with Rama's positive energy. Shurpanakha also says that she will be the medium for Rama's transformation from male to Narayana and the cause of brother Ravana's salvation.

His father communicated these thoughts in him. Vishrava asks him to try a war between Ravana and Rama, so that Ravana does not die but ends it. This will not fulfill the boon of immortality received by Shiva but he will remain immortal due to enmity with Rama

Not only this, the image of Ravana's wife Mandodari sympathetic to Ram has also been broken. The dialogues with Mandodari after the dealings with Shurpanakha gave Ravana the message that the woman is the form of religion and that to protect religion she must kill Rama at any cost.

Many characteristics of Ravana's brother Kumbhakarna are also mentioned in the book. Although Kumbhakarna is said to be powerful and powerful, Ashutosh has also called him a scientist. His boon of sleep for six months was the brainchild of Ravana himself, so that he could work on his scientific experiments without any disturbance.This was the reason that Kumbhakarna was sentenced to death for disturbing his sleep. The book states that what was being called Kumbhakarna during the war was actually a huge iron plant, in which Kumbhakarna used to fight.

The book also has chapters on Hanuman, Vibhishana and the festival of victory over Ravana and abandonment of Sita. For the first time in a Hindi book, easy Hindi meanings of some less common or explicit words are also given on the same page. The entire book is in pure Hindi. Only the letter sent by Shurpanakha on behalf of her husband Vidyut, uses the word Shamsheer, which is Persian.

Ramrajya is an attempt to see Ramkatha from a new angle. The effort that Ashutosh Rana has given to Kaikeyi and Shurpanakha's image will really change the image, it is a question and the reason for reading the book is also very interesting.