As a Pakistani I pay my respects to Mr Kalam

After becoming a household name in India for reasons I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, reading Indian news via Twitter has become a reflex. In the last year and a half I've faced varied phenomena online, slowly watching it transform into an almost even tone of bonhomie, positivity, and warmth. However, the occasional trolling, the infrequent ad hominem attacks from faceless accounts serve as a source of bewilderment-cum-amusement: how strangers claim to be an authority on your character and integrity, what to say of heart and mind, parts of you that even you remain ambiguous about most of the time.

Also interesting is to see an outburst of emotions (mercifully, I watch as a spectator not a perpetrator!) ranging from the very simple to the indecipherable, from the childishly sweet to blatantly venomous, from simply direct to sneakily wicked on one subject - or celebrity - or the other. Lord have mercy on you if you happen to be in the firing line of those whose "deity" - read political leader - you dared to criticise. Be it NaMo in India or IK in Pakistan, the degree of abuse and venom being unleashed may vary, but hell hath no fury if the faithful are provoked, on purpose or unwittingly.

But once in a really, really rare blue moon, Twitter becomes that platform of unity where only one emotion is discernible, where nothing but the good is visible, where the dominant context is that of singularity of positivity. And I saw that on July 27, 2015 when the news of the cardiac arrest of the former president (2002-07) of India, APJ Abdul Kalam during a lecture at the IIM, Shillong was posted online. Virtual it was for me, but the concern Indians showed for him was overwhelming. A little while later the news of Mr Kalam's death was announced, and then the outpouring of shock, grief and condolences began. It was the day I tweeted prayers for the victims of Gurdaspur terror attack, another tragic incident that reflected the need to condemn terrorism sans any ifs and buts. On July 27 when India was mourning the terror attack in Gurdaspur, in a matter of hours, darkening an already sad day, the focus was shifted to the demise of one man whom India knew as the "People's President," among other titles.

I did not know a great deal about Mr Kalam, but the few next hours as I posted, and read tweets about him from all the well-or-little-known Indians I follow on Twitter, and those who tweeted to me in response to my tweets, I was struck by the enormity of the power of the popularity of the deceased. It is not simply rare; it is the stuff rare legends are made of.

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the son of a Tamil boatman, symbolises the best of India, the India that exists as the composite mosaic of all its dichotomies, diversities and divisions. The ideal of India where the differences of faith, ethnicity, language and background melt into a splendid blend to formulate an identity that is of one nation. There are countless who live as per that ideal but there are very few who rise despite all odds to become that proud Indian who is the singular manifestation of India's biggest strength: its pluralism. On July 27, online, I saw Indians mourning for one of their finest, one of their most-loved. There was no Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Parsi or Christian mourning. There was simply one: Indian. And that to me was the best tribute the 83-year-old Mr. Kalam could receive from his homeland of many faiths.

Everyone had something to say about Mr Kalam, and all words were respectful, almost reverent, exhibiting a sense of grief at the loss of someone who touched lives in ways most people could not even envision. The condolatory messages for Mr Kalam were not only for a former president of India from the present president, prime minister, ministers, MPs, Bollywood celebrities, social activists, media persons, intellectuals, writers, poets, and scientists, but from regular people from all walks of life. As Mr Kalam's demise marked the end of an era, so humbly speckled by his achievements, so proudly his own, he seems to have touched lives in ways people in his position only think of doing in their election manifestos and electoral promises but fail - or forget - to. The response to Mr Kalam's death is a magnificent, albeit insufficient, acknowledgment of a life that was extraordinary.

As per his Twitter bio, Mr Kalam was a "Scientist, teacher, learner and writer… Working for an economically developed nation by 2020." This goal because of his sudden death may have eluded him, but each word that he spoke even in his last address to the congregation of people in whose company he revelled in - students - resonated with the conviction of the beliefs on which he lived and was loved for. Hardwork, determination, focus and perseverance lead you to the fulfilment of dreams that seem elusive, even impossible: that to me, on a cursory glance of Mr Kalam's life is one of the biggest expression of his principles. Knowledge is power, and there is no limit to knowledge, and the journey of its acquisition: Mr Kalam appeared to have talked and walked that maxim.

In the words of the erudite Sadanand Dhume of The Wall Street Journal, "… While most Indian presidents are elevated by the office, APJ Abdul Kalam elevated the office". Humility, accessibility to common people, affability and wit, the grand old man with his trademark hair, inimitable with his always-present warm smile, marked the office of president with his larger-than-life presence that is more significant than that of most of the presidents on both sides of the border.

As a Pakistani I pay my respects to Mr Kalam. Mr Kalam is not to be remembered merely as the president of India but as also the people's president. Mr Kalam is not to be remembered merely as the "missile man" of India but also the scientist and teacher who encouraged and inspired generations of young Indians. Mr Kalam is not to be remembered merely as the recipient of Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, Veer Savarkar Award and Ramanujan Award but also for his books Wings of Fire, Ignited Minds, India 2020, Turning Points, and Indomitable Spirit.

The biggest legacy of Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam is the tremendous admiration, respect and love he received, receives and will receive from Indians. And that is the legacy legends are made of, dreams take inspiration from, generations emulate, actions become empowered with, and nations are built on. The life of Mr Kalam, to me, is the lesson for all South Asian leaders - be they political or in any other field. That the real power stems from the principles you endorse, the sincerity of your intentions, the work you do, the causes you promote, and the integrity you display through your actions. That the real power is the manifestation of the translation of your words, ideas, dreams and promises into work that is tangible, relevant, accessible, farsighted and empowering. That the real power is when you not just influence minds but also touch hearts. That the real power is not your political stature but your worth as a human being who is loved and respected by all beyond faith, ideology, background and beliefs. That is the legacy of APJ Abdul Kalam.

Rest in peace, Kalam sir. In you India, South Asia, the world, has lost a personality who defined some of the best traits of being human, and being Indian.