The Hindu : New Delhi News : “I will leave with two suitcases”

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Friday, Jul 20, 2007
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New Delhi

“I will leave with two suitcases”

New Delhi: “I will go with two small suitcases,” said an emotional President A.P.J Abdul Kalam on Thursday as he prepared to leave Rashtrapati Bhavan with a desire to see India as a developed nation by 2020.

In possibly his last public function as the head of State, Mr. Kalam had a word of advice for his countrymen – ‘don’t take gifts that come with a purpose and build families with character and good value system.’

“On the 25th I will leave Rashtrapati Bhavan after having spent five glorious years there. What I have got are two small suitcases. I will go with two small suitcases,” he said in his address at the India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) here.

Plans to teach

The statement that came on a day when polling was held to elect his successor evoked a huge round of applause.

The President went on to add that besides the two suitcases he had a big reserve of books that he would be taking with him.

‘No’ to gifts

“I will take the books with me. They are my own books,” said Mr. Kalam, who plans to teach at Anna University in Tamil Nadu after his tenure is over.

The 75-year-old scientist-President recalled how his father had taught him not to accept any gifts.

“Yesterday [Wednesday], a well-known person gave me a gift of two pens. I had to return them with unhappiness,” he said.

He quoted from the ancient Hindu code of law ‘Manusmriti’ that by accepting gifts the divine light in the person gets extinguished. — PTI

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