It took the U.S. 250 years to become a powerful nation, but India will do it in just seventy-five,” says Dr. Kalam to Prerna Soni of the USA.
President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was gracious enough to quickly respond to my granddaughter’s request for a meeting during the family’s visit to India, in June 2004. What thrilled Prerna (14), her brother Pranay (12) and their father DR. Soni most, was the way the President involved the children in meaningful discussion on matters like terrorism, spiritualism and the role that Indian children could play in line with his vision of India 2020 which he explained by making a power point presentation.
A local newspaper The Times Herald, opened the story thus: ‘A 15-minute ‘’meet-and-greet” between India’s President and the Soni family of Allegany NY, turned into an hour discussion on foreign and domestic policy”.
Three years later when Prerna learnt about the end of the president’s tenure she wrote about the impressions of her meeting in an article published in an Indian magazine under the heading Prerna wishes future Indian Presidents of the likes of Dr. Kalam.