Third Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Lecture Held

KOCHI:
The 3rd Annual Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial Lecture was held at Abad Plaza Hotel, Ernakulam. The Speaker at this year’s Lecture was Hormis Tharakan, Former Chief of the Research Analysis Wing, (RAW).
Delivering the Lecture Tharakan narrated instances of his association with Dr. Kalam while he was Chief of RAW and Dr. Kalam the President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Intelligence Services.
Tharakan recalled Dr. Kalam as a humane person whose primary aim was the uplift of those below the poverty line in India. Tharakan said that despite all of Dr. Kalam’ s achievements and his unparalleled contribution to the cause of the country he was basically a simple down to earth man who really cared about the country and it’s citizens.
Tharakan said that Dr. Kalam was a true leader in every sense of the word and that the country could do with more leaders like Dr. Kalam. He recalled the first piece of advice that Dr. Kalam gave him when he took over as Chief of
RAW to keep the country out of war for the next ten years so that India can concentrate on improving millions of it’s people below the poverty line.
In his address, Tharakan also outlined the architecture of the Intelligence Services in the country and how it functions. He reiterated the fact that intelligence is not something that should be left to the Services alone but is something that every citizen in the country should contribute to, to ensure the safety and security of the nation.
The President of the Chamber, Shaji Varghese welcomed the gathering and C S Kartha, Immediate Past President presented a Memento to Tharakan and proposed the vote of thanks.