Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam 's Recent Speech

Why is the media in India so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? We are the first in milk production; We are number one in Remote sensing satellites; We are the second largest producer of wheat; We are the second largest producer of rice. Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours. YOU say that our government is inefficient; YOU say that our laws are too old; YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage; YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke; The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination; YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand .

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India? Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr. Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

My Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA, WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us. Thank you, Dr. Abdul Kalaam

Support Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Send by: Perumal Gopi (Perumal_Gopi@lntenc.com)

Hi Dear All,

Our Honorable President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's period ends by 2007. He had informed not to continue. Some youngsters of INDIA set a site given below for requesting the Indian government to extend his period for the next five years. If you are willing Dr. APJ to continue as President can enter their support in that website. Hurry UP and Please forward it to all Indians.

THE SITE ADDRESS IS http://www.petitiononline.com/apj/petition.html

Air Travel Tips on Fair Fare

Air travel is expensive. But I'm not telling you something you don't already know. There are many ways to save money on air travel - some of them will save you a little, some will save you a lot. Before you book your next trip, see if any of these money savings tips are options for you.

(1) Consider flying out of another airport. Sometimes the nearest airport does not have the best rates. Checking the rates at one or two of the next nearest airports may yield better airfare rates than the airport that is closest to you. It may be worth it to travel an extra hour to the airport to save hundreds of dollars.

(2) If you have a trip planned for the future, but you aren't ready to order your tickets yet, sign up for e-mail alerts from all of the airlines that fly from the airport(s) near you to your destination. You never know when an airline may be running a special to your exact destination.

(3) If you are ready to order your tickets, order them as far in advance as possible. The cheapest airfares sell out quickly. The closer to the flight you buy your tickets; the more expensive the tickets are likely to be. This is especially true around the holidays.

(4) If you are booking travel during the holidays, consider flying on the holiday itself. The days prior to a holiday, airfares can be the highest they are all year. If you can fly on the day of the holiday, you can get some of the lowest airfares of the year. If you do decide to book on the holiday, try to book as early in the day as possible in case there are any delays so you don't miss the holiday festivities once you get to your destination.

(5) If you are phoning the airline directly for your tickets, ask for the cheapest fare, not just the fare for coach. There may be a cheaper fare in a better seat, but you'll never know if you don't ask.

(6) Fly on the off days. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and sometimes Saturday are considered the off days (unless it's around a holiday). If you can fly to and from your destination on those days, you are much more likely to get cheaper flights.

(7) Check out the fares on red-eye flights. Those flights don't sell out as quickly as other flights and therefore may have less expensive fares. Sure, if money were no object, the red-eye probably wouldn't be your first choice, but then again you may sleep your way through the whole flight. That's always a good way to spend a flight. And if you combine flying on the off days with flying a red-eye on an off day, you may get a real deal.

(8) Do your homework by comparing rates on the different websites. Travelocity, Priceline, Expedia, Orbitz, Cheap Tickets and many other websites have discounted airline tickets as well as discounts on hotels, car rentals, and other things related to travel. Take the time to check out the rates for each website each time you book your travel.

(9) While you are doing your homework, don't forget to check out the airline's websites. Sometimes the airline's websites have even better deals than the discount sites. All this homework takes some time, but it will pay off in the end with big savings.

(10) Go outside your comfort zone. You may be used to always flying the same big airline, but if you consider one of the newer smaller airlines, you may be surprised at the savings you can grab.

(11) Before you book your tickets, make sure that the price you have includes all fees and taxes. If you're not getting the full price of the tickets including fees and taxes, you may not actually be booking the least expensive airfare.

(12) Now that you've saved money on your airfare, there are some things that you can do to help save money in other areas of your flight.

(13) Find out what the maximum luggage weight is for the airline you are traveling, and make sure you don't exceed it. If you check in luggage that is over the weight limit, the airline can charge you a fee for each bag that is over the limit.

(14) If you are driving to the airport, plan to leave early enough so that you can park at one of the off site parking facilities that are close to the airport.

(15) If you've got a college age niece or nephew, next door neighbor or someone in that age range who lives nearby ask them to drive you to and from the airport. You can pay them $25 each way and save a bundle on airport parking, and get door to door service to the airport.

(16) Take your own snacks. If your airline does serve food, they may charge for it, and chances are it won't be very good. You also won't be tempted to pay the high price for the snacks you buy at the concessions after security because you'll already have what you'll need on the plane.

(17) Same goes for your reading materials. Bring your own that you already have at home instead of buying them from the airport stores. A flight is the perfect time to read that book you've been meaning to read.

Trick to Getting Cheaper Air Fares

For those looking for a really cheap airline tickets, traveling on the day of the holiday almost guarantees cheap airline tickets. For those flying home for the holidays, getting the best price on airline tickets can be a challenge, but a Purdue University aviation professor says there are a few tips that can help. "The airline industry is no different than any other service-based industry in that it works on the principle of supply and demand," says Dale Oderman, an associate professor of aviation technology. "When demand is up, such as around the holidays, then prices generally go up as well." He says that for those looking for a really cheap airline tickets, traveling on the day of the holiday - such as on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day - almost guarantees that demand and prices will be down. But since not many people want to travel on the holiday itself, there are still ways to find good discounts on airline tickets. "For Thanksgiving, flying on Tuesday and Wednesday is especially expensive, so if you can fly out before then, it can work to your advantage," he says. "And on the return flight, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest flying day of the year." Oderman says a better option is to fly home on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. "Mondays all year round are more expensive and busy because it tends to be a big day for business travelers," he says. Since Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year, Oderman says flying on either Christmas Eve or on the Thursday before Christmas almost guarantees cheap airfares.

"This year, Friday and Saturday will be busy days because people will be off work and ready to go to their destinations," he says. "But at Christmas, people are usually more flexible in actual travel dates because school vacations last longer than at Thanksgiving." In general, Oderman says it's best to shop around for the best airline ticket prices, checking out both airline Web sites as well as discount travel sites such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. He says comparing different days of the week as well as alternate departure times during the day can mean huge discounts on airline tickets. "Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday flights tend to be cheaper," he says. "Friday and Sunday flights are more expensive because people like to travel after work on Friday, and Sunday is a big travel day because everyone wants to be home by Monday." In addition, he says some of the best prices are on "red-eye" flights - that is if travelers don't mind flying at odd hours. Another factor that affects airfares is fuel cost, and some airlines have been charging a surcharge due to higher fuel prices. The recent decline in fuel prices, however, has led to some of those surcharges being dropped, Oderman says.

Before you Leave States...

Be sure you know the new passport rules and options that are on the Horizon. The time to start packing for that winter trip to the Caribbean may be now - you are going to need a passport. Congress and the Department of Homeland Security are tightening border procedures for both U.S. citizens and foreign travelers entering the U.S. By Jan. 8, passports will be required for most everyone entering the U.S. from the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico through airports and seaports, instead of just a birth certificate and driver's license. Land borders will adopt the same requirement Jan. 1, 2008. The travel industry and several border-state governors and senators have been pushing for a delay in the new rules, fearing confusion and long delays for travelers that could hurt the cruise industry in particular. Only 25 percent of Americans have passports, and many could be left high and dry if they don't get one before they head off to an island cruise. As requirements tighten, more people have been applying. Last year, the State Department issued 10.1 million passports, up 15 percent from 2004. This year is on pace for about a 16 percent increase. One pitfall for travelers to watch out for: All children, including babies, will need passports. Since July 2001, the government has required both parents to apply together for a child's passport, if the child is 14 or under. This is to make sure one parent isn't trying to take a child out of the country without the other's permission. It can be a hassle for single parents who have to prove they have sole authority or need to get notarized consent from the other parent.

Another change: Last month, the State Department began issuing electronic passports with a computer chip in the rear cover that contains all the information found on the data page of the passport, such as name, date of birth, passport number and a photograph. For security protection, the e-passports have a metallic material in the front cover and the data are encrypted to prevent eavesdropping. (People with older-style passports don't need to trade in their existing passports.) Even if travelers are ready, travel experts say the government may not be well-prepared, and the result of the heightened security could be long lines at airports and seaports. The Travel Industry Association, a lobbying group for cruise lines, tour companies, resorts and airlines, says it supports the move to require better documentation, but it fears the government won't have the staff, equipment and procedures in place needed to process people quickly. "We're very concerned about the impact on the cruise industry. We're very concerned about the impact on Canadian travel," said Rick Webster, TIA's vice president of government affairs. The government says it is going ahead with the change starting Jan. 8. The deadline was pushed back a week from the first day of the year so it wouldn't kick in during holiday travels. That has been the only delay granted so far. "If you're going to the Caribbean next February or March, you'd better start worrying about a passport this fall," says Frank Moss, the State Department's head passport official.Homeland Security has been under orders from Congress to beef up border security since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The biggest change took hold in 2004, when the U.S. government began taking a photograph and finger scan of most foreigners entering the country through airports.

The latest proposed changes may be harder to implement for screening the 400 million people who cross into the U.S. every year, raising fears of long lines at airports, seaports and roadway crossings. The State Department and Homeland Security say passport books take too long to process at high-volume land-border checkpoints, so they are developing a "passport card" that will have your information embedded electronically and will communicate wirelessly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement computers, much like a toll tag on the highway. So, by the time you get to the front of the line, the border inspector would have your information and would know whether you should be cleared to pass. Passport cards won't be ready for the Jan. 8 change at airports and seaports, but should be available before the Jan. 1, 2008, change at land entry points. Tighter Borders - Highlights of new travel rules are coming:

• On Jan. 8, passports will be required for U.S. citizens returning by air or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.

• On Jan. 1, 2008, land borders will adopt the same standard.

• 'Passport Cards' may be developed to speed processing at borders and shorten expected long lines.

• Travel groups warn that travelers could be caught off guard by new rules.