11-year-old relaunches Dr Kalam’s e-publication

It was an emotional moment, and it could not have been otherwise considering the connect that the late APJ Abdul Kalam had with people. Children’s Day on Saturday saw the relaunch of Billion Beats, the e-paper that the late President had conceptualised in 2007 as a compilation of inspiring stories about change making Indians. 

And the chief guest who was releasing the first copy now at a simple event held at the House of Kalam here was eleven-year-old Anushiya, a Class 6 student of St Joseph’s Higher Secondary School in Verkottu, near Rameswaram, who had recently lost her father in a fishing boat mishap. The Dr A P J Abdul Kalam International Foundation, Rameswaram, was now going to finance her education. “I am happy to be part of a dream that was so dear to Kalam sir. I too want to read, write and help humankind in whatever way I can,” Anushiya said. “I couldn’t believe it when my mother informed me that I will have to release Kalam sir’s paper. I wish my father was around to witness this event. He would always tell me that I should become a great person like Kalam sir. Today’s event has boosted my confidence,” Anushiya said to a gathering of hundreds of students from different schools in Rameswaram who had braved the rains to attend the event.

The relaunched issue carries messages from spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar as also stories by Medha Velpula, a Class 6 student from Canada, Vaishnav Venugopal, a Class 3 student from Kerala and Hemanth V, a Class 6 student from Karnataka. 

The Kalam Foundation’s trustees will be the editorial advisers and the Inspired Indian Foundation, a movement for unsung heroes in Bangalore, will handle the editorial operations of Billion Beats.