Bangalore, June 07: Asserting that a developed India was no longer just a vision, President A P J Abdul Kalam today exhorted the nation to continue to combat developed nations' economic and technological sanctions with its might in a spirit of courage and dynamism. "When India became 'nuclear weapon state' and when India became a missile power, developed nations launched on us economic and technological sanctions in 1998 till date," he said here.
"We withstood and combated with our agricultural, technological, industrial might and above all the courage of our people. Keep this spirit and multiply with dynamic momentum," Kalam said.
The President's comments were contained in a note he circulated to the children on the occasion of an interactive session he had with them at the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) temple.
Kalam launched the "kids for kids" mid-day meal programme of the "Akshaya Patra" foundation, which has a mission to feed free meals to one lakh poverty-stricken school children in and around Bangalore city.
Underlining that developed India would become reality, he said India was going to enter into a knowledge society in another decades' time.
"It is time for India to enter into the second vision led by the young of this country", he said, noting that it was important to recognise that the country had a population of 700 million young people below 35 years, "which is a big force". Bureau Report