NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 17, 2002: A. P. J. Kalam, the father of India’s missile program, is a far cry from the somber men who have occupied the sandstone presidential palace during India’s past 55 years. The man expected to be named the new president on Thursday is a scientist who believes that fear of nuclear conflict averted war with Pakistan last month. He’s the son of a minority Muslim family who has embraced the Hindu beliefs of its majority. Kalam, with gray, shoulder-length hair, would also bring a wardrobe that includes short-sleeved shirts and flip-flop sandals to the 340-room palace. Although born to Muslim parents, Kalam does not describe himself as Muslim. He reads Hindu scriptures each day and is a vegetarian. When asked about who would act as his first lady, the unmarried Kalam waved his hands and said, “No, no, I’m a brahmacharya.” The Sanskrit word means someone who has chosen not to marry but to live a celibate life style.
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