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took my hand and said, ‘What a president you are, when I am not in power, you are honouring a soldier.’ He was very happy to see me. Old as he was, and bedridden, his mind was still on maintaining the effectiveness of our armed forces. They had to be continuously strengthened, he said, because of adversaries and evolving defence technologies. He asked me an interesting question. ‘Kalam, can you tell me, in another decade will all the existing weapons become meaningless and will electronic and cyber warfare take over?’ This question from the field marshal was ringing in my mind and came up when I met a great spiritual leader and we discussed ridding the world of nuclear weapons. When I asked the field marshal, ‘Can I do anything for you?’ he said, ‘I do not know, but one thing I want to tell you, the status of the field marshal of the country or the equivalent has to be unique for the nation.’ This remark stayed in my mind.
    As soon as I came to Delhi, I had a meeting with the prime minister for some other purpose. I told him that we must do something more in recognition of the great service rendered by Field Marshal Manekshaw for the country. That day there was a dinner for visiting dignitaries where I met the army chief and the air force chief and emphasized the need for recognizing both Field Marshal Manekshaw and Marshal of the Air Arjan Singh. Then I immediately called my secretary, P.M. Nair, to prepare a note and send it to the prime minister for necessary action with retrospective effect. The government gladly accepted the proposal to refix his pay scale consistent with his contribution to thenation. I was very happy that the recognition took place during the lifetime of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
    The inimitable Khushwant
    It was a great experience to meet Khushwant Singh, who is now in his nineties. I have read some of his books, and have been an ardent reader of his column in the Hindustan Times . Many people asked me why I had specially met him. My answer was, I particularly like books and their authors. Khushwant Singh is a great and ceaseless writer, even at the age of ninety-five. He did a write-up on me in 2007 in his column. I give an abridged version which illustrates his views, and my own, on God quite interestingly, I thought.
    In a few months Abdul Kalam, the eleventh President of our Republic, will retire after serving a full term of five years. He is the third Muslim to have held the highest office: A fair record of our claim to be a secular democracy and a lesson to our neighbours.
    I have no idea whether he will return to scientific research, teach in some university or take sanyas. He is in his 70s. I had the privilege of spending half an hour with him. He did the honour of visiting me in my apartment: The head of state calling on a common pen-pusher speaks well of his humility.
    We have very little in common. He is Tamil. I know only two words of Tamil: Venakkam and ai-ai-yo . Though a scientist, Kalam is a deeply religious man. I am an agnostic and believe that science and religion cannot go together. One is based on reason, the other on faith. After talking to him and reading his writings, I found hisreligious beliefs are similar to Mahatma Gandhi’s. Despite my inability to accept all that Bapu stood for, I call myself a Gandhian. Kalam sees no conflict between science and religion. When I asked him if he believed in the Day of Judgement and rewards or penalties we might have to pay in life hereafter, he replied evasively, ‘Heaven and hell are in the mind’ …
    So what is Kalam’s concept of God? It is not Allah versus Ishwar, Khuda versus Bhagwan; He is not to be looked for in a mosque or a temple. He is not to be fought over and sought in martyrdom as protagonists of different religions do in our country. After they have shed each other’s blood, comes the voice of God-like thunder:
    Suddenly a sound thundered from light,
‘I am none of yours! All ye hear!
Love was my