Once APJ Abdul Kalam's driver, this man is now a history professor

APJ Abdul Kalam's driver over two decades ago, 55-year-old V Kathiresan is now an assistant professor at Arignar Anna Government Arts College in Tamil Nadu, thanks to the former Indian President’s motivation.

Kathiresan joined the army in 1979 and underwent training as an electrical mechanic in Bhopal. The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad then appointed him Kalam's driver-cum-assistant in the late '80s. He served Kalam until 1991.

According to DNA India, Kathiresan said,

I worked as driver for ayya (sir) for five and a half years. He was a very nice person, who is primarily responsible for the position where I am today.

According to The Hindu, Kathiresan caught the former Indian President's attention when Kalam saw him reading newspapers, magazines, and books. It was then that Kalam encouraged and motivated him to study further. He has also received monetary aid from Kalam.

Kalam gave DRDL's employees numerous pep talks, always encouraging them to work harder to achieve their dreams. According to Mumbai Mirror, Kathiresan said,

I always wanted to finish my studies, which I discontinued after my father’s death. Ayya’s words gave wings to my dreams.

Though Kalam moved to Delhi, the spark he had ignited in Kathiresan remained. After completing his 10th board examinations, he went on to pursue his higher secondary, BA (history), and MA (history) from Madurai Kamaraj University.

He quit his job in 1996 to focus on his higher studies and joined the Chief Education Officer’s Office in Tirunelveli as a supervisor. He also finished his MA in political science and PhD in history from Tirunelveli. He then joined Arignar Anna Government Arts College in Salem district as an assistant professor.

According to Mumbai Mirror, he said,

I had written to him to inform that I had quit DRDL and joined the CEO’s office. I was touched when I got a reply. By then, he had become the president. I still have the letter with me.

Kathiresan spent his days working and studied at night. Throughout, he had his wife's support. According to DNA India, he said,

Since my father owned some land, my wife was able to run the family without expecting money from me. I spent all the money I got as a salary on my studies. As my working hours as a driver were from 10 am to 5 pm, I studied in the evening. I was inspired by everyone in the DRDL.

While talking further about the support and guidance he received from Kalam, he said,

The support I got from ayya played a major role in my transformation. He was interested in the welfare of his workers.

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