Sudha Murty recalls unexpected call from late President Kalam
What's the story
Renowned author, philanthropist, and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty recently recounted an amusing incident involving a phone call she received from the late President APJ Abdul Kalam. In a post on X, she explained that she initially assumed the call was intended for her husband, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, but was astonished to hear that Kalam actually wanted to speak with her. "I got worried and wondered what have I done to receive a call from Abdul Kalam," she shared.
Unexpected praise
Kalam's call to praise Murty's column
Sudha went on to narrate that Kalam had called to commend her on her column about the IT divide in a leading daily. "He said he read my column on IT divide and it made him laugh. He said it's a fantastic column," she revealed in the recorded conversation. Her column was inspired by an incident at a fruit shop where she noticed an IT professional being overcharged ₹100 more for mangoes.
Twitter Post
Listen to the anecdote here
Once I received a call from Mr. Abdul Kalam, who told me that he reads my columns and enjoys them. pic.twitter.com/SWEQ6zfeu4
— Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) June 25, 2024
Column inspiration
Murty's column inspired by real-life incident
When questioned, the shopkeeper justified the price difference saying, "You're a school teacher, you don't understand. She is an IT person, you know. She works at a big company, Infosys. That's why it's ₹200 for her." The Missile Man of India praised the humor in that column by Sudha, telling her that he had a good laugh while reading it.
Honored achievements
Sudha's recognition for social work and literature
In 2006, President Kalam presented the Padma Shri Award to Murty for her social work. Later in 2023, she was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India, by President Droupadi Murmu. Today, Murty is recognized not only for her contributions to Kannada and English literature but also for her philanthropic work.