Swapnakadun Sattyakade

THE PRESENT BOOK `A TALE OF KALPANA CHAWLA` HAS BEEN PRINTED 10 EDITIONS SO FAR WHICH SHOWS THE POPULARITY OF THE BOOK AS WELL AS OF THE WRITER. BRINGING OUR DREAM INTO REALITY IS NOT AT ALL THAT EASY. IF REQUIRES A LOT OF PERSEVERANCE COURAGE AND MOST OF ALL INCESSANT ATTEMPT FOR THE INTRICATE. HERE IS A YOUNG LADY OF WHOM NOT ONLY KARNAL IN PANJAB (INDIA) BUT ALSO THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD BE PROUD OF. SHE IS NO OTHER THAN KALPANA CHAWLA! (KC AS SHE WAS POPULAR IN HER GROUP.) KALPANA IS THE FIRST INDIAN LADY ASTRONAUT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NASA`S COLUMBIA EXPEDITION. THIS EVENT WAS FANTASTIC AS SHE WAS BORN IN A TRADITIONAL INDIAN FAMILY. HOWEVER, WITH ALL ODDS, SHE COMPLETED HER ENGINEERING WITH AERONAUTICS AS HER SPECIAL SUBJECT. LANDING IN USA FOR FURTHER EDUCATION WAS HER NEXT ACHIEVEMENT. THERE WAS NO OTHER MODEL BEFORE HER BUT SHE HERSELF BECAME A MODEL FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME! SHE HAD INDIRA GANDHI`S DESIRE TO WIN, JRD TATA`S TENACITY AND KIRAN BEDIE`S SENSE OF DUTY! SHE HAS SET UP AN EXEMPLARY LIFE. STILL REMEMBER THAT ONE HAS TO CARRY ONE`S OWN CROSS! AS SHE DID. SHE CREATED A NEW IDEAL BEFORE THOSE WHO `SEE` DREAMS AND TRY TO BRING THEM IN REALITY. IN HER LAST MESSAGE TO HER PROFESSOR DR. V. S. MALHOTRA SHE HAS RIGHTLY SAID, ``THERE DOES EXIST A WAY TO GO FROM A DREAM TO REALITY. THE ONLY THING THAT IS REQUIRED IS TO HAVE THE INSIGHT AND COURAGE IN YOU.`` SHE HAD ALL THAT! BORN IN KARNAL ON 1ST JULY 1961 SHE PASSED AWAY FROM THIS WORLD ON 1ST FEBRUARY 2003. IN A VERY SHORT SPAN OF 42 YEARS SHE ACHIEVED NAME AND FAME, WHICH IS INDESCRIBABLE. IN THE LAST EXPEDITION SHE FLASHED LIKE A METEOR AND SPREAD THE RAYS OF HOPE AMONGST MANY. THE BOOK SCREWS YOU FROM THE FIRST PAGE TO THE LAST. SUCH IS THE LANGUAGE! THE DETAILS OF HER LIFE ARE QUITE VIVIDLY PENNED. ANY ONE AND EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. . , . . . , . . , . ... . , . . , . . .