The President:

Kalam , who rose to prominence soon after the Pokhran tests in 1998, is a staunch believer in self defence. He has always expressed his opinion that India has to stand up for itself to gain respect globally. He believes in the dictum 'only strength respects strength".
Political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan feels that though Kalam's 'silence' as a President is 'remarkable', it would help if the President was a little more outspoken. 'He could help lift public debate out of the mire of partisan strife,' he told Sify.com. Kalam is also often looked upon more as a scientist, whose 'humanistic disciplines are not central to his vision'.