Abdul Kalam on Thursday, with large number of people gathered outside his residence in Rameshwaram. “I met him at the Kolkata airport and he invited me to travel with him to the Howrah railway station”, he said while paying tributes to India’s Missile Man at a condolence meeting held in the SOA University.
Advertisement
Several leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top political personalities will be likely to be present at the funeral.
Kalam, as DRDO chief, and DAE director R Chidambaram played a pivotal role in covertly planning and organising Pokhran-II nuclear tests in the Thar Desert in 1998, successfully managing to fool US satellites and other intelligence-gathering mechanisms. Among the thousands of people who congregated at Rameswaram to pay homage was a group of five students from different parts of the State who had come to have a last glimpse of their source of inspiration. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will not attend the funeral as she is not well, the state government said, but will send seven ministers. Although the actress immediately realized her error and tried to rectify it, her next post also consisted of a typo in spelling his name. From there the mortal remains will be carried to the burial site. Public emotions were running high that a boy with humble origins from this coastal town who rose to great heights had passed away.
Modi, who arrived by a special helicopter at nearby Mandapam, drove to this island town in his bullet-proof vehicle amidst tight security.
The untimely sudden demise of the former President of India and Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a major loss to India, Mr. Harikishan Eppanapally, the Chairman of the board for Lead India 2020 Foundation (USA) said in New Jersey on Monday.
Bishop Dabre recounted that he had the privilege to encounter Kalam a few times, both in Delhi and Surat, and also discussed the keen interest of the scientist-president in the issues of peace and progress in society.
Later, it was taken to the place of burial where prayers were be offered again.
Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, said: “Over the years, Kalam touched the lives of many Indians in his inimitable style, connecting and stimulating them”.
Advertisement
Kalam’s 99-year old brother was seen wiping his tears frequently as he watched the ceremony from a distance. Shops remained closed in Rameswaram and other parts of the state.
