Jayalalithaa unwell, won’t attend Kalam’s last rites

People across India are paying homage to former President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam – a career scientist and aerospace engineer turned reluctant politician – who took his last breath on Monday at the age of 83.

Hundreds of people, ranging from VIPs to commoners and school children who carried roses, queued up at his residence here till Tuesday evening to pay tribute to Kalam.

China also paid rich tributes to former President APJ Abdul Kalam, terming him an influential Indian politician and active promoter of Sino-Indian friendship. He is part of a team of seven ministers deputed by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to represent her and the state government at the funeral. Kejriwal announced that the Delhi government will name its scheme providing educational loan up to ’10 lakh after Kalam. For him, it was a point of pride that India had developed its bomb without much help from foreign powers.

President Putin said that in Russia, Kalam will be remembered as a consistent exponent of closer friendly relations between the two nations who has done a lot for cementing mutually beneficial Russian-Indian cooperation.

Singer Adnan Sami said that Dr Abdul Kalam loved every element of life.

The family members were discussing the site where Kalam’s last rites could be conducted. Abdul Kalam with a painting of the late statesman in Allahabad.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari said the country had lost a true son.

In 1997, Kalam received India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, for his contribution to the scientific research and modernisation of defence technology in India. Residents can express their sympathies in the book at the Embassy’s premises from 9am to 4pm on July 30.

“Kalam, during a visit to Srinagar, once said that he wanted to be seen as a “good human being only”.

“He encouraged the development of India’s first indigenous satellite launch vehicle that brought the country into an elite club of space-faring nations and guided India’s missile-development programme”, the daily said.

“Kalam’s celebrity could be traced to 1998, when India detonated five nuclear devices in the northwestern desert, to widespread global condemnation”, it said.