Former Indian President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Shillong on Monday evening after he collapsed while delivering an annual lecture in Meghalaya. The President, from 2002 until 2007, was known as the father of the country’s military missile programme.
“Kalam is no more,” Meghalaya Chief Secretary PBO Warjri said shortly after the 83-year-old ex-President breathed his last at the Bethany Hospital, at Nongrim Hills where he was taken to after he fell sick. Warjri told reporters outside the hospital that he had spoken to Union Home Secretary lC Goyal asking for necessary arrangements to be made for carrying Kalam’s body from Guwahati to Delhi on Tuesday morning. He said that the body of the former President will be kept at the Army hospital in Shillong for the night.
“The former President was delivering a lecture on ‘sustainability’ when he suddenly collapsed on stage soon after the programme began around 6.30 pm,” Indian Institute of Management-Shillong official Merlvin Mukhim said.
“The former President was admitted to the hospital on Monday evening. However, there was no sign of life when he was brought here. The doctors put him on life support immediately but there was no response, which indicated that he was brought dead. We suspect that the former President had a cardiac arrest during the function at the IIM Shillong,” said Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, John Sailo. Meghalaya Governor V Shanmughanathan, who rushed to the hospital on hearing the news of his admission, said Kalam who would have turned 84 in October, died at 7.45 pm. The Government declared national mourning for seven days and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the former President’s death describing him as “marg darshak” (guide).
Both the Houses of Parliament are likely to make obituary references and adjourned as a mark of respect to him. Cutting across party lines leaders condoled Kalam’s death. While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha PJ Kurien termed it a personal loss, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the death as an “irreparable loss”.
“The death of Dr Kalam is an irreparable loss to this nation. He has left a big void hard to fill. I deeply mourn his death. RIP Kalam Sahab,” he tweeted.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma condoled the death of the former President and said that it is a loss to the whole country. “We mourn the death of the eminent scientist along with the whole nation. A special team of the Meghalaya Government had been deputed to look after the arrangements regarding the sending of the former President’s body to Guwahati and forth as required,” Sangma said.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi expressed condolences over the sudden death of the former President, “I mourn the passing away of a superb human being who was very down to earth. With his death the country has lost a great scientist who ignited the young minds to make India vibrant and resilient,” Gogoi said.
“I had the opportunity of meeting the former President several times and we travelled even to rural areas. I was his great admirer who was deeply enamoured by the rich heritage and culture of Assam.”
“I on behalf of the people of Assam deeply condole the death of the great son of the Nation,” Gogoi said.
Considered the most popular President, Kalam became the 11th head of the State and occupied the post between 2002 and 2007 but lack of consensus denied a second term in office for a man who came from outside political circles.
Popularly called the “Missile Man” of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam rose from humble beginnings and earned the reputation of being the “people’s President” who endeared himself to all sections, especially the young.
A devout Muslim and son of a boat owner, Kalam, who assumed office as the 11th President on July 18,
2002, was seen as a figurehead who could help heal some of the scars of the communal riots which broke out in Gujarat just a few months before.
One of India’s most accomplished scientists, Kalam was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981, Padma Vibhushan in 1990 and Bharat Ratna in 1997. Born on October 15, 1931 at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, Kalam went on to become one of the country’s most celebrated aerospace and Defence scientists. He played a key role in India’s nuclear test in 1998 when Atal Bihar Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.
The country’s first bachelor President, Kalam, whose flowing grey hair is seen as being at odds with what Indians thought a President ought to look like, was one amongst the most respected people of the country who contributed immensely both as a scientist and as a President.
Acknowledged as the driving force behind India’s quest for cutting-edge Defence technologies, Kalam’s contributions to India’s satellite programmes, guided and ballistic missiles project, nuclear weapons
programme and the light Combat Aircraft project made him a household name.
Kalam, who was known for having a unique style, joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation after studying physics and aerospace engineering after graduating from Madras Institute of Technology.
Mainly focusing on research in Defence and space arena, he later involved himself in the India’s missile programme. His contribution to the ballistic missile and launch vehicle technology earned him the named as the “Missile Man of India”.
A vegetarian bachelor, Kalam was quoted as saying that like most of the technology he spearheaded, he himself was “Made in India”, having never been trained abroad.
Kalam succeeded KR Narayanan and served a full five-year term from 2002 until 2007 after he won the Presidential elections which was a highly one-sided contest with lakshmi Sahgal, a revolutionary
of the Indian Independence movement, as his rival. He secured the backing of all political parties.
With his appointment, Kalam became the first scientist and first-ever bachelor to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan.