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Shillong stunned

Last Updated 27 July 2015, 21:33 IST

The quiet and rainy town of Shillong got a jolt on Monday evening when former President A P J Abdul Kalam was declared dead at a hospital in the Meghalaya capital.

 
Kalam collapsed while giving a talk at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, and was immediately rushed to Bethany Hospital.

As the news spread, curious onlookers and well-wishers slowly gather around the hospital, eye witnesses told Deccan Herald over phone from Shillong.

On hearing the news, Lalruatfela Zadeng, who lives a few meters away from the hospital, went out to try and catch a glimpse of the former President.

“There was a huge crowd inside and outside the hospital. I had planned to take out my scooter but the road outside my house was blocked,” he said.

Another local, Lalmalsawma Pachuau, who lives right next to the hospital, said: “He (Kalam) was rushed to the hospital at around 6:45pm. A few minutes later a number of local ministers also arrived. At around 8:30pm the local police head came out and spoke to the Army general. As the policeman went into his vehicle I heard him say that the Army had to declare his death. This was around 8:30pm.”

Located near one of the busiest junctions in Shillong, the road leading to the hospital suffers from chronic traffic jams. By around 8 pm or 9 pm, however, the entire area is empty. But not on this day. 

“People began to shout ‘Kalam amar rahe’ and ‘inqulab zindabad’. The Army could not move the body out of the hospital for some time and had to warn the crowd to move or get beaten up. People started climbing transformers to catch a glimpse of the body. Police had to pull them down.

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(Published 27 July 2015, 21:33 IST)

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