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Thousands gather at Kalam's hometown

Last Updated 29 July 2015, 21:27 IST
Clutching onto his six-month-old daughter, Muneeswaran, a businessman from Karur in Tamil Nadu, was wary of his chances of wading through the massive crowd to see Kalam ayya for one last time.

“He has been an inspiration since college days. This is emotional but he would’ve liked us to move on, carrying forward the spirit he wanted us to imbibe,” Muneeswaran told Deccan Herald.

Muneeswaran was among the thousands from across the country who converged on the coastal town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to bid farewell to former President A P J Abdul Kalam.  People braved the scorching heat and even climbed onto trees to catch a final glimpse of the man who inspired millions across the nation.

Around 3:40 pm on Wednesday, Kalam’s mortal remains was brought to an open ground near the town bus station where people were allowed to pay their last respects.  The temple town wore a sombre look, its junctions marked with flex boards that celebrated Kalam’s life and mourned his passing. “I cannot articulate how or why he was special for us. He was like a family member who made us look important through his achievements,” said Sathish, a cab driver.

Fishermen in and around Rameswaram decided to keep off work for a couple of days as a mark of respect.

Earlier on Wednesday, the casket carrying Kalam’s body was received at Madurai airport by Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah. Finance Minister O Panneerselvam and other state ministers were also present. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Minister of State for Road Transport Pon Radhakrishnan accompanied the casket which was brought from New Delhi in a special Indian Air Force aircraft. Former Indian Space Research Organisation chairman G Madhavan Nair, several political leaders, including Vaiko, G K Vasan and Vijayakanth, poet-lyricist Vairamuthu, actors Vivek and Vadivelu, were among those who paid tributes to the former President at Rameswaram.
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(Published 29 July 2015, 21:27 IST)

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