Former President Abdul Kalams last rites begin in Rameswaram; PM Modi VVIPs pay last respects

 Rameswaram: Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s last rites began on Thursday (July 30) in his ancestral village in Tamil Nadu. Thousands of people thronged Rameswaram to bid farewell to the 11th President of India, who was popularly called the “People’s President”. A funeral procession was taken out in Kalam’s hometown before the rites could be performed in the presence of his family members and senior dignitaries. Kalam’s body, wrapped in tricolour, was carried by defence personnel during the funeral procession. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar attended the funeral ceremony in Rameswaram. Kalam, a renowned scientist, died of cardiac arrest on Monday (July 27) while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Managament in Shillong. Kalam, who was the President of India between 2002 and 2007, is considered the father of India’s missile programme. Kalam, who wrote a book called “Ignited Minds,” became best known as a tireless campaigner for unleashing the country’s technological muscle and discouraging expensive imports from the West. Born on Oct. 15, 1931 in Tamil Nadu, Kalam graduated from the prestigious Madras Institute of Technology in aeronautical engineering.