India mourns the loss of a statesman and former president

(Vatican Radio) Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen (APJ) Abdul Kalam, India's 11th president, known as the father of the country’s military missile program, died, aged 83, on Monday.

Kalam collapsed at Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Shillong, evening while doing what he loved - addressing students. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital at Nongrim Hills where doctors pronounced him dead.

Born in humble circumstances in a Muslim family in rural Tamil Nadu, a young boy who sold newspapers as a boy to help his family make ends meet, rose to the highest office in the land. And he did so not through the conventional route of a political career but through the dint of hard work as a scientist in government service.

India's "missile man", as he was dubbed in the popular press, Abdul Kalam was a rocket scientist who rose to prominence as head of the country's successful civilian space and missile defence programmes.

An unlikely compromise candidate for president from 2002 until 2007, he soon became the most popular occupant of that exalted post, disregarding its customary ceremonial role to reach out to ordinary people, particularly the young.

He was a scientist and science administrator for four decades before that, mainly at the state-run Defense Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Space Research Organisation. He played a key organisational and technical role in India’s nuclear program. He also served as a scientific adviser to the prime minister.

Combining idiosyncratic power-point presentations of his vision for India's future with instructional poems for children, lecturing on everything from solar energy to the importance of broadband connectivity for India's villages, Abdul Kalam "ignited minds", to use the title of one of his five bestselling books (he published 17 in all).

The shock of his sudden passing has left a nation bereaved. India mourns his death, but will long celebrate his life.

“The Government of India has decided to declare national mourning for seven days as a mark of respect for late former President Abdul Kalam” Union Home Secretary L C Goyal said. During the period of state mourning, the national flag will fly at half mast on all buildings throughout India where is it flown regularly. There will be no official entertainment during the period of mourning.

However, as a drastic departure from convention there will be no holiday, respecting what APJ Abdul Kalam had said once, “Don’t declare holiday on my death, instead work an extra day, if you love me.”

His body was flown to Guwahati in Assam Tuesday morning and was brought to Delhi by a special aircraft. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all three service chiefs received his body at the airport.

The Home Ministry is overseeing the arrangements for the funeral in consultation with members of the late President's family. The Union Cabinet will hold a special meeting in New Delhi Tuesday to condole Dr Kalam's death. His funeral is likely to be held in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, where he was born.