HRD minister who paid homage to Kalam, shocked, apologetic

RANCHI: To the shock despair and grief of many, within a fortnight of Jharkhand HRD minister Dr Neera Yadav and a school in Hazaribag paying unintentional homage to former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the missile man passed away on Monday evening.
Though it shocked the entire nation, HRD minister Dr Neera Yadav was extremely disturbed over getting the news.Unable to believe the sudden death of former President, she said that she had been praying the moment she heard about Kalam taking ill. “I just can’t believe that he is no more, he had been like a guru to me and I could have never dreamt of insulting him but whatever happened in the school was unintentional and I apologise from depth of my heart,” the minister said mumbling.
Governor Draupadi Murmu, chief minister Raghubar Das and most of the prominent leaders from state expressed condolences and prayed for Kalam’s eternal peace. As the missile man had visited Jharkhand a number of times as President of the country and thereafter as well, many people, especially school kids, felt a personal connection and were grief stricken over the news of his demise.
Governor Draupadi Murmu in her message said that the loss to nation is irreparable as the country lost a scientist, an author a visionary and a person who saw future of the country in youth. “Recently I got an opportunity to meet the great man here at Rajbhavan as Kalam was here to attend a programme of the Birsa Agriculture University,” she said in her message.
Chief Minister, Raghubar Das expressed grief and said people in entire nation including Jharkhand loved him as a great man. “He had a different personality and identity who inspired youth of the nation to dream big and achieve big. We all are at loss after losing such a great person,” Das said reminding that despite assuming the highest office of the country he remained humble and simple.
Apart from the VIPs, Kalam has been remembered across society. Pages on the social networking sites are full with remembrances, condolences and messages to the great president of the country.