Abdul Kalam's personal belongings handed over to Delhi govt

MADURAI: Family of late President APJ Abdul Kalam handed over his personal belongings to Delhi culture minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday.
The belongings will be exhibited at a knowledge centre in the national capital which the Delhi government is planning to set up in memory of Kalam.
Mishra and a team of officials visited Kalam’s ancestral house in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.Kalam’s elder brother APJ Mohammad Muthu Meeranlebbai Maraikayar and his family members welcomed the minister and handed over Kalam’s belongings to him, said Kalam’s grandnephew APJ Sheikh Salim.
The items which were handed over to the minister are: Around 1,000 books in English and Hindi and 50 Tamil books, including Kamba Ramayana, Mahabaratha, national poet Mahakavi Bharathi’s poems, Thiruvachagam (Saivite hymns), a complete set of Kalam’s robes, his speeches and mementos.
It may be recalled that Kalam’s elder brother had requested the central government to convert the Rajaji Marg residence in Delhi, where Kalam resided, into a Kalam national knowledge centre. However, the government turned down the request on the ground that the residence was allotted to a Union minister.
Following this, the elder brother wrote a letter to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on November 11 last year requesting him to set up a centre in Kalam’s name. Accepting his request, the Delhi government has decided to set up a Kalam knowledge centre.
Mishra said, “The centre in memory of Kalam will start on July 27, the first death anniversary of Kalam. In the meantime, his personal belongings will be displayed at the Delhi Vidhan Sabha.”