Country & Politics Political News Bulletin & Beyond National Weekly dUVªh,.MikWfyfVDl o"kZ % 4 vad % 9 ubZ fnYyh] 3 vxLr ls 9 vxLr 2015 ewY; % 2/- i`"B % 16 countryandpolitics.in Life is a difficult game, You can win it only by retaining your birthright to be a person, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam cnp bureau New Delhi: Former President APJ Abdul Kalam passed away in Shillong on Monday evening. He was 83. Kalam, who reached Shillong via Guwahati in the morning, collapsed during a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management-Shillong (IIM-S) at around 6:30 pm and was rushed to the Bethany Hospital there. Doctors at the hospital said he was brought dead around 7pm. “He had no pulse when he was admit- ted to the hospital. We can attribute his death to car- diac arrest,” a doctor said. The hospital authorities, however, refrained from confirming the death until Meghalaya governor V Shanmughanathan and chief secretary PBO Warjri visited the hospital around 8pm. “The body of the for- mer president will be flown to New Delhi via Guwahati Tuesday morning,” Warjri said. IIM-S officials said Kalam, who had tweeted in the morning about the func- tion, showed no signs of ill- ness after he reached the Meghalaya capital. “We had a packed house for the lecture on Liveable Planet Earth,” an official said. From 'Missile Man' to 'People's President' Kalam served as president for five years from 2002, enjoying the support of both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. Kalam was closely involved in the country's civilian space programme and military missile devel- opment efforts, earning him the sobriquet 'India's Missile Man'. He worked as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) before he became president. He also played a pivotal technical and politi- cal role in India's Pokhran- II nuclear tests in 1998, shortly after the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government came to power. After his term, he returned to a life of education, writ- ing, and public service. He received several presti- gious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India's high- est civilian honor. The government is set to announce a national mourning of seven days. Cont...on Page 4 In this photo, President APJ Abdul Kalam waves while traveling in horse carriage at the ceremonial reception in the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan after the swearing ceremony in New Delhi. “India's Missile Man” Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam Passes Away Tribute to Kalam Sahab, Missile Man of India From CNP Team