Cooperative leaders have expressed shock and dismay at the news of sudden demise of India’s 11th President APJ Abdul Kalam who died on Monday evening at a hospital in Meghalaya, where he had gone to deliver a lecture. He was 83.
IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi said that he felt sad to know about the demise of the man who yearned to develop India all through his life. But the greatest tribute to him would be to fulfill his dreams of developing India, he added in a tweet.
In his tweet Awasthi said” #IFFCO is shocked 2learn abt sad demise of our most respected fmr #President #Abdul 
Kalam D greatest tribute 4 him would be 2develope #India.”
One of MD’s followers reminded him on the social media that Kalam was a great friend of youth and farmers and he had in fact mentioned the contribution of Iffco in one of his Independence Day speeches.
Partha Bhattacharya (@partha_iffco) tweeted” @drusawasthi Sir, we have lost a grt son of India, a cult hero#hd alwys bn inspratnl 2farmers n youth.Mentond IFFCO in indpndnc day speech.
The Face Book walls of several cooperators were filled up mourning the loss of a man who tirelessly inspired the modern generation. One of them said that the Monday started with bad news of terror attack in Gurdaspur and later this shocking news of Kalam’s passing way in the evening.
Jyotindra Mehta, who is a well-known cooperator from Gujarat and is also on the board of apex body National Cooperative Union of India, said that it is an irreparable loss. Kalam absence would be felt always. I pay my tributes to the great man.
Kalam’s body was flown by an Air Force helicopter to Guwahati in Assam from where it will be taken to Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present at the Delhi airport to receive his body.
The former President, who was in office from 2002 to 2007, had collapsed during the lecture at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, around 6.30 pm. He was taken to the Bethany hospital. Doctors said he had suffered a massive cardiac arrest.
The government has declared a seven-day national mourning as a mark of respect for the former President.
