People shower rose petals on the grave of A P J Abdul Kalam during his funeral ceremony in Rameswaram yesterday.

IANS/Rameswaram

Former president A P J Abdul Kalam was laid to rest here yesterday with full military honours in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders who paid tributes to the man who strengthened India’s missile programme and played a key role in country’s 1998 nuclear test - making him a national hero.
The body of Kalam - warmly called the people’s president - was draped in the tricolour and brought to the burial site at Pei Karumbu here in a flower-bedecked gun carriage, escorted by columns of the three armed services.
People in large numbers lined up along the route to catch a last glimpse of Kalam, the rocket and missile scientist who was awarded the country’s highest civilian honour - the Bharat Ratna - in 1997 and bid him a tearful final good-bye.
Many climbed an under-construction building and other buildings to see their illustrious son-of-the-soil.
People cutting across political, religious and other lines came in large numbers to Kalam’s native town to participate in his last journey.
Many could scarcely believe that he would no longer return to his hometown.
Kalam had died on Monday in Shillong after suffering a massive heart attack during a lecture he was delivering to students of Indian Institute of Management.
A 21-gun salute was accorded to the former supreme commander of the armed forces and a military band played the haunting ‘Last Post’.
After Kalam’s body was lowered into the earth, prayers were held following which the grave was closed and then covered with flower petals.
Modi, who arrived here, paid his last respects to the country’s youth icon and popular president by laying a wreath he then stood in silence before the casket for a while.
The prime minister also went up to Kalam’s eldest brother, 99-year old Mohamed Muthu Meeran Lebbai Maraikayar and offered his condolences.
Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah, union Ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Manohar Parrikar and Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu ministers O.Panneerselvam, and Natham R Viswanathan and others also paid their last respects to Kalam.
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy were also present, as was Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders also paid their last respects to Kalam.
Earlier the mortal remains of India’s eleventh president, who held office 2002-07, were taken to the family mosque for prayers.
His family members also reached here. “All our relatives have also arrived to attend the last rites,” A P J M K Sheik Saleem, the former president’s brother’s grandson, told IANS.
The Tamil Nadu government declared a public holiday yesterday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Banks, insurance companies, schools and colleges were closed throughout the state.
Political parties like the DMK and the AIADMK cancelled their functions.