That he spearheaded the weaponisation of the country's strategic missile systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy, which made India a nuclear weapon state, as the Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development from July 1992 to December 1999, also undoubtedly added to his popularity and appeal.
His demise has resulted in the government announcing a seven-day long national mourning, even as many states declared Tuesday as a holidays for schools and colleges. Unsurprisingly, newspapers on Tuesday were full of Kalam's praise as the obituaries to the "people's president" took the front pages of major national dailies as cartoonists joined in to pay their last tributes to the much loved public figure.
Here's a look:
The Times of India
The Indian Express
The Statesman
Mumbai Mirror
Source: The Viral Fever on Facebook
Watching us from the heavens above! Such a heartening tribute by cartoonist Shreyas Navare. RIP. pic.twitter.com/SHOdaJNcgc
— Payal Baloni (@payalbaloni) July 28, 2015
Kalam, the man who taught us to dream. #RIPKalam Sify cartoon pic.twitter.com/Fy7RAQUlW1 — Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) July 28, 2015
Cartoon of the day: Former president #APJAbdulKalam : from http://t.co/14bZAPuj36 RIP @KiranKS @nayanchandra pic.twitter.com/M3cx6qpBXO — An!ket (@Aniketrockstar) July 27, 2015
RIP APJ Abdul Kalam. My #cartoon pic.twitter.com/hHb1HiTkXK
— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) July 27, 2015
EP Unny in today's Indian Express. MS Subbulakshmi singing Kalam's favourite raga, Sree : https://t.co/cHYVo8det4 pic.twitter.com/ws2fINti6x
— S. Gopalakrishnan (@gopalears) July 28, 2015