GUWAHATI, July 29 - Employees of the Assam Tribune Group of Newspapers today mourned the death of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, a Bharat Ratna awardee.
At a condolence meeting held under the aegis of the Assam Tribune Employees� Union (ATEU), union president Siva Prasad Deka and general secretary Dugdharam Kalita recalled the contributions of Dr Kalam in diverse fields such as science, defence, etc., besides his role as a national leader and a science communicator to millions of children and youths of the country. They observed that Dr Kalam�s legacy would continue to inspire generation after generation.
Meanwhile, Dr GVK Reddy and the Board of Directors of GVK EMRI on Tuesday also mourned the demise of their Chairman Emeritus, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Dr Kalam was associated with the GVK Emergency Management Institute since August 16, 2007, and consented to become its Chairman Emeritus in September 2012.
While expressing his condolences, Dr Reddy said, �Dr Kalam had strongly advocated the need and necessity of a life-saving service like 108, and always encouraged the use of technology in the business of saving lives.�
Dr Reddy added that Dr Kalam had been propagating the need of 108 GVK EMRI services in the rest of the SAARC nations and other developing countries. �He would regularly visit the GVK EMRI offices in most of the operating States. He took very keen interest in the work of 108 services in the North East and would say that saving a life is the greatest help one can do in this world,� Dr Reddy said.
The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre, the Assam College Teachers� Association and the Education Research and Development Foundation have also condoled Dr Kalam�s death.
Meanwhile, the Assam Science Society has expressed deep sorrow over the passing away of the former President. In a statement, it described Dr Kalam�s contributions to the development of the country as remarkable.
The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) has also mourned the death of Dr Kalam. In a statement, NETA chairman Bidyananda Barkakoty remembered the assertion made by Dr Kalam as the chief guest of the World Tea Science Congress held in Jorhat on November 22, 2001 with regard to declaring tea as the national drink of the country.
Dr Kalam had asserted: �It will be no exaggeration if we call tea the national drink of India.�
The World Tea Science Congress was held on the occasion of the centenary celebration of the Tocklai Experimental Centre, now renamed as the Tocklai Tea Research Institute of the Tea Research Association (TRA).
City Correspondent adds: A condolence meeting was held on the Gauhati University (GU) premises on Wednesday to pay homage to Dr Kalam.
The National Tricolour was flown half-mast in front of the Administrative Building of the GU as a mark of respect to Dr Kalam in accordance with the Government of India�s decision to observe a seven-day mourning.
The condolence meeting, which was held at the Phanidhar Dutta Hall of the GU, was attended by the members of the GU Employees� Association, GU Teachers� Association and GU Officers� Association. Participants in the meeting also observed one minute�s silence.
