IIM-Shillong in shock over Kalam death
Shillong, July 28: A sense of shock and disbelief pervades among the students and staff of the Indian Institute of Management here who were witness to former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's final moments when he collapsed while delivering a lecture. The disbelief - that the "Missile Man" they looked up to is no more - is compounded by the fact that the former president was brimming with enthusiasm and energy till the time he passed out. There was not the slightest of hint of what was in store when Kalam, who was president in 2002-07, began his lecture on 'Creating a Liveable Planet' to the second year students of IIM-Shillong. About 15 minutes into his speech, while sharing his experiences, he suddenly fainted and fell down around 6.30 p.m. The medical officer of IIM in the Meghalaya capital tried to revive him but failed. Kalam was then rushed to the Bethany hospital where a team of doctors from the military hospital and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Health and Medical Sciences tried to revive him. He was declared dead due to a massive cardiac arrest by a team of doctors at 7.45 p.m. "The IIM-Shillong community is still in a state of shock and sorrow that our former president is no more. I have still not come to terms with the passing away of Kalam," IIM-Shillong director Amitabha De said.
