Indians Surge For Final Goodbye To 'People's President'

Paramita, a government school teacher, said she has been quoting examples from Kalam's life to her students for years.

"I had to come, he is an inspiration for everyone...," she said.

Some travelled great distances to bid their final adieu.

Ali Khadri, who runs NGO Seeratunabi Academy in Hyderabad, travelled all the way for a last look at the former president.

"What he has done for the country, the new generation needs to learn from it. Indians will always be thankful to him," said Khadri, whose NGO runs madrassas in

Hyderabad.

In the crowd were also 12-year-old twins Parkriti and Pranika Malhar, carrying their photo with Kalam taken three years ago.

"They met him in 2012, and today they were adamant that they had to come here," said their uncle Hemant Sayal, who accompanied them.

The imprint of that meeting is still strong in the minds of the twins.

"I want to be a scientist like him," said Prakriti.

Khurshid Rajaka, chief coordinator of the Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills, who travelled down from Mewat in Haryana, summed up what was the sentiment of

many people present there.

"He was not a great man because he held a big post. He was a great man because he did great deeds. We must learn from that," said Rajaka.

As police managed the crowd, an officer taking care of security observed that the number of people pouring in was unprecedented for a person who was not a political or

religious leader.

"The crowd shows how popular he is," the officer said.