Did Tamil Nadu government forget former president Abdul Kalam?

Chennai: President Ram Nath Kovind remembered former president Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary (October 15) by inaugurating a series of functions at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, but the state government here on Sunday failed to celebrate the iconic Kalam's anniversary as Youth Renaissance Day.

Interestingly, it was late chief minister J Jayalalithaa who announced and passed government orders for the birth anniversary of the 'Missile Man' to be celebrated as the Youth Renaissance Day, but within two years the state has failed to remember the humble Kalam hailed as the people's president. Late AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa had described Kalam as a 'Nuclear Hero' who rose from humble origins.

"In 2015, former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa announced that the state would observe Dr. Kalam's birthday as an annual Youth Renaissance Day. She also announced an award commemorating Dr Kalam and the award is to be given to a youth promoting science and humanities. While such state awards are usually given during Independence Day, the state has a tradition of celebrating birth anniversaries of iconic leaders, but this year no such significance was given to Kalam", confirmed a TN official. "As a saving grace at least a competition or science exhibition could have been conducted by the school education department," observed the official.

However private schools and organisations in the state remembered Dr. Kalam by offering floral tributes to the iconic teacher and his hometown Rameshwaram celebrated the occasion in a grand manner, including at his memorial.