Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala today paid rich tributes to former President, A P J Abdul Kalam, who passed away at Shillong this evening. In his condolence message, chief minister Oommen Chandy, said the former President was a person who earned respect of all, including foreign nations.

In the arena of Space Research, he took India to International heights and made the office of President more 'people friendly', Chandy said.

Dr Kalam had special love for Kerala as he had spent many years in the state during his stint as scientist at VSSC here,
he said.

Former Union ministers, A K Antony, Vayalar Ravi, state Health Minister, V S Sivakumar, M K Muneer, CPI(M) State
secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, were among those who remembered Kalam.

The former president had on July 28, 2005, addressed members of the Legislative Assembly and presented Kerala with
a 10-point agenda aimed at making the state an economic power house by 2015.

He delivered a historic address in the assembly and had urged Kerala to identify its core competencies and adopt 10
different missions, including development of tourism, waterways and deep sea fishing besides creation of an army of
nurses and paramedics to meet the rising demand at national and global levels.

Kerala Governor Justice P Sathasivam deeply mourned the passing away of Kalam.

The governor, in a condolence message, said: 'I am deeply shocked and saddened at the sudden passing away of Dr A P J
Abdul Kalam, our former president and one of the most illustrious Indians of modern times.'

'Born and brought up in Tamil Nadu, he made Kerala the arena of his actions as a pioneering scientist at ISRO.
Renowned the world over as the missile-man, Dr Kalam excelled himself as a space scientist par-excellence. The future of our
country was always closest to his heart and his 'India Vision 2020' highlighted the progress he envisaged for his
motherland.' PTI