After nine years, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had a family re-union, with 100-odd members gathering at House of Kalam, his ancestral home, here on Sunday.
It was a memorable occasion for Mr. Kalam as he could wish his elder brother A.P.J.M. Maraikayar, who turned 98 on Sunday, and his 10-year-old great-granddaughter, Hanija, sought his blessings.
Mr. Kalam arrived in the morning and spent three hours with his elder brother and other family members who came from Chennai, Pamban, Ramanathapuram and other places, A.P.J.M.K. Sheik Saleem, Mr. Kalam’s grandson, told The Hindu .
Mr. Kalam occasionally comes to the island for a family re-union. He paid a brief visit in January when he came to Pamban to inaugurate the centenary celebrations of the Pamban rail bridge.
Mr. Saleem said the last family reunion was in 2005 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, when he was the President. “That time, all of us went to Delhi to meet him; this time grandpa has come down to see us. We were extremely happy, and Sunday turned out to be a memorable day for every one of us,” he said.
It was an occasion to reconnect with the large family members, spanning over five generations, he said. Mr. Kalam advised his great-granddaughter to study well and become a physician.
Mr. Kalam also released Aalavirutcham , a book on his ancestral family penned by his niece Nazima, a Ph.D. scholar at Madurai Kamaraj University. He also released her thesis, ‘Thirukuralil Ariviyal Kooralam,’ brought out in a book form.
