Real Agni missile to decorate Kalam’s memorial

The final work on the memorial is under way and there are indications that it will be inaugurated on July 27, the death anniversary of Kalam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, are expected to and grace the occasion. 

In the memorial at Peikarumbu, things used by Kalam such as his suit and other items would be on display, along with the miniature of missiles designed by Kalam. Officials have now planned to set up a real Agni missile at the memorial site. 

Highly-placed sources at DRDO said that a real Agni missile-I from Hyderabad would be brought to the memorial to honour Kalam as he led the team that designed Agni. Though the missile would reach Peikarumbu by the early hours of Sunday, it would be installed at the memorial site only on July 26, a day before Kalam’s death anniversary. The sources also said that the missile would be placed behind the newly-built memorial building and the concrete work is already under way. Even the metal statue that was inaugurated on Kalam’s first death anniversary would be shifted behind the memorial building. 

Salim, Kalam’s grandson, confirmed the setting up of the Agni missile at the memorial. 

He said that his grandfather had developed this missile while working as the Director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory at Hyderabad in the early 1980s. 

Agni was the first of the missiles developed by his grandfather and as a tribute to him, officials decided to place a real Agni missile at the memorial spot, said Salim.