Ninety-four-year-old Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, who is wheelchair bound, was also among the many dignitaries to lay a wreath at the base of the coffin carrying the mortal remains of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the Palam Airport here on Tuesday.
It was indeed a poignant moment for citizens as well as personnel of the armed forces to see the highly decorated, aged and uniformed Singh rising out of his wheelchair and using a walking stick to slow-step march up to the podium to place a wreath of flowers at the base of the national flag-draped coffin, and offer a smart and dignified salute in tribute, of course with the assistance of an air warrior.
The mortal remains of the late president were brought by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 J Super Hercules Aircraft to the national capital from Guwahati.