Indian Americans joined the people of India in mourning the death of former president APJ Abdula Kalam Monday in northeast India, reports The Indian Express.

Kalam, 83, collapsed due to a cardiac arrest while giving a lecture in the city of Shillong.

The North America Telugu Society (NATS) in a statement said, it is “deeply saddened” on the death of Kalam and will remember his legacy of love and humility.

Kalam was truly an iconic political figure in India as the eleventh president of India, from 2002 to 2007, and his untimely death is a tremendous loss to India.

“Dr. Kalam was indeed a people’s President, and beloved child of India, said Chandra Patel, president of Overseas Friends of BJP-US.

“All Indians across the world salute him for his invaluable contributions to India. His death is a tremendous loss to the nation and creates a big void that is hard to fill,”

You can read more reaction to Kalam’s death in The Indian Express.