Kalam pays rich tributes to Bahadur Shah Zafar

Yangon, Myanmar, Mar 9 (UNI) In his touching tribute to the 'poet king' Bahadur Shah Zafar here, President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam poured out his heart in glowing words wreathed in flowers and a chadar ''on behalf of India'' on visiting his 'mazar' today.

In his comments in the visitor's book Dr Kalam wrote of 'Badnaseeb Zafar', ''You had said that nobody would come to your 'mazaar' and light a candle or offer flowers on it, but today on behalf of India I have come...'' ''I have lit many candles, offered flowers and recited the 'fateha'. May your soul rest in peace,'' the President wrote in 'his' memoriam.

Dr Kalam also offered two 'chadars' on the 'mazar' of Zafar and his wife Zeenat Mahal.

Stating that he was proud to be here, the President reminded his entourage that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had given a call for 'Dilli Chalo' from Yangon itself.

Earlier, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in his comments in the 'visitor's book', had written a poem in Hindi which said, ''It is not correct to say that nobody would go to the emperors's tomb.'' Among other prominent figures to have visited the 'last moghul' in the past are Indian Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Pakistan's Gen Pervez Musharraf and Gen Zia-ul-Haq, and Begum Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, India has decided to offer more grants for the upkeep of the emperor's tomb here.

UNI SKS AN VD BD1944