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Former President A P J Abdul Kalam, who turned 80 today, celebrated his birthday by planting saplings along with hundreds of children and farmers.
"This is the first time I am celebrating my birthday in a grand but unique manner, that too in the company of children," an emotional Kalam said, after cutting a cake, in the office of an NGO at Nandangarai, 25 km from Coimbatore.
Dressed in a grey full-sleeved safari suit, Kalam was earlier received by the trustees of NGO Siruthuli which organised the sapling planting.
He planted a naval sapling, which the NGO said is the seedling of a tree planted by Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to the city many decades ago.
The NGO also presented Kalam a 'Pasumai Ponnadai,' a green shawl with 80 leaves woven on it.