New Delhi, Mar 14: Twitterverse today stood testament to how the British physicist Stephen Hawking touched lives of people from all walks of lives, as Indian statesmen, activists and tech giants took to the microblogging site to condole the renowned astrophysist’s death.
“Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations,” President Ram Nath Kovind wrote on his Twitter handle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Stephen Hawking as an outstanding scientist and academic.
“His grit and tenacity inspired people all over the world. His demise is anguishing. Professor Hawking’s pioneering work made our world a better place. May his soul rest in peace,” the prime minister wrote.
“Passing away of renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who unravelled mysteries of universe to the public, is a huge loss to the scientific world,” Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Twitter.
Hawking, who explored the mysteries of the universe from his wheelchair and went on to become an inspiring figure globally, died today at his home in Cambridge in the UK.
His family said that Hawking, 76, died peacefully in his home near Cambridge University, where he did much of his ground-breaking work on black holes and relativity.
“Prof. Stephen Hawking made reading & understanding science simple. He opened up complex areas for simple comprehension. His life’s struggles persisted but he didn’t allow that to hamper his contribution to his specialized domain. Inspirational,” wrote Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman .
Public interest lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan said that Hawking had “an unbelievable indomitable spirit.”
“He continued to do great physics for more than 40 years after he became wheelchair bound, immobile & had lost his speech. Rest in peace Sir,” Bhushan wrote.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the world has “lost a beautiful mind and a brilliant scientist.”
“We lost a great one today. Stephen Hawking will be remembered for his incredible contributions to science – making complex theories and concepts more accessible to the masses,” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft Corporation.
Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam hailed Hawking as an “extraordinary person”, a “great scientist” and an “unforgettable” person
“Stephen Hawking’s demise is an irreparable loss for mankind,” he added.
Actor turned politician Kamal Haasan said people all over the world would be proud that Hawking lived among them.
“We shall forever remember his knowledge grant. His fame shall live (forever),” Haasan wrote in his Tweet.
Actor and director Rahul Bose said he was captivated by Hawking’s book ‘A Brief History of Time’ “but never managed to finish it.”
“What an interesting mind,” Bose wrote.
