Jayalalithaa laid
to rest at Marina beach
As the sun began to set,
Jayalalithaa’s confidante Sasikala performed the final rituals overseen by a
Brahmin priest before her tricolour-draped body in a sandalwood casket was
lowered into a grave near the MGR memorial.
As an era ended in Tamil Nadu,
Jayalalithaa’s last journey started from Rajaji Hall, where lakhs thronged for
a final look at their iconic leader, and slowly moved towards the Marina Beach
flooded with mourners.
The three-kilometre procession
through Chennai streets, packed on both sides by men and women, many weeping,
consumed more than an hour.
The AIADMK chief was laid to rest
with full state honours next to her mentor and party founder M.G. Ramachandran
or MGR, who brought the young Jayalalithaa from filmdom into the male-dominated
Dravidian politics.
Her successor Chief Minister O.
Panneerselvam and Sasikala, dressed in black, were seated on the military truck
that towed the glass casket-laden carriage with Jayalalithaa’s body.
Her admirers and fans, young and old,
showered petals at the hearse. Many refused to accept that Jayalalithaa had
passed away, leaving the AIADMK orphaned.
As the funeral procession reached its
destination, sobs filled the air. Many were in tears.
There were dramatic displays of
emotion, with people wailing inconsolably and beating their chests and heads.
There were loud cries of “Amma, Amma”.
Thousands of security personnel were
deployed as top politicians from across the country attended the last rites of
Jayalalithaa, 68, who died shortly after midnight on Monday following a 74-day
battle with illness.
Mukherjee and Modi led the nation in
paying respects to Jayalalithaa. Both walked separately towards the casket with
folded hands, bowed and laid a floral wreath. Former PrimeMinisters H.D.
Devegowda, Man Mohan Singh, Union Minister Venkiah Naidu, Karnataka CM
Siddaramiah, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Congress Vice President Rahul
Gandhi, Film actor Rajanikanth apart from Chief Ministers of Delhi, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Puducherry were
few among the prominent personalities who paid floral tributes to Jayalalitha.
The otherwise throbbing Chennai shut
down on Tuesday. So did much of Tamil Nadu, a state where Jayalalithaa — Amma
to her followers — was revered by millions.
Across the country, political stalwarts
noted how the AIADMK chief had unleashed numerous pro-poor schemes as Chief
Minister that earned her fame not only in the state but across the country.
Security forces kept a close vigil
across Tamil Nadu amid fears of self-harming protests by her fans.
Tamil Nadu has declared a week-long
mourning, during which schools and colleges will be shut for three days. No
state transport corporation buses plied on Tuesday and millions stayed indoors.
The central government too announced
a day of mourning.
US Ambassador Richard Verma mourned
her death. “On behalf of the US, I extend my deepest condolences to the family
of Jayalalithaa and the people of Tamil Nadu.”
Sri Lankan President Maithripala
Sirisena said he was saddened by her death and noted that she had a “towering
presence in Indian politics”. Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu are separated by a strip
of sea.
No comments:
Post a Comment