Kerala bids tearful adieu to Nayanar

Veteran Marxist leader and Kerala's three-time Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar continued his journey into history yesterday after being flown in by a special Air Force aircraft from New Delhi where he died yesterday.

The body was first kept for public display at the AKG Centre but the tens of thousands of people who had gathered braving heavy rains there could not have a glimpse of him. He was taken from there to the Durbar Hall of the State Secretariat accompanied by the huge crowd.

People from various walks of life paid their last respects there till 2 pm when the body was moved to an open vehicle to be taken to Kannur, his birthplace, via Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kozhikode.

The crowd raised slogans like 'Nayanar is immortal,' 'Lal salam,' and 'No, Nayanar is not dead, he will never die,' 'Nayanar lives through the people,' and 'Inquilab Zindabad' as the body was placed in the decorated open vehicle, which slowly moved out of the city, amid torrential rain.

The body was brought here from the Kerala Bhavan in New Delhi by a special aircraft accompanied by Nayanar's wife, close relatives and some Marxist leaders. A large crowd, including state ministers, waited for the aircraft. At the airport, the body was removed from a closed coffin to a mobile glass mortuary. The body is expected to reach Kozhikode by dawn. Thousands have lined up both sides of the road throughout the vehicle's route despite heavy rains.

In Delhi too, Nayanar was given a tearful farewell by national leaders including Prime Minister-designate Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

The initial decision of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) to fly the body from Delhi to Kozhikode for the final rites in Kannur at 5 pm yesterday was dropped due to the mounting pressure from the people of the state capital for a final glimpse of their leader. According to the revised plan, he will be laid to rest near the tomb of well-known Marxist leader A.K. Gopalan at Payyampally harbour in Kannur at 5 pm today. Nayanar himself had suggested his final resting place.

Shops and other commercial establishments remained closed in most parts of the state yesterday in response to a call for hartal by the CPI-M to mourn the death of Nayanar. The state government had declared a holiday for government offices and educational institutions.

Nayanar, who entered public life as a freedom fighter, made his mark in numerous roles - revolutionary politician, trade unionist, author, orator, editor and humourist.