Chennai, Dec .6: Lakhs of grieving men and women today bid a tearful adieu to J Jayalalithaa, the charismatic Chief Minister who held sway over Tamil Nadu politics for more than three decades with a pro-poor image, as the AIADMK supremo was buried here with full state honours.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, his counterparts from several states, Governor Vidyasagar Rao, DMK leader M K Stalin and superstar Rajnikanth were among the dignitaries who paid homage at Rajaji Hall where the body of 68-year-old Jayalalithaa lay in state since early morning.
Sasikala Natarajan, the close confidante of Jayalalithaa for over three decades, was beside the body throughout the day and later conducted the religious rituals before the sandalwood casket was lowered at a site close to MGR memorial on the shores of Marina beach.
No sooner had the brief rituals concluded at around 6 PM, the casket carrying the mortal remains of the five-time chief minister was lowered after a gun salute amid emotional chants of 'Amma Vazhga' (Long Live Amma) by a sea of humanity which had converged at the burial site.
Various leaders including Naidu, Rao, Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Paneerselvam, Speaker Dhanapal and former Governor K Rosiah placed wreaths at the feet of the body that was draped in a silk saree in her favourite green colour and a sandalwood garland placed around her neck.
Earlier, thousands of people hailing 'Puratchi Thalaivi Amma' (Revolutionary Leader Amma) walked with the cortege that was part of a military convoy in which her coffin was carried, wrapped in the national flag and covered with flowers.
Amid heavy security cover, the funeral procession made steady progress to the destination, a distance of three km from Rajaji Hall in the government estate, passing through Madras University and the burial site opposite the British-era iconic PWD building.
Big photographs of Jayalalithaa, an actor-turned- politician, were placed all around the coffin even as people showered the hearse with flowers, as Sasikala accompanied the body.
With the Central government ordering a state funeral, personnel from the three armed forces paid their respects and gave a guard of honour before Sasikala conducted the last rites with the aid of a Brahmin priest.
The rituals include sprinkling of water, offering of rice, showering of flower petals and sandalwood pieces.
Jayalalithaa, a spinster who never shied away from flaunting her religious identity and beliefs, was surprisingly buried and not cremated. She was laid to rest by the side of her mentor and actor-turned politician M G Ramachandran, a former chief minister.
Lakhs of people had packed the area around Rajaji Hall where men and women wept in grief as they attempted to reach the body of their Amma or "mother".
The mortal remains of Jayalalithaa was earlier taken from her Poes Garden residence to Rajaji Hall, hours after she died at a private hospital late last night after battling for life for 75 days.
) A blanket of grief enveloped the sprawling southern state since Jayalalithaa -- "Amma" to her passionate followers -- was pronounced dead just before midnight on Monday, ending an era in Tamil politics.
According to rough estimates, around 10 lakh people had gathered at the Rajaji Hall by Tuesday afternoon to pay their homage to Jayalalithaa, who was in her fifth term as Chief Minister when she died. Modi took a helicopter to reach the venue after flying down from Delhi. He laid a floral wreath at the remains of the dead leader, who catapulted from silver screen to emerge as one of India's most popular leaders. Across the country, political stalwarts noted how the AIADMK chief had unleashed numerous pro-poor schemes as chief minister of 78 million people in the state.
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 across Tamil Nadu amid fears of self-harming protests by her fans.But the state was peaceful. At the Rajaji Hall, the serpentine queues were largely orderly.Normal life was affected in the state. While supplies of essential items were not obstructed, few vehicles plied on the nearly deserted roads of Chennai.
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.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, state Congress President S. Thirunavukarasar, movie stars Rajinikanth, Prabhu, Sathyaraj, Gautami and Y.G. Mahendran visited the hall.So did DMK leader M.K. Stalin.The central government also announced a day of mourning as a mark of respect.
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," Verma said.
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.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao expressed his shock over the demise of his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa.He said that her followers and admirers regarded her as the Purachi Thalavi and as revolutionary leader in Tamil Nadu politics.
"In her passing, the state of Tamil Nadu had a great void which is difficult to fill in. It was a great loss to Tamil society," Rao said. He hailed Jayalalitha as the political heir of the great M.G. Ramachandran.
"It was both challenging and inspirational. At a time when women entering politics was rare, Jayalalitha created a political history in the contemporary Tamil Nadu politics, by becoming AIADMK's General Secretary and later on as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu," he said.
The TRS chief described Jayalalitha as the unique person in Tamil Nadu politics to have won the state legislative assembly elections consecutively for two terms and formed the government.
She also excelled as a film artiste and proved herself in the arena of politics too, which is a record, he added.
The CM expressed his heartfelt sympathies and conveyed his condolences to the members of the bereaved family and people of Tamil Nadu.
Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel on Tuesday condoled the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
"On behalf of the High Commission of Canada, I am deeply saddened by Jayalalithaa's passing and I extend my sincere condolences to her family, and to the people of Tamil Nadu," Patel said in a statement. "Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and her valuable contributions to the people, development and progress of Tamil Nadu will not be forgotten," he stated.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday flew into Chennai and paid homage to the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
"Paid homage to Amma," Kejriwal tweeted. The Aam Aadmi Party leader visited Rajaji Hall to pay his last respects to the AIADMK leader who died on Monday night.
Kejriwal earlier condoled with Jayalalithaa's death, describing her as "a very very popular leader. Aam Aadmi's leader."
Nagaland Governor PB Acharya mourns the demise of Jayalalithaa. A condolence message from the governor on Tuesday stated that her contributions and service to the people of Tamil Nadu including people-friendly welfare schemes for the poor people will be remembered for ever.
On behalf of the people of Nagaland, Acharya conveyed condolences to the bereaved family members and prayed that the Almighty God grant the people of Tamil Nadu the strength to bear with the loss.
The chief minister of Nagaland TR Zeliang has also expressed grief at the demise of J Jayalalitha. “Her meteoric rise in the political firmament of the southern part of the country within a few years of being introduced to politics was all due to her charisma, combined with her strong determination to work for the welfare of the common people, especially the lower section of the society,” a message from the chief minister’s office on Tuesday stated.
On behalf of the people of Nagaland, the chief minister prayed to the Almighty to grant solace and comfort to the near and dear ones of the departed soul. “May the departed soul rest in eternal peace,” Zeliang added.
