Pahalgam attack: Governors, ministers bid farewell to Ramachandran in Kerala

Kochi, April 25 (IANS) Two Governors, state ministers, actors and hundreds of people with tears in their eyes bid goodbye to 68-year-old Ramachandran, who was shot dead by a terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, Kerala Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar, State Ministers P. Rajeeve, R. Bindhu and many others filed past the body of Ramachandran on Friday.

Pillai, after paying his respect, said the country comes first, and all other things follow it. “This brutal incident has been condemned by leaders across the globe, and it shows how the world sees this ghastly terror attack,” he said.

The mortal remains of Ramachandran arrived here on Wednesday and were kept at a mortuary for his near and dear ones who flew in to see him one last time, on Friday morning.

The body was placed first at a local auditorium where people paid their last respects. Several people, when asked how they knew the deceased, answered, “...do not know him, but came to pay our respects to the unfortunate Ramachandran who was felled by a bullet of a terrorist.”

An elderly woman waiting for her turn to pay her respects said, “I do not know him, since I worked in Pahalgam where this happened, I travelled from Thrissur just to see him.”

Then there were some people who knew Ramachandran as a sincere BJP/RSS worker.

From the auditorium, the body was then moved to his house near here and among those who carried the coffin included State Industries Minister Rajeeve.

At the home, it was the turn of the distraught family and friends of Rajendran, with moist eyes, they bid him goodbye.

The customary prayer sessions were held, and by noon, the body was consigned to flames at a public crematorium.

Following this, a condolence meeting will be held.

A former non-resident Indian who had returned from the Middle East five years ago, Ramachandran was a staunch BJP supporter.

He had unsuccessfully contested local body polls and was among those shortlisted as a potential BJP candidate for civic elections to be held later this year.

Ramachandran’s daughter, Aarti, a mother of twin boys, on Thursday broke down while recounting the horrifying moment when her father was shot dead by a terrorist, watched by her and the kids.

Aarti said the man, who wasn’t in an Army uniform, poked her head with his gun. Her terrified sons began wailing. “Perhaps hearing their cries, the gunman walked away.”

--IANS

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