Parrikar cremated with full state honours

PANAJI: The mortal remains of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar were consigned to flames Monday evening, at an especially erected funeral pyre along the Miramar beach, with the backdrop of the setting sun. He was accorded state funeral with full military honours.

Thousands of people, who had come to bid adieu to their departed leader chanted slogans “Long Live Manohar Parrikar” as his elder son Utpal lit the funeral pyre.

A 21-gun salute by the Battery belonging to the Goa naval area was given to the former chief minister, followed by the Goa Naval Band playing the Last Post in his honour.

Earlier, the mortal remains of Parrikar wrapped in the national tricolour were taken in a flower-decked military vehicle from Kala Academy to Miramar, with large number of people walking along with the cortège.

On arriving at the beachside cremation site, the mortal remains were placed on an especially made platform. A number of senior personnel from the three wings of the Indian Armed Forces placed wreaths and offered their tributes to the former defence minister.

Large number of political leaders and senior bureaucrats including national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union ministers including Suresh Prabhu, Shripad Naik and Ramdas Athawale, and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadanvis also paid their tributes to Parrikar.

Those leaders from Goa who offered their homage to the former chief minister included almost all state cabinet ministers, state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar, South Goa Member of Parliament Narendra Sawaikar and Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar among others.

Chief Secretary Parimal Rai, Additional Solicitor General of India Atmaram Nadkarni, Goan industrialists Shrinivas Dempo and Shivanand Salgaonkar were also among those who paid the tributes.

The family members of Parrikar including his sons Utpal and Abhijat, brothers Audhoot and Suresh, and sisters Lata and Jyoti accepted condolences from the dignitaries as well as the masses.

After the national flag draped around the former chief minister was handed over to his sons, his body was moved to the funeral pyre amidst chanting of Bhajans. The pyre was lit at 5.55 pm after completion of the religious rituals.

The Centre had announced national mourning on Monday, due to which schools and colleges around the country remained closed. In Goa, besides educational institutions, the government offices, banks, shops and even hotels remained closed as a mark of respect to the departed leader.

Parrikar passed away on March 17, after a prolonged illness.