Tearful farewell to Scindia

By Javed M Ansari and Lalit Shastri

GWALIOR, OCT. 4. The country's top political leadership, friends, relatives, industrialists, heads of former princely states and thousands of admirers in and around Gwalior today converged at the Chatri grounds here to bid farewell to Madhavrao Scindia. With a prayer on their lips and heads bowed, they watched his son Mr. Jyotiraditya perform the last rites, not far from the spot where nine months ago Scindia performed the last rites for his mother.

Gwalior today poured out onto the streets and all roads led to the Chatri grounds. People came in thousands, commoners and kings alike, hung from balconies, lined the roads to watch Madhavrao Scindia, their Maharaj, make his last journey in a palanquin atop a gun carriage, escorted by personnel of the armed forces.

A grieving Gwalior wore its heart on its sleeve. Cries of Madhavrao Scindia amar rahe (Long live Madhavrao Scindia) rent the air. Loved during his lifetime, in death he is now revered by his people. A banner strung across the gate of the Institute of Information and Technology set up by Scindia spoke volumes of the place he had come to occupy in their hearts. Sab se pyara India, Jahan se pyara Scindia (We love India but Scindia is the dearest).

The city and its establishments, schools colleges, markets, cinemas and entertainment channels on cable TV were shut for the third day in succession.

Thousands had begun gathering at the cremation grounds from early in the morning.

Scindia's last journey began at 10.20 a.m. from the Rani Mahal. The Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, arrived early in the morning by a special flight, accompanied by a majority of her party MPs and almost the entire party leadership.

Mr. Joytiraditya held the urn carrying the fire, while Army officers held the specially decorated palanquin carrying Scindia's body, as it was brought to the Chatrri grounds. As the Army contingent provided a 21-gun salute and chanting of vedic hymns reached a crescendo, Mr. Joytiraditya bent down and placed his head at his father's feet for the last time before he lit the pyre.

Scindia's colleagues, friends and rivals in the political arena turned out in full strength to pay their last respects. The Centre was represented by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Union Ministers, Mr. L.K. Advani, Mr. Arun Jaitley, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, Mr. Nitish Kumar and Mrs. Sumitra Mahajan and the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. G.M.C Balayogi. The former Prime Minister, Mr. Chandra Shekhar, also attended the funeral.

The Chief Ministers of various States - Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Ms. Shiela Dixit, Mr. S.M. Krishna, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, Mr. Ajit Jogi, Mr. Ashok Gehlot and Mr. Digvijay Singh - sat through the entire ceremony.

Scindia's friends from the business community, Mr. Nusli Wadia and his wife Mrs. Maureen, had flown in with their son, while Mr. Amar Singh, Mr. Lalit Suri and Mr. Omar Abdullah's wife accompanied Dr. Farooq Abdullah in his state plane.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Ahmedabad ATC denial
Next     : Russian plane crashes into sea