NEW DELHI: Young white-sariclad Priyanaka showed fortitude beyond her age as she comforted her mother Sonia Gandhi while a composed Rahul performed the last rites at the funeral of his father Rajiv Gandhi
Film star Amitabh Bachchan a close friend of the Gandhi family lent Rahul a helping hand during the 45-minute ceremony attended by a galaxy of foreign and Indian leaders apart from multitudes who had joined the funeral procession.
Gautam Kaul a close relative and Suman Dubey a family friend were the only other apart from the priests who helped during the last rites.
Hymns from Hindu Islamic and Christian scriptures were recited at the funeral
“India will miss you” said a mourner as the flames engulfed the mortal remains of Rajiv Gandhi.
Multitudes of people as well as leaders present at the Shaku Sthal stood up in silence to bid a mournful farewell to the departed leader whose life was taken away in a bomb blast near Madras on Tuesday night.
As the body was consigned to the flames on the banks of the river Yamuna at a site close to the Samadhis of Nehru and Indira Gandhi the eyes of millions of Indians on the spot or on television Sets were riveted on bespectacled Rahul.
Earlier at the Teen Murti house where the body was kept in the last two days for people to pay their homage loud cries of “Rajiv Gandhi Amar Rahe” (may Rajiv be immortal) rent the air as the gun carriage rolled onto the main road.
As the funeral procession was passing through Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg where most of the newspaper offices are located spot news columns displayed a “farewell Rajiv”.
Nothing could stop hundreds of mourners who kept at bay by the tight security arrangements for over one hour when the last rites of Rajiv Gandhi were being performed at Shakti Sthal.
The moment the Gandhi family and close friends and relatives got down from the elevated platform after Rahul lit the funeral pyre the mourners jumped the steel barricades and rushed to the blazing pyre.
Photographers who were in vantage points in the press enclosure closer to the pyre had a tough time in getting close shots as the view was constantly being blocked by security men.
The searing heat took a toll of some of the vehicles which were part of the funeral convoy. The vehicles which had broken down had to be pulled out of the motorcade to prevent disruption of the procession. The vehicles included a car belonging to a lieutenant general of the army.
When the funeral procession reached the turn-about near the Indira Gandhi memorial at 1 Safdarjang Road memories of the killing of Rajiv Gandhi’s mother came in.
It was at her own residence that she met with a violent end like her son.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 31, 1991
