[Jannet.K]

Family revives Rao’s funeral pyre

Hyderabad, December 26, 2004
Television pictures of a half-burnt body of former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao stirred into action his family and government officials who rushed to the funeral site and revived the funeral pyre around midnight.

The shocking pictures of Rao’s half-burnt bones, skull and other parts of the body were beamed on Telugu television channels around 11 p.m. Saturday.

Quoting eyewitnesses, the TV reports highlighted how the authorities had shown disrespect to a former Prime Minister by not arranging enough firewood for his funeral.

It all started when some people on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake, where Rao was cremated Saturday afternoon, noticed that the body was not fully burnt but the pyre was about to die. They alerted TV channels, and dozens of cameramen soon gathered to shoot the scene.

When the pictures were beamed on some channels, Narasimha Rao’s sons, state ministers and leaders of the Congress party rushed to the deserted site and revived the pyre with additional firewood stored nearby. The police then encircled the entire area and restricted the movement of people.

The family members of Rao and ministers were not happy with the TV crew for beaming the pictures only nine hours after the pyre was lit. A family priest pointed out that it takes at least 24 hours for the body to turn into ashes.

Narasimha Rao’s eldest son P.V. Ranga Rao, who lit the funeral pyre, requested journalists not to ask him any question.

His brother P.V. Rajeswara Rao said there was nothing to worry, as no rites were violated. “We were told that it takes 24 hours for the entire body to be reduced to ashes,” he said.

With folded hands, Minister for Major Industries Bosta Satyanarayana requested TV channels not to show such pictures.

“It is the responsibility of all of us not to show disrespect to a great man after his death,” he said.

The priest said the family members had left the site only after the ritual “kapalamoksham” was performed.

N. Rajkumari, leader of the opposition Telugu Desam Party who also rushed to the site, alleged that the government had insulted the former Prime Minister.

Denying the allegation, officials said they had arranged 3 tonnes of sandalwood and 2 tonnes of firewood.

Rao’s sons, however, had no complaints.

“My father got all the respect for his contribution to the party and the country. We had no objection to the state government’s suggestion to perform the funeral in Hyderabad as they are all our well wishers,” Ranga Rao said. — IANS