Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his cabinet colleagues on Sunday dispersed the ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Beas river at a function here.

Earlier, a prayer meeting to pay tributes to him was held at a tourist resort where Vajpayee constructed his house.

Hundreds of people paid homage to their beloved leader, who died on August 16 in New Delhi.

Paying tributes, Thakur called Vajpayee a visionary leader who was above party politics. His demise was indeed a great loss to the nation in general and Himachal Pradesh in particular.

He said Vajpayee has a special place in his heart for the people of the state and the state would always miss his love and benevolence.

Vajpayee always considered Himachal Pradesh his second home and has a house at Prini (near here). Whenever he got time from his busy schedule, he visited Manali and wrote some unforgettable poems there, the Chief Minister said.

The idea to construct the Rohtang tunnel connecting the landlocked Lahaul valley with the rest of the world was conceived by Vajpayee in 1998 and the project was announced by him on June 3, 2000, he added.

Thakur said that this project was nearing completion and would be the biggest gift of Vajpayee to the state.

Forest Minister and local legislator Govind Thakur said Vajpayee had special love for the people of the state in general and Kullu-Manali in particular.

Member of Parliament Ram Swaroop Sharma described Vajpayee as a world leader with a poet from the heart.

Survivors of Kerala’s worst floods in a century on Saturday set aside their misery, even if only temporarily, to celebrate Onam in numerous relief camps across the state, relishing the traditional Onam ‘sadya’ or lunch.

The second day of the harvest festival, called Thiru Onam, fell on Saturday.

Camp officers ensured the availability of vegetables and other commodities after men and women in the camps insisted they would cook the ‘sadya’ themselves instead of accepting what was being offered by NGOs and clubs.

Of course not all the 26 dishes that constitute the ‘sadya’ could be readied but people appeared to be happy with what they could prepare.

Children in the camps gathered whatever flowers were available in and around the camp sites to prepare floral carpets.

Ever since monsoon rains began lashing Kerala on May 29, a total of 417 people have died. This month, unprecedented floods caused widespread destruction and forced more than a million people to flee their homes to take shelter in relief centres.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday evening said 8.69 lakh people were still sheltered in 2,787 camps, big and small.

“We refused a sponsored Onam ‘sadya’. Our own lunch turned out to be a huge success,” said Parvathy, a middle aged woman who has been in a camp in Alappuzha for the past five days.

At a camp supported by a state-run engineering college, student volunteers joined the Onam celebrations.

In Kottayam, residents of Aymenem and Kumarakom said the Onam ‘sadya’ provided them huge relief after unending stories of human suffering.

“The bonhomie lit up our lives especially when we prepared our own ‘sadya’,” said a woman who was getting ready to return to her home.

Added Devika, at a camp in Kozihikod: “The tragedy has helped us learn many things which we never ever thought we would learn. We feel we have passed the litmus test.”

Bringing solace to a relief camp in Kodungalloor on Saturday was superstar Mammootty, who urged everyone to keep a positive frame of mind.

“You are going to rebuild your lives. Remember, many of you were saved by people who never knew you. Likewise, while a million people were affected by the floods, 30 million Keralites were not. Just like you were saved by unknown people, unknown people all across Kerala will come to your rescue when you rebuild your lives.

“Also, the Kerala government is there with you. Just be positive,” he said.

(IANS)

Onam celebrations have been understandably subdued across flood-hit Kerala this year. Homes bore minimal decorations while several temples across the state chose to use funds meant for celebrations to provide much-needed relief materials to locals staring at the ongoing crisis. PM Narendra Modi on Saturday had a sombre Onam message for people in the state and assured them of the entire country’s help.

PM Modi took to Twitter to wish people on Onam. “May this Onam give further strength to the people of Kerala to overcome the adversities they have been facing for the past few days,” he wrote. “The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with Kerala and prays for the happiness as well as prosperity of its citizens.”

President Ram Nath Kovind too expressed hope that the state recovers from the devastating floods. “Good wishes to fellow citizens, particularly to our brothers and sisters in Kerala, on Onam. May this festival mark a new beginning for all those in Kerala recovering in the aftermath of the floods, and gradually beginning to rebuild their lives,” he posted on Twitter.

The prevailing situation in the state has been described by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the worst natural calamity here in 100 years. He also said that preliminary assessment of losses was around Rs 20,000 crore which was equal to state’s annual plan size for 2018-19.

While lakhs of people have returned to their homes, some estimates say that around 8.69 lakh people are still in 2287 relief camps across the state. 231 people have lost their lives in the deluge. And while there is a tussle between the state government and the Centre over an ‘offer’ of Rs 700 crore in aid from UAE, people across the country have united to send relief materials and give monetary assistance. The Centre too has released Rs 600 crores in assistance, promising more in the time to come.

The ground reality continues to be extremely grim and what would have otherwise been a joyous occasion to celebrate the state’s harvest festival has turned rather colourless.

Paying glowing tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the late leader never compromised on his ideology and did not buckle under global pressure even after the nuclear tests in 1998.

Modi said that Vajpayee’s popularity was so immense that he remained alive in people’s memories despite being completely away from public life for the last 10 years.

Addressing a prayer meeting organised in the memory of Vajpayee, the Prime Minister noted that the late leader spent most of his political life at a time when there was virtually no alternative to the dominant political ideology.

“Despite facing isolation, he remained committed to his ideals. He stayed in opposition for so long, yet his ideals remained untouched,” Modi said.

He said that Vajpayee respected parliamentary traditions and when the opportunity came, he implemented his vision for the benefit of the people.

“In each moment, you could feel the ‘Atal’ in him,” the Prime Minister said.

Recalling how Vajpayee surprised the world through the nuclear tests in 1998 during his prime ministership, Modi said that despite global adverse reaction, Atalji did not buckle under pressure, and showed the world that “India is Atal”.

The Prime Minister said that three new states were formed under Vajpayee leadership, without any trace of bitterness.

“Vajpayeeji showed how to take everyone together in decision-making,” he said.

Shedding light on Vajpayee’s achievements as Prime Minister, Modi said that in a huge diplomatic victory, Vajpayee managed to turn around the international narrative on Kashmir — on which India used to be defensive till then — and bring the focus on to terrorism.

“Vajpayee successfully divided the world into two clear halves — those who were with terrorism and those against it,” he said.

The Prime Minister recalled that when Vajpayee first formed the government at the Centre in 1996, no one was willing to offer support and his government fell in 13 days.

“But Atalji did not lose hope and remained committed to serving the people. He showed the way when it came to coalition politics,” the Prime Minister said.

Pointing out that young Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia, who dedicated his gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games to the late leader, he said that Vajpayee will remain an inspiration to the coming generations.

“Nobody can imagine that a person can be alive in people’s memories despite being away from public life. But the immense respect and tributes pouring on his demise show that Atalji still rules the people’s hearts though he was completely away from public life for 10 long years,” Modi said.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi along with his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid homage to his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 74th birth anniversary on Monday.

They were accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her husband Robert Vadra to the Veer Bhumi here, where many Congress veterans and leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also paid tributes at the Rajiv Gandhi Samadhi.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted his father was “a kind, gentle and affectionate man whose untimely death left a deep void in my life”.

“I remember the times we had together and the many birthdays we were lucky to celebrate with him when he was alive. He is greatly missed, but his memory lives on,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Rajiv Gandhi. “Tributes to our former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv GandhiJi on his birth anniversary. We remember his efforts towards the nation.”

Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot also visited the former Prime Minister’s memorial and paid tributes.

All India Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: “Fondly remembering our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhiji on his birth anniversary”.

Born on this day in 1944, Rajiv Gandhi served as the seventh Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took to office after the 1984 assassination of his mother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He was the youngest Prime Minister of India at 40. He was assassinated by a suicide bomber in 1991 in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur during an election campaigning.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away here at AIIMS on Thursday at age 93, was on Friday cremated with full military honours at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, where people turned out in tens of thousands to pay their final tributes.

Vajpayee’s foster-daughter Namita lit the funeral pyre amidst the chanting of vedic hymns and firing of a 21-gun salute by soldiers.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a galaxy of political leaders cutting across party lines and foreign dignitaries joined the rest of the nation in bidding adieu to the departed leader at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, a designated spot for the last rites of Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers, on the banks of Yamuna river.

In keeping with the military honours, three service chiefs placed wreaths on the body of Vajpayee before leaders paid their floral tributes.

The tricolour that was wrapped around Vajpayee’s body was removed and given to his foster granddaughter Niharika after which the body was handed over to the family for last rites.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, veteran BJP leaders and Vajpayee’s long-time associates L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress President Rahul Gandhi were present at the funeral.

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai led foreign dignitaries including Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Sri Lanka’s Acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in paying homage.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Anand Sharma, Lok Sabha Deputy Speker M. Thambidurai, former Union Minister A. Raja, MDMK chief Vaiko and TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi were among who witnessed the performance of the last rites.

A few thousand people, some of whom chanted slogans hailing the late leader, thronged the Smriti Sthal as the last rites took place.

Earlier, tens of thousands of commoners joined Modi and BJP President Amit Shah in the final journey to bid adieu to Vajpayee as the former Prime Minister’s body was being taken to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.

Vajpayee, who passed away at AIIMS on Thursday evening, had a pan-India appeal and his flair for foreign policy and initiatives were acknowledged globally.

The country observed a seven-day state mourning as a mark of respect for the leader was decorated with Bharat Ratna and was very popular. The tricolour is flying half-staff.

Former Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu arrived in Pakistan on Friday to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan.

Sidhu reached Lahore via Wagah border and will arrive here for the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for Saturday.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Sidhu said: “I have come to Pakistan on my friend’s (Imran) invitation. These are very special moments.”

“Athletes and artists erase distances (between countries)… I have come here bearing the message of love, and prayers for Pakistanis,” he added.

“Hindustan jeevey, Pakistan jeevey!” Sidhu chanted as he welcomed the “change” in the country brought about by the advent of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government.

Khan is expected be sworn in as Prime Minister on August 18 after his party swept the July 25 general elections.

Earlier this week, former Indian captain Kapil Dev said he will not be attending the oath-taking ceremony, citing “personal reasons”.

Dev was one of the three cricketers from India invited to attend Khan’s swearing-in ceremony, along with Sidhu and Sunil Gavaskar.

Gavaskar had also conveyed to Khan that he would not be able to attend the event due to prior work commitments.

Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and his son and Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy paid their last respects to late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi on Friday, said an official.

“Gowda and Kumaraswamy flew to Delhi in a special aircraft earlier in the day and paid homage to the mortal remains of Vajpayee at the latter’s residence,” said a statement from the Chief Minister’s office in Bengaluru.

Vajpayee, 93, passed away in New Delhi on Thursday evening after prolonged illness.

Stating that Vajpayee was an “ajaata shatru” (one without an enemy), Kumaraswamy said the former Prime Minister was a politician who lived for the values he believed in.

State’s Bharatiya Janata Party President B.S. Yedyyurappa and central ministers from the southern state, Anantha Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda, also paid their last respects to Vajpayee at the party’s headquarters where his mortal remains were kept, a party official said.