Patna: The mortal remains of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a man for all seasons and one of the highest leaders sired by the Dalit community, were turned over to the flames in Patna on Saturday with full state honors.
A sea of people, plus dignitaries led by Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, could be seen at the cremation site on the banks of the Ganges in the city that has witnessed the long journey of the founder of the Lok Janshakti Party. – from a young MLA in the socialist party in the late 1960s to having served under six prime ministers.
A large following had come to the Digha ghat from its small Hajipur neighborhood on the other side of the river, which Paswan had nurtured since his debut at Lok Sabha in 1977 when he won by a record margin.
Last year he gave up the seat to his younger brother, Pashupati Kumar Paras, and chose the Rajya Sabha route to re-enter Parliament.
The sight of commoners standing a block away, teary-eyed and eager for a last glimpse of their leader, unaware of the threat posed by the COVID pandemic and the reprimands of security personnel eager to impose social distancing, bear witness to the popularity of the man, known as an “ajaat shatru” (one without enemies) in Bihar’s cruel politics.
Many boarded a steamer anchored nearby, while an even larger number could be seen standing precariously on the decrepit embankment built along the river after the administration prevented them from crowding the ghat.
Paswan had taken his last breath at a New Delhi hospital on Thursday night and his body was brought here on Friday.
The dignitaries offered their tributes at the airport and also, later, at the Vidhan Sabha facility.
The body was carried for the last rites to Janardan Ghat in the town of Digha in a massive procession from his residence in Shri Krishna Puri, about 3 km away.
Paswan’s bungalow, who kept its doors open to all despite the high positions he held for much of his political career, remained packed with visitors, many of them ordinary citizens whom the leader had helped find jobs, obtaining a critical review. sick relative treated in a higher medical center, or with financial aid that made the marriage of his daughters possible.
Many also recalled the contributions made by Paswan as minister: Hajipur became a zonal headquarters of the railways, mobile phones became affordable, and greater efficiency in the public distribution system was crucial during the national shutdown.
The last rites were performed by Paswan’s son and political heir, Chirag, who has made a big gamble by deciding to cut a lonely furrow in assembly elections days away.
Amid deafening roars of “Ram Vilas Paswan love rahein,” Chirag, in knee-length dhoti and a white sheet draped over his shoulders, lit the funeral pyre.
Reena Paswan, who like her husband Ram Vilas was always a perfect host, watched the ceremony from a distance, the pain on her face hidden by her mask and dupatta.
The LJP founders, other family members, who run the party’s affairs together with Chirag, also stood around the pyre and helped the son complete the rituals.
Despised by his opponents for being a “mausam vaigyanik” (weather vane), who nonetheless testifies to his cunning in gauging the mood of the public, Paswan’s entry into politics was an example of his choice of adventure over stagnation. That often comes with security.
“In 1969, I was elected as an MLA about the same time that I qualified for the position of Deputy Superintendent of Police. One of my friends asked me what you would like to be, a government servant or in the government itself. That is how my journey began. political, “Paswan had said.
The journalists, with whom the Union minister had been the favorite, were unanimous in the belief that “there will hardly be another like him who is left without bragging despite enjoying so much power.”
This story was published from a news agency feed with no changes to the text.
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