The Last Journey of YSR - Grief Stricken People Pay Tearful Homage
Dr Eugene D’Souza
September 4, 2009
The last journey of the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a tragic helicopter crash on 2nd September 2009 began in the morning of 4th September 2009 from his house in Begumpet in Hyderabad after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Youth Leader Rahul Gandhi and top Congress leaders and prominent central government ministers paid homage and placed wreaths on his body. Leaders of other political parties including Lal Krishna Advani (BJP), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) and H D Devegouda (JD-S) also paid their last respect to the departed Congress Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
The mortal remains of the Chief Minister wrapped in tri-colour and kept in a bedecked open army truck, was taken first to Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of Congress. Later, the funeral procession moved towards the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium for enabling thousands of mourners to pay their last respected to their beloved departed leader. The Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium was the venue where YSR Reddy had taken oath as the Chief Minister in 2004 and signed the first file to provide free electricity to farmers. It was the same place where he had taken oath for the second time on 20th May this year.
While thousands of mourners accompanied the five kilometre long funeral procession from the residence of the later Chief Minister, a sea of humanity waited outside the stadium waiting patiently for the funeral cortege to arrive. Grieving men and women stood on either side of the road and on rooftops to bid final good bye to the man who ruled their hearts through a series of pro-poor schemes.
In the wake of reports that about 100 persons either committed suicide or died of shock after hearing the news of the death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy, his son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy made an appeal to the people not to resort to such extreme steps.
From the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, the body of YSR Reddy was taken to the Begumpet airport from where it was flown to his native place, Idupulapaya in Pulivendula for last rites and burial according to Christian tradition. Here too the surging crowd, that was patiently waiting for the arrival of the body of their leader went out of control once the Air force Chopper landed with the mortal remains of YSR Reddy. The family members entered the chopper for a short family prayer. Thereafter the body was taken to the burial place where the mass was offered by the priests of the Church of South India (CSI) for the eternal peace of the departed leader.
YSR Reddy is a second-generation Christian. His father, Raja Reddy, while serving in the military in Burma came across Christian missionaries and although a firm believer in Hinduism soon converted to Christianity. After returning to India, he was despised by his own caste folk and shunted out of the village. By this time, missionaries in India were leaving the shores and handing over the administration of the Church to the national Indians. It was in 1947 that the Church of South India was formed. Sri Raja Reddy began to attend the Church Services of this congregation. The Church of South India is headquartered in Chennai with dioceses throughout South India.
Following the religious services, the mortal remains of YSR Reddy were interned at around 5.30 PM in a grave in his favourite Idupulapaya estate and farm land where he used to go whenever he wanted to take a break from his busy political schedule. He is buried by the side of his parents. It is an irony that, YSR Reddy, the ‘Tiger of Kadappa’ had to be laid to rest at the relatively young age of 60 years as far as politicians are concerned. A bright and unparalleled political career came to a sudden end due to the cruel fate in the form of helicopter crash. The very fact that he wanted to pay a surprise visit to a village in Chittoor in spite of bad weather to check for himself the efficacy of the delivery machinery became the cause of his death.