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Journalism of Courage
Former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh was cremated with state honours at Sangam on the banks of river Ganga on Saturday as the dignitaries and supporters who thronged the ghat bid him a final adieu. His elder son Ajeya Singh lit the pyre amidst vedic rituals at 3.14 pm with his younger son Abhay and other family members looking on.
His funeral procession started from Manda House at Ashok Nagar and took a round of the city for the antim darshan of the former PM and architect of social engineering. It passed through the High Court, Civil Lines, Hindu hostel crossing Allahabad University and Anand Bhawan before reaching Sangam. A wreath-laying ceremony was observed at the ghat with Singh given a guard of honour and gun salutes by the officers of the IVth Infantry Division and Air Force. Raj purohit Shiv Ran Dwivedi and Prabhat Shastri performed the last rite rituals at the ghat.
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan termed his demise a great loss to the nation. He said Singh was a true socialist who used to live his life as a common man and think like a King.8220;The country could not fill the gap as far as socialism is concerned as he was the only real crusader for the cause of poor, farmers and the down trodden8221;, he said. 8220;To be cremated at the pious land of Sangam was his last wish8221;, said Congress MLA Anugrah Narayan Singh, who had a long association with Singh. The city wore a sombre look as his procession passed through the roads to Sangam with people thronging the streets for a last glimpse of the Raja of Manda.
