Santosh Mohan Dev cremated with full state honour: Rahul Gandhi pays floral tributes

FROM OUR   Correspondent

Silchar, Aug 3: Santosh Mohan Dev, former Union Minister, was cremated with full state honour this evening at the cremation ground located on the southern fringe of this town. He was given gun salute by 6 Assam Police Battalion. On behalf of the state government were present Dilip Kumar Paul, Deputy Speaker of Assam Assembly, and  Parimal Suklabaidya, Minister of PWD, Fishery and Excise. Significantly, All India Congress vice president, Rahul Gandhi, offered his floral tributes on the body of Santosh Mohan Dev. He was there till the pyre was lit by the daughters of the departed soul, MP Sushmita Dev, Bhaswati Dev, Tapoti Dev and Bharati Dev. Rahul Gandhi was at the cremation ground for 40 minutes. He expressed his deep sense of bereavement to all the family members of Dev.

Santosh Mohan Dev who breathed his last at a private nursing home here yesterday was taken to his ancestral home at Tarapur this morning. His body was kept there to allow people in general to pay their homage to him. Seldom, we come across a powerful and colourful leader like Santosh Mohan Dev. It was evident from the crowd that thronged the cremation ground to have a last glimpse of their beloved leader. As scheduled, his body in a hearse was taken to Indira Bhawan, Silchar Municipal Board and District Sports Association (DSA). At DSA, different sports organizations, NGOs, socio-cultural and literary groups and people from all sections of society paid their tributes to him. Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, S Viswathan, IAS, along with his senior and junior officials offered their homage to him by placing wreathes at his body.

Among other organizations and committees which paid their tributes include Jangijang Chhat Puja Committee, South Bilpar Committee, Sangeet Chakra, Prayas, Sreepally Development Committee, District Administration Employees’ Union, Taxi Stand Association, Link Road, Tarapur Mandal Congress Committee, Netaji Chatra Yuva Sangstha, New Market, Town Club and Hailakandi District Congress Committee.