Dorjee Khandu’s mortal remains laid to rest in Tawang

Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu.

A pall of gloom descended over Arunachal Pradesh as the mortal remains of late Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu were laid to rest at Shebdung (Phamla) near his native village Gyangkhar in Tawang district this morning, ten days after he was killed in a helicopter crash on April 30.

The final journey of late Khandu began from his residence as smoke from Tsang rose into the sky and people waited to bid adieu to the "Laughing Buddha", as he was known.

The body was taken to the cremation ground from his residence after tributes were paid by his relatives besides new Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin and his cabinet colleagues, Speaker Wanglin Lowangdong, Congress leaders Dhaniram Shandil and Sanjoy Bapna, legislators and other senior government, police and Army officials.

Khandu’s funeral was performed as per Monpa traditions and with state honours which included funeral march by various contingents of state police and firing of several rounds into the air as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

More than 7,000 people thronged the cremation ground to pay their last respects to the late leader.

"It is the saddest day of our state and the nation as we gather here today to pay our respectful adieu to our beloved leader," Gamlin said.

"It's hard to believe that the man of his stature, who had been widely loved by the people in the state as well as the entire nation, is no more amongst us today," he said.

"In his death, the country has lost an eminent leader, an able administrator and a compassionate human being, who was committed to all round development.

"We are aware that the vacuum that has been created by his death will never be filled,'' he said, while promising to live up to the people’s aspirations by following the footsteps of late Khandu and carrying forward the dream and vision he had framed for Arunachal Pradesh.

NNN