Sea of Humanity bids Tearful adieu to R.R. Patil


Posted on 18th Feb 2015 10:15 am by mohit kumar

Sangli (Maharashtra), Feb 17 (IANS) Lakhs of people bade a tearful farewell to former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Raosaheb Ramrao Patil in his native Anjani village here Tuesday.

Patil, 57, a former state home minister, passed away Monday evening after a battle with oral cancer.

He was Tuesday cremated with full state honours, including a 21-gun salute. The state government earlier declared Tuesday as a period of official mourning. He was the state home minister during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

R.R.Patil is survived by his mother Bhagirathi, wife Suman, three children -- Smita, Supriya and Rohit. The three children jointly lit the funeral pyre.

As per Patil's desire, there will be no post-funeral ceremonies or events, marking a departure from tradition.

Thousands of people lined both sides of the six kilometre route, from the airport to a venue where the body was kept for the final 'audience' by residents.

The solemn atmosphere was awash with cries of 'Aaba Amar Rahe' (Long live Aaba), with many people beating their chests to express their deep sense of sorrow at the passing away of the leader, locally known as 'Aaba'.

The last rites were performed by his teenaged son Rohit in an open ground in Anjani where Patil was born, grew up, harboured his political roots and was later elected six times to the Maharashtra legislature.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, veteran crusader Anna Hazare, National Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar and other party leaders like Sunil Tatkare, Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Nawab Malik, Jitendra Awhad and Dilip Walse-Patil were present.

Senior Congress leaders Narayan Rane, Prithviraj Chavan, Ashok Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde, Patangrao Kadam, retired IPS officer-turned-politician Vikram Bokey also attended the funeral.

Top BJP leaders like Raosaheb Danve and several current cabinet ministers, parliamentarians and legislators, and party activists attended the funeral in large numbers.

Leaders across the political spectrum paid tributes to Patil before the funeral and extended condolences to the bereaved family.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharastra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale and other personalities also paid glowing tributes to Patil since Monday night.

Patil breathed his last at Lilavati Hospital, Bandra, where he had been undergoing chemotherapy for the past few weeks and was put on life-support systems early Monday.

His body was kept in state at the NCP headquarters in Mumbai and taken early Tuesday to Anjani village in his native Sangli district.

An icon for his clean image, besides being easily accessible to the masses and party activists, Patil was among the most trusted advisors of NCP President Sharad Pawar who supported him through thick and thin.

"My life is influenced by the late Yashwantrao Chavan, the late Vasantrao Patil and my inspiration is Sharad Pawar. Under his able guidance, I am trying to inculcate fearlessness and faith in people of Maharashtra through my police force," Patil once said.

Patil had started his career as a young politician in his home district and was elected to the Sangli Zilla Parishad from 1979-1990.

Since his maiden election on a Congress ticket to the assembly in 1990, Patil first became an NCP minister in the Congress-NCP Maharashtra government and was given the important rural development portfolio.

In 2003, Patil was given the critical home department following the resignation of the then deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal. Impressed by his performance, the party bosses elevated him as deputy chief minister the following year, 2004.

However, Patil had to quit his post as home minister in 2008 following his off-the-cuff remarks after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Patil, however, bounced back as the state home minister for a second term in 2009 and continued till the Congress-NCP coalition was voted out in the 2014 assembly election.

Patil also served twice as NCP state president. His important decisions as home minister included a ban on the dance bars in Mumbai and Maharashtra in 2005.

It also included the much-hailed insurance scheme for police personnel in the state and scheme to adopt tribal children to bring them into the social mainstream.

Maharashtra's political spectrum has been shaken by the deaths of three young and popular leaders in recent years -- Congress' Vilasrao Deshmukh (2012), BJP's Gopinath Munde(2014), and R.R.Patil this year.

0 Like 0 Dislike
Previous news Next news
Other news

How will Russia start the war with Ukraine?: That agreement with the separatists, which revealed Putin's whole plan

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared two Ukrainian cities - Donetsk and Luhansk -

Environment Agency's warning about heatwave, if there is no improvement then 90 thousand people will die every year in Europe

The people of the world may soon see even more dangerous effects due to climate change. If nothin

Ram Rajya in Goa? In five years, the CBI did not get a single case of corruption, the officer said – we are not needed hereRam Rajya in Goa? In five years, the CBI did not get a single case of corruption, the officer said – we are not needed here

A unique problem has arisen before the Goa CBI. Four to five officers have only four to five corr

Nayab Singh Saini will be the next Chief Minister of Haryana, approval given in the legislative party meeting; Will take oath at 5 pm

BJP has changed leadership in Haryana. After the resignation of Chief Minister Manohar Lal, Kuruk

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Attempt to burn the tent of Bharat Jodo Yatra, four accused caught with the understanding of the worker

An attempt was made to set fire to a tent meant for Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Some unknow

NEP 2020: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said - New National Education Policy will make India a world guru again

Two Years of National Education Policy (NEP 2020): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said t

UGC: Recognition of colleges will now be canceled if the rules of refund of fees are not followed, written order is issued for strict action

If the rules of refund fees are not followed, now the recognition of colleges will be cancelled.

Ranchi 4.7 magnitude earthquake shook the land of Jamshedpur, people ran out of homes

Ranchi: Earth shook in the morning of Friday (June 5, 2020) in Jharkhand. Earthquake tremors were

Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Centre, said – Government brought GST to benefit the rich, we will change it if we come

Assembly elections are to be held next month on all 224 assembly seats in Karnataka. Because of t

Suggest agency for regular water release, HC asks Haryana, Delhi

New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Delhi and Haryana governments t

Sign up to write
Sign up now if you have flare of writing..
Login   |   Register
Follow Us
Indyaspeak @ Facebook Indyaspeak @ Twitter Indyaspeak @ Pinterest RSS



Play Free Quiz and Win Cash