The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : The mega star deserved a more dignified funeral

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 22, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

The mega star deserved a more dignified funeral

The funeral of the thespian dented the image of the city. Our readers blame the restive fans and a confused Government for the chaotic final farewell for the star.

No contingency plan

Rajkumar's fans became restive not knowing where his mortal remains would be kept for paying their last respects. There should have been contingency plans in place, knowing the thespian was ageing and failing in health. It is easy to blame the police; they were asked to act with restraint considering the emotions were running high.

P. Ramakrishna,

Ganganagar

Free for all

The police could have acted the way they did for Wednesday's condolence meeting at National College grounds being visible everywhere instead of reacting late. With care and planning, the funeral of Rajkumar could have been performed with dignity. The chaos at Sri Kanteerava Stadium could have been avoided if there were proper barricades in place.

S. Narayan Kumar,

R.T. Nagar

Difficult to control

Mobs are difficult to control once the first stone is thrown. The Government failed to make proper arrangements for the body to lay in state and for the funeral. The funeral of a person like Rajkumar should have been a formal, dignified event.

Latha Venkatesh,

Jayanagar

Vehicle targeted

Not only the police even the government machinery failed to deal with the situation. What should have been a solemn occasion became chaotic. It is a pity city buses and even private vehicles became targets of arson and vandalism. It is good to know that the police have booked some of the culprits. There should be no political interference in this matter.

R. Krishnaswamy,

Basavanagudi

Police reacted late

It is surprising that the police, well trained in crowd control, should have reacted after the situation went out of control. This resulted in more panic even in localities where there was peace. When Rajkumar's body was taken from place to place, fans became outraged needed violently. The Government should take the blame for all that followed.

Babita S,

Indiranagar

Police in a dilemma

The police faced an unenviable situation immediately after Rajkumar died. It was a great loss to both his family and his countless fans. While the police had to be patient with the fans who wanted a last glimpse of their hero, the anti-social elements should have been dealt with more strictly. Our tradition demands that a funeral be observed as a sacred occasion.

K. Bhagirathy,

Tata Silk Farm

A lesson

The violence that followed Rajkumar's death should be a lesson for the Government and law enforcements agencies. At least now they should realise what should be done and what should not be. Whenever a person with a mass following dies there are bound to be emotional reactions. When tens of thousands of people gather, even a single violent act can trigger chaos.

S. Ramamurthy,

Jayanagar

NEXT WEEK: Politicians often place hurdles in the way of major infrastructure projects and create controversies that are avoidable. The metro rail and the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor are just examples. Should such projects get delayed because some sections oppose them? Readers are invited to send their views to Point-blank, No. 19, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road, Bangalore 560001 or email bglreflections@thehindu. co.in

Ganganagar

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