Kerala   

Hundreds pay their homage to Baby John

Condolence: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan offering his condolences to Baby John’s widow, Annamma, in Kollam on Tuesday.

KOLLAM: The news of Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Baby John’s death was received by many with a sense of grief. Right from morning, hundreds of people from all walks of life began arriving at his house here to offer their condolences to the family.

Kollam MLA and Labour Minister P.K. Gurudasan was among the first to arrive. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan arrived at the house after paying his respects to the departed leader at the mortuary of Kottiyam Holy Cross Hospital where the body was kept.

The body was taken out of the chamber for a brief while for the purpose.

Among those who paid their tributes were Ministers Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, T.M. Thomas Isaac, K.P. Rajendran, M. Vijayakumar and N.K. Premachandran, Deputy Speaker Jose Baby, Kollam MP P. Rajendran, Mayor N. Padmalochanan, Chief Minister’s political secretary K.N. Balagopal, CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, RSP State secretary V.P. Ramakrishna Pillai and Kerala Congress (J) leader P.J. Joseph.

The 90-year-old leader was admitted to Bishop Benziger Hospital here on January 23 following serious respiratory problems.

The end came at the hospital shortly after 1 a.m. on Tuesday. His wife, Annamma, son Shaji and daughter, Sheela, were beside him. The funeral will be held at Neendakara St. Sebastian’s Church on Wednesday evening. The body will be brought to his house at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. At 9 a.m. the body will be kept at the Kollam city Corporation complex for the public to pay their last respects. The body will then be taken to his native place Chavara and kept at Baby John Sapthathy Hall for the public to pay their last respects. At 2 p.m. the body will be shifted to the ancestral house at Neendakara. The cortege will begin at 5 p.m. for the funeral.

The body will be laid to rest with State honours.

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