Braving the scorching Sun, thousands of mourners participated in the funeral processions to pay their last respect to Salwa Judum hero Mahendra Karma, slain PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh Patel on Monday. Both Karma and Nand Kumar Patel were accorded State honours.
A large number of anguished tribals, of all age groups, from different villages in Dantewada district headed towards Mahendra Karma’s native village, Faraspal, to attend his last rites. Union Minister of State for Home RPN Singh and Congress leader Mukul Vasnik among 3,000 people participated in the procession, which started around 3.30 pm. Son of Bodo Manjhi, Mahendra Karma spearheaded Salwa Judum, and was called Bastar Tiger. He was the eighth victim of the Naxal violence in his family.
Slain PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh Patel were consigned to flames in their native village, Nandeli, in Raigarh district. The funeral procession started from the family’s house in Nandeli and converged at a place on the outskirts of the village where Nand Kumar’s parents had been cremated years ago.
CM Raman Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, leader of Opposition in Assembly Ravindra Choubey, leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kantilal Bhuriya, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar, and other Cabinet Ministers were among those who paid their last respects. Sources said that a curfew-like situation prevailed in all villages on way from Jagdalpur to Dantewada.
In the meanwhile, Maoists on Monday threatened the family members of Karma to leave the village or face dire consequences. Chavindra Karma, son of slain tribal leader, confirmed the information and said that he was ready to face any kind of threat issued by Maoists, and will not move out of the village.