Shastri’s Body Cremated By Sacred Jumna River

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 11

Shastri’s Body Cremated By Sacred Jumna River

f A.Z.P A. Reuter —Copyright) NEW DELHI, January 12. The body of Mr Lal Bahadur Shastri was burnt on a funeral pyre of fragrant sandalwood today to the chanting of ancient hymns and cries of grief from a huge crowd.

His eldest son, Hari Kishan, lit the pyre with a faggot and flames shot up to consume the body. More than a millior Indians jammed the street; of New Delhi to watch the body of their late Prime Minister being drawn to the cremation site on a gun car nage. The pyre was lit on the banks of the sacred Jumna river—near the place where Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Nehru were cremated. En route to the pyre, thousands of spectators burst through the cordon of police and troops and marched behind the procession crying "Lal Bahadur ki jai.” (Lal Bahadur live for ever.) The funeral came less than 36 hours after Mr Shastri collapsed and died of a heart attack in Tashkent, where he had just signed an important agreement forswearing war with Pakistan. The pyre was built like a b< d with stacks of sandalwood laced round the body on a low brick platform. VEDIC HYMNS As the flames shot up. Hindu priests chanted ancient Hindu Vedic hymns telling of rebirth. Near the pyre stood the I’alai Lama and the Indian President. Mr Sarvapalli Badhakrishnan. The chanting priests

heaped sticks of sandalwood | on to the body until it was I hidden from sight. Led by the priests. Hari Kishan circled his father’s pyre with a burning faggot in his hand while a rifle salute was fired. Then he lit the 1 pyre. I The Last Post rang out and I ■ then came the Reveille. HOLY WATER Holy water from the river! Ganges was sprinkled over : the pyre in a ritual going: back thousands of years. In accordance with custom.; Mr Shastri’s wife and the! women members of the; i family were not present toI watch the cremation. An atmosphere of fervent. I mourning had lain over the I capital since the return of Mr Shastri’s body yesterday. Just before midnight, about 100 men, women and children were injured in a stampede at the Shastri bungalow where his body was lying in state. Several times the police, wielding long clubs, beat the crowd back. Police ambulances rushed the seriously injured : mourners to hospitals while 1 others were given first aid in! a special station set up near: ■ Mr Shastri’s home. When morning came, the j body was brought ou’ of the j [bungalow and placed on ai gun carriage, with only hisj face showing above the Indian flag. Marigolds and rose petals I ‘covered the road in the path! i of the gun carriage like a < —— ,

11 crimson and gold carpet. ■ >| The crowd flung garlands [and flowers, while a helicop-{ i ter showered rose petals from I >! above. i The procession moved off ‘ slowly led by the three Indian ‘ Service Chiefs of Staff and with service officers drawing 1 1 the carriage. ’ Drums muffled with black [cloth sounded a solemn beat. A band played the Christian I hymn “Abide With Me,”

I which had been one of Mr Shastri’s favourites. j Attending the ceremony was a large contingent of foreign dignitaries. They included the Soviet Premier, Mr Alexei Kosygin, Earl Mountbatten India’s last Viceroy represented Queen Elizabeth and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr George Brown, the British Government. Vice-President. Mr Hubert Humphrey, and the Secretary of State. Mr [Dean Rusk, represented the United States. | MESSAGE FROM CHINA The Prime Minister of i China. Mr Chou En-lai, sent i I a message of condolence to the Indian President, saying: [ "Shocked to learn of unfortunate death of His Excellency Lal Bahadur Shastri, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, I wish to express my condolences.” The Chinese press today reported without comment Mr Shastri’s death and the IndoPakistan agreement at Tashkent which preceded it. The reports appeared at the bottom of page five in the six-page Peking “People’s Daily.”