Eminent Bengali litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay, who died on Tuesday, was cremated by his US-based son Souvik here on Thursday.
As per the atheist author’s wishes, there was no Hindu memorial service. Though Sunil had expressed his desire to donate his body, the family, however, decided against it.
The 78 year-old who had authored over 200 books, breathed his last after a massive heart attack. His body was taken to several points in the city to allow people to pay their last respects to the man who made significant contribution to Bengali literature. He was the president of Sahitya Akademi.
Leaders cutting across party lines paid rich tributes to the celebrated writer. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Cabinet ministers joined other well-wishers and walked five kms from Rabindra Sadan to the cremation grounds. Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Left Front Chairperson Biman Bose and CPM politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra paid rich tributes to the writer who was publicly Left-bent. West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee President Pradip Bhattacharya also laid wreaths on the body.
Several luminaries like filmmakers Mrinal Sen and Aparna Sen, writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and painter Suvaprasanna were among the mourners who had gathered to pay their last respects to the author.