KANNUR: Veteran Communist leader M V Raghavan who passed away on Sunday was given a tearful farewell at the cremation ground on the Payyambalam beach here on Monday afternoon. MVR’s eldest son M V Gireeshkumar lit the pyre which was arranged close to the memorial column of E K Nayanar. His sons M V Nikeshkumar and M V Rajeshkumar also performed the rites.
Thousands turned up at the CMP district committee office and at the Town Square where the body was kept for the public to pay homage on Monday morning. Ministers Ramesh Chennithala, K M Mani, K C Joseph, C N Balakrishnan, M K Muneer, Aryadan Mohammed and K P Mohanan, P K Sreemathi MP, MLAs Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Sunny Joseph and A P Abdullakutty, CMP leaders C P John, K P Aravindakshan and Patyam Rajan, CPM leaders P Jayarajan, M V Jayarajan and A N Shamseer, Congress leaders K Sudhakaran and K Surendran, CPI state secretary PanniyanRaveendan, IUML leader Abdul Khader Moulavi, BJP leaders C K Padmanabhan and K Ranjith also paid their tributes to MVR.Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, KPCC president V M Sudheeran, Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty and M K Raghavan MP had paid their respects to the departed leader when the body was kept at Parassinikadavu Ayurveda Medical College on Sunday evening. The funeral procession that started from the Town Square at 11 am was accompanied by ministers, political leaders and hundreds of activists cutting across political lines.