The body of noted social activist Fr Thomas Kocherry, who passed away last week, was laid to rest on Monday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Muttada.
Before the funeral, thousands, including Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC president V M Sudheeran paid their last respects.
The body had been kept in the church from Sunday morning for the public to pay homage.
He died of cardiac arrest in ‘Divyarakshaka Ashramam’ on the premises of the Muttada church on Saturday evening. He was 73.
He was in the forefront of various struggles for social justice and led many movements for the fishermen community.
Kocherry, who hailed from Parepally in Changanassery, was a graduate in Science and Law. He became a priest in 1971.
Kocherry was the former chairman of the National Fishworkers Forum and was also at the helm of the National Alliance of People’s Movements. He was even active in the recent protests against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant.