THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Veteran freedom fighter K E Mammen was cremated at Santhi Kavadam here on Thursday with state honours. By 11.30 am, the body was taken to the St George Orthodox Syrian Cathedral chapel at Pattoor in the city where a group of priests led the prayers. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of Malankara Catholic Church and Mavelikkara Bishop Joshua Mar Ignatios offered prayers.
The body was later taken to Santhi Kavadam where state honours were given by 2 pm. Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran and Mayor V K Prasanth were present.
Earlier, hundreds of people from various sections of society came to his nephew’s house at Kunnukuzhy where the body was kept from Wednesday noon for the public to pay their last respects. Administrative Reforms Commission chairman V S Achuthanandan, Education Minister C Raveendranath, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, K Muraleedharan MLA, former minister K Surendran Pillai, KTDC chairman M Vijayakumar, O Rajagopal MLA and BJP leader Karamana Jayan paid homage.
A family source told ‘Express’ it was as per the wish of Mammen the body was cremated. He also didn’t want the body to be placed for the public to pay homage. The source said they are planning to keep the ashes in the family vault at Pattoor church.Mayor Prasanth said there will be a remembrance meeting at the VJT Hall here at 5 pm on Friday.