It was 8.39 p.m. on Friday.
Into the crowded campus outside the School of Medicine of Amrita Hospital drove in a bus. It came to a halt right next to the elevated platform on which was kept the body of departed CPI leader Kanam Rajendran covered with a white spread.
From the bus emerged the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to pay homage to their fellow comrade. It proved to be a fitting farewell to the leader who simply went by the name ‘Kanam’ in political and party circles. The body was moved into the morgue shortly after the Cabinet members left around 9.15 p.m.
Immediately after the visit, a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister condoled the death of the CPI State secretary. It was decided that on Sunday, the Navakerala Sadas will resume only in the afternoon after the funeral of the departed leader.
The body was brought outside the hospital and kept in front of the School of Medicine after the number of people who turned up to pay their last respects grew by the minute.
Earlier, the news about Kanam’s demise broke when the Navakerala Sadas was under way at Pathadipalam not very far away from Amrita Hospital. Minister K. Rajan from the CPI was addressing the gathering when media started flashing the news.
CPI leaders and Ministers Rajan, J. Chinjurani, and G.R. Anil immediately left for the hospital. However, the short distance trip to the hospital took longer than usual as the road was chock-a-block with long lines of vehicles.
At the hospital, the crowd was getting bigger by the minute with a big posse of media persons also turning up. The curious onlookers passing by and even those inside the hospital stopped by to ask what was happening.
When he breathed his last, Kanam’s son Sandeep alone was with him. And, then came the ministers and MLAs. Soon, discussions ensued about taking Kanam’s body to the capital and his home in Kottayam. Later, Mr. Rajan briefed the media about the last journey of the departed leader.
