With the chanting of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and a sea of humanity in witness, Kerala on Friday gave a heroic farewell to Kochi native N Ramachandran, who was killed in the terror attack at Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, in South Kashmir on Tuesday.

The mortal remains of Ramachandran were consigned to flames at the Shantikavadam crematorium at Edappally in Kochi on Friday afternoon with full state honours Ramachandran’s body, which had been kept at a private hospital mortuary in Ernakulam, was brought to Changampuzha Park at 7.30 a.m. for public viewing.

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Thousands of people flocked there to pay their last respects to the terror victim.

Kerala governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Goa governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, Union Minister Suresh Gopi, State Minister P Rajeeve and Opposition ladder V D Satheesan were among those who paid their last respects.

Ramachandran’s daughter Arathi, sat beside the mortal remains, along with her mother and brother Aravind during the public viewing, chanting prayers. Following the public homage, Ramachandran’s body was taken in a procession to his residence Neeranjanam on Mangat Road at Edappally in Kochi.

After completing the rituals at home, the body was taken to the crematorium. When Ramachandran’s body was taken out of the house, slogans against communalism and terrorism were raised. His family members, wife Sheela , daughter Arati and son Aravind with raised fists chanted the slogan “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, in front of the flower-strewn body of Ramachandran.

Emotions poured out when Ramachandran’s family joined sloganeering in his final moments. Ramachandran’s wife Sheela, daughter Arathi Menon and son Aravind Menon bid adieu to him, shouting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ before leaving the mortal remains to flames at the crematorium.

Arati and her family members looked mostly calm and composed on the funeral day with a sea of people, most of them unknown to them, turning up to offer solace and solidarity to the grieving family. However, they all broke down into uncontrollable tears as they bid a final farewell to Ramachandran at the crematorium.

N. Ramachandran was tragically shot dead by terrorists in front of his daughter Arathi and her two children during their visit to Pahalgam on Tuesday.

Recounting the horrifying incident, Arathi said the terrorists spared her and her children. In the chaos, she fled into the forest with her children, running in fear. It took nearly half an hour before she could get mobile reception to call for help. Shortly after, the army and local residents arrived and rescued them.