Govt decides to accord state funeral to Manekshaw

In a rare gesture, the Centre has decided to accord a state funeral to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, the Defence Ministry said.

In a rare gesture, the Centre has decided to accord a state funeral to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, the Defence Ministry said.

An earlier announcement this morning by the Defence Ministry said Manekshaw, the hero of 1971 Indo-Pak war, would be accorded a military funeral with full honours.

A press release issued later said that the former Army Chief, who died early today, would be accorded a state funeral by the Centre.

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Union Minister of State for Defence, Pallam Raju, would represent the Central Government at the funeral, while a representative of Chief of Royal Bhutan Army Kinley Dorji would attend, representing the Bhutanese Army, it said.

Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt General M L Naidu and a Tamil Nadu Minister would also be attending the funeral.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government announced a day’s official mourning today. The National flag would fly half mast through out the state, an official press release said.

Educational institutions in the Nilgiris would remain closed today as a mark of respect to the departed General, the release added.

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Meanwhile, the body of Manekshaw (94), who passed away at the Military Hospital here, was taken to his residence for religious rites as per Parsi customs.

The body will be brought to Madras Regiment Centre (MRC) and would be kept for two hours for the public to pay their homage. Full military honours would be provided during the period, a defence spokesman said.

Later the cortege would leave the MRC to the Parsi funeral ground at Udhagamandalm.

The last rites would be a purely private affair during which only family members will be allowed, the spokesman said.