Kalaignar joins Anna on Marina

A seismograph would have recorded a spike in Chepauk and Triplicane, if it had been measured, for, the deafening chanting of “Thalaiva” and “Dr Kalaignar” by an emotionally overcharged cadre reverberated in the air of that part of the city as the family and party ambled behind the 94-year-old Dravidian legacy, who was draped in tricolour and carried on a military vehicle from Rajaji Hall at 4pm to Marina at 6.15pm.

The mortal remains were laid in a sandalwood casket with gold beading after his family, including sons MK Stalin, MK Alagiri, MK Tamilarasu and daughters Kanimozhi and Selvi paid floral tribute. The casket bearing the epithet “Oivu edukkaamal ulaithavan ingu itho oivu konduirukkiraan (the man who toiled without rest lies here in eternal rest)” (a line Kalaignar had penned for himself in 1985) was lowered at 7pm with a 21-gun salute offered by a posse of decorated army personnel.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mukul Wasnik, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, TMC MP Derek O Brien, former Prime Minister Deva Gowda and Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu were among the leaders present when the DMK chief was buried next to his mentor Anna, answering the long-debated question on who was the ithayakani of CM Annadurai (who is in the heart of Anna). The DMK needed some legal intervention in settling the debate, thanks to the Madras High Court, which had ordered the State to allot land for the burial.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Kerala Governor P Sadasivam, Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, former Karantaka CM Sidharamaiah, former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and actor Rajinikanth were among a host of dignitaries who paid floral tribute to Karunanidhi at Rajaji Hall earlier in the day.