Ratan Tata's mortal remains taken from home to NCPA for people to pay tributes
Mumbai (PTI): Legendary industrialist Ratan Tata's body was on Thursday morning taken from his house in a hearse, decked with white flowers, to the NCPA in south Mumbai where it would be kept for people to pay their last respects.
Before the hearse started from Tata's home, located a couple of kilometres away from the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), the Mumbai Police band played a tune as a mark of respect to him.
As the news of Tata's demise spread, people from different walks of life gathered outside his house since early Thursday morning to pay tribute to him.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was among the early visitors at Tata's home.
Ratan Tata, who is credited with transforming the Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate, died at age 86 at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s education minister Deepak Kesarkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani were among those who rushed to the hospital after hearing about Tata's death.
The mortal remains of Tata were brought out of the hospital in an ambulance escorted by police vehicles early on Thursday and taken to his residence in Colaba.
CM Shinde has said Ratan Tata will be accorded a state funeral.
The Maharashtra government has declared a day of mourning in the state on Thursday to pay tributes to Ratan Tata, the Chief Minister's Office said.
A statement quoting CM Shinde said the national tricolour on government offices in Maharashtra will be flown at half-mast on Thursday as a sign of mourning.
Tata's mortal remains will be kept at the NCPA from 10 am to 3.30 pm on Thursday for people to pay their respects.
His last rites will be performed in Worli area of Mumbai later in the day.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
