Top business and political leaders line up to pay homage to Ratan Tata at Mumbai's NCPA
Mumbai (PTI): Thousands of people from different walks of life, including politicians and corporate leaders, gathered at the NCPA here on Thursday to pay homage to the legendary Ratan Tata, whose identity transcended beyond being the top industry icon.
The body of Ratan Tata, who died in a hospital here on Wednesday night, was brought from his Colaba home in a hearse decked with white flowers to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai.
The mortal remains were kept at the NCPA in a casket with a tricolour covering it.
Among the early ones who arrived to pay respect were Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar, his daughter MP Supriya Sule, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, finance industry stalwart Deepak Parekh and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das.
Even before Tata's mortal remains were brought to the NCPA from his residence, many people waited patiently in queues to get a last glimpse of the person who held an immense respect in their hearts for different reasons.
His body will be taken to the Prayer Hall at the Worli crematorium later in the day.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said Ratan Tata will be accorded a state funeral
Leader of opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar and assembly speaker and local MLA Rahul Narwekar were among those who reached the NCPA.
The employees and top executives of the Tata group were also present to pay respect.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Special Commissioner Deven Bharti and Joint Commissioner of Police Satya Narayan Chowdhary were among the top officials who also paid homage to Tata at the NCPA lawns.
In view of the heavy footfall anticipated at the NCPA, the Mumbai police have beefed up security arrangements and also imposed traffic restrictions in parts of Nariman Point.
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.
CM 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.
Before the hearse carrying Tata's mortal remains left from his home, located a couple of kilometres away from the NCPA, the Mumbai Police band played a tune as a mark of respect to him.
Several people had gathered outside his house also since early morning to pay tribute.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was among the early visitors at Tata's home.
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.
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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.
