Thursday, October 4, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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Who will look at Gwalior?
Madhavrao’s cremation today
Prashant Sood
Tribune News ServiceGwalior, October 3
There is a complete black-out of TV channels in Gwalior for the past three days save for the ones beaming news. Tents have been put outside several houses here where people sit together remembering their beloved ‘Maharaja’. Markets are closed and there are long, serpentine queues outside the Jai Vilas Palace where the mortal remains of senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia have been kept.
The body of Madhav Rao Scindia being
taken in a procession in Gwalior on Tuesday. — PTI photo |
Mrs Madhavi Raje Scindia being consoled by family friends at
Rani Mahal in Gwalior on Wednesday, where Madhav Rao Scindia's
body is kept for public viewing. — PTI photo |
Hoardings, banners have come erected in localities here bearing messages of a tearful farewell. Couplets of remembrance are being relayed through loudspeakers put up at various city roundabouts. Gwalior , its residents bemoan, lies orphaned. There is hope of 30-year-old Jyodiraditya Scindia stepping into the shoes of his father, but say the residents, it will still be years before that happens. Gwalior, they emphasise, was known to the world outside only because of Madhavrao Scindia. As they approach the Rani Mahal gate of Jai Vilas Palace, where the fully-covered body of Madhavrao Scindia has been kept, women find hard to control their emotions. A few even fainted regretting that they could not see their beloved leader for the last time. The elderly, who saw Madhavrao grow in front of their eyes are inconsolable. It was a wish of the ‘Maharaja’ to donate his eyes to a resident of Gwalior so that he could keep looking at the city after he has gone but that could not happen. “Who
will look at Gwalior now,” asks a distraught resident.The body has been kept near the doors of the Palace temple, not far away from the place where the mortal remains of Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia were kept a few months back. Family members have been by the side of the body since yesterday when the Palace gates were opened for the public to pay their homage. The queues have been unending despite the intermittent showers today. Many have come from adjoining districts to pay their homage to the man who touched them personally. “Mr Scindia was like a father to me. He gave money for my cancer treatment and twice visited me in the hospital,” says Harivallabh Shrivastav who has come here from Guna. Many national leaders and chief ministers would be here tomorrow to attend the cremation of Scindia which will take place at Chattri, about 3 km from the Palace. It is after 40 years that a male member of Scindia family is being cremated at Chattri — the final resting place for members of the Scindia royal family. Employees of the Jai Vilas Palace say that it was after many decades that the family had three generations together. Madhavrao’s male ancestors did not have long life-span and one estimate puts the average at 54. Mr Scindia, 56, had barely crossed the stage. “I am keeping my fingers crossed,” he had remarked once. Apart from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and several union ministers, senior leaders of all major political parties are expected to be here. Congress president Sonia Gandhi would arrive here tomorrow morning with over 120 party MPs.
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