91-yr-old walks for an hour to pay respects to Dr Singh

A lean elderly man, sporting white hair and holding the Tricolour, slowly made his way inside the Congress headquarters at Akbar Road.

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The 91-year-old Karna Prasad Mishra was among the crowd that thronged the AICC headquarters to pay their last respects to former PM Dr Manmohan Singh.

As he came out after paying his last respects, Mishra had tears in his eyes as drizzle drenched the earth. He again made his way through the crowd as Dr Singh’s mortal remains were taken towards Nigambodh Ghat crematorium.

Mishra claimed to have strived for the country’s Independence, alongside Gandhi and Nehru from 1943. Mishra said Dr Singh’s demise saddened him like many other people of the country. He said he had met him on several occasions.

Hailing from MP, he said he had planned to come to Delhi for the party’s foundation day. However, Dr Singh’s sudden death changed everything. As Dr Singh’s remains were taken to Nigambodh Ghat, Mishra followed the cavalcade. At times, he huffed, rested and walked again.

After almost an hour, Mishra finally reached the site around 12 pm. He, however, was not let in due to VIP movement. After an hour, as VIPs moved out and everybody was allowed to go inside, Mishra slowly walked towards the still burning pyre, held his hands and murmured a prayer. There are several others like Mishra who were at the crematorium for Dr Singh.

Pandit Anokhe Lal Tiwari, who hails from UP and is in his mid-60s, remarked, “I am a small person. But I understand that we have lost a big personality.”