Chennai: It was at 1 am on Wednesday that we decided to go to the CIT Nagar residence of DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi to pay our last respects to the leader. My husband R Rangaraj, veteran journalist, called up Kanimozhi and she advised us to come to CIT Nagar.
Seeing the crush of people at Gopalapuram, we thought it was a good idea. But many others also had the same idea and there was an unmanageable crowd in front of Kanimozhi’s house.
After what seemed like a near-stampede situation, the coffin was carried indoors. Then came another tight situation when Karunanidhi’s son M K Stalin arrived.
The police kept pushing everybody back and refused to let us in. When the gates opened there was a general surge towards it and we were also pushed inside the house.
After waiting in a corner to see if it was possible to enter the hall where the coffin was, we were given another big push by the people around us and went inside.
After paying our respect to the five-time Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, we turned towards a grief-stricken Kanimozhi and her equally sad mother Rajathi Ammal.
Kanimozhi accepted our condolences stoically and we moved out around 2.15 am.
In all the melee, my husband lost his footwear, my hair was a mess, my glasses had taken a knock or two and my dupatta was on the ground. But the satisfaction of having paid our last respects to the man who graced our wedding reception will always stay with us.