The Puducherry government has declared three-day state mourning with effect from Tuesday as a mark of respect to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
The national flag will be flown at half-mast for three days from December 6 throughout Union territory of Puducherry on all the buildings where it is flown regularly.
There shall be no official entertainment during the period of state mourning as a mark of respect to the departed leader. The government declared Tuesday as a public holiday.
Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy said he was shocked and saddened over the demise of Jayalalithaa. He termed her passing away as an irreparable loss to Tamil Nadu.
Offering deep condolences, he sought the almighty on behalf of Puducherry people to rest her soul in peace. On Tuesday he led his cabinet colleagues and elected representatives in paying floral tributes to the late leader’s portrait on the legislative assembly premises before leaving for Chennai to pay last respects to the departed leader. Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee held a condolence meeting on its office premises
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi expressed her deep condolence at the demise of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. “The departed leader was but a rare political personality who charted a distinct path of governance through her strong and able leadership.
A multifaceted personality the departed leader had always carved a niche for herself in all walks of life, be it as a student excelling in academics, be it as an artist, as a versatile actor and culminating in politics as a leader of the masses and elite,” Bedi said.
Showering encomiums Bedi said Jayalalithaa is a symbol of women empowerment who always had her heart for the cause of women. Bedi said the AIADMK leader pioneered in setting up all-woman police stations to correct gender bias and introduced 30% quota for women in government jobs.
People of Puducherry share the sorrow of the loss along with the people of Tamil Nadu, Bedi said. Puducherry legislative assembly Speaker V Vaithilingam, public works minister A Namassivayam, other ministers and leader of opposition and AINRC founder president N Rangasamy and Lok Sabha MP R Radhakrishnan were among those who condoled the death of Jayalalithaa.
Pondicherry University, which declared a holiday on Tuesday, postponed the examinations scheduled on the day. Fresh date will be announced later. Similarly Annamalai University postponed the examinations scheduled on December 6, 7 and 8. Fresh dates would be announced later.
Online Source: The Times Of India.
