Kerala unites in grief & resolve for Pahalgam attack victim’s last rites

Kochi: They came with flowers, folded hands and tearful eyes to honour a man they didn't know but couldn't forget. At Changampuzha Park on Friday morning, hundreds gathered to bid farewell to N Ramachandran (65), who was killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
The sombre mood was broken by a stirring chant of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", raised by his daughter Arati R Menon and wife Sheela as they stood beside his coffin. The chant rippled outward and gathered strength as the crowd took it up and repeated it in unison. Ramachandran's last rites were conducted with full state honours.
Most people who gathered had never known Ramachandran, but they came — local residents, auto drivers, elderly couples, students — drawn by something larger than the man alone: the need to bear witness, to offer solidarity and to push back against senseless violence. For nearly four hours, people streamed into the park to pay their respects — some laying flowers, others bowing silently and many consoling the bereaved family. Governors Rajendra Arlekar and P S Sreedharan Pillai (Goa), Union minister of state Suresh Gopi, industries minister P Rajeeve, leader of opposition V D Satheesan, Kochi mayor M Anilkumar, district collector N S K Umesh, actor Jayasurya and high court judge Devan Ramachandran were among those who offered condolences.
In the crowd was Raveendran, an auto driver from Edappally, who knew Ramachandran for years. "The news shook me. I had to come to see him one last time," he said. Standing nearby was Vasudevan Nair, who arrived with his wife Chandrika. "It may be the first time a civilian from Kerala has been killed by terrorists in Kashmir. The people here are not just mourning — they are standing with the country," he said.
Nair also praised Arati's stance and her acknowledgment of local Kashmiris who helped the family in its time of need. "She is a role model. In a time when some try to paint entire communities with one brush, her words give us hope," he said.
"I couldn't bear the thought of a man being killed in front of his family. I had to come," said Shantha Mani, who came from Kayamkulam. Rishikesh, a resident of Palarivattom, said, "This is a time for unity. As a citizen, I am grieving for a fellow Indian."
After the public tribute, Ramachandran's body was taken to his home ‘Niranjanam', where neighbours and friends stood waiting. The streets echoed with chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" as the procession passed. At his home, Kerala police offered the guard of honour. Among the silent mourners was Balachandran M, a close friend, quietly grieving for the man he called "brother".
At 1pm, the cremation took place with full state honours. Ramachandran's son Suresh lit the pyre.
Ramachandran had been on holiday in Kashmir with Sheela, Arati and her twin sons. He was shot dead in front of Arati and his grandchildren on Tuesday.