Indian community in Seychelles pays homage to Jayalalitha |10 December 2016

J. Jayalalitha, one of the India’s most influential and colourful politicians, died on Monday this week in Chennai, India. She was the Chief Minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu and she was buried in the presence of tens of thousands of mourners on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee were among those who attended the state funeral.

Here in Seychelles, members of the Indian community especially Tamil people, acting Indian high commissioner Anindya Banerjee, officials from the Indian high commission and members of the general public gathered to pay floral and candlelight tributes to a decorated portrait of Jayalalithaa on Wednesday at 11.30am at the Vivekananda Hall, high commission of India, Le Chantier.

All those present expressed that they were deeply grieved upon hearing the news of the demise of Jayalalitha.

“Her demise is an irrecoverable loss to the Tamil community as a whole,” they said, adding that they are sharing the grief with Tamil people all over the world.

They recalled her deep involvement in people’s welfare especially the poor and women, and also praised her contributions to the whole of India’s national welfare and development.

They wrote messages of condolence and signed the Condolence Book which was kept open at the Indian high commission.