Daryaganj residents pay their respects

NEW DELHI: As the convoy carrying the body Atal Bihari Vajpayee moved along a six-kilometre route on Friday, residents of Daryaganj paid their tributes.

As the procession passed Shahjahanabad, hundreds joined the procession mid-way, many of them by scaling police barricades and fences. Since it was the only residential neighbourhood along the route, hundreds of residents emerged on their balconies and terraces to catch a last glimpse of the leader.

“I watched TV to know when exactly the procession was to cross my home. I am not in a position to walk much, but I had a fulfilling last darshan of the leader I have cherished all my life,” said 61-year-old Nafeesa Begum from the first floor of her house. She said she showered rose petals on the casket from above.

Other residents who joined the procession made sure they carried along several water bottles. A few of them offered the people in the procession to briefly rest at their homes before continuing.

“My friend accompanying the procession had alerted me about people abandoning the journey mid-way as they could not find drinking water,” said Omar Khan.

By evening, the funeral was the only subject of discussion in the neighbourhood.

“It is our fortune that Vajpayee ji undertook his last journey through our neighbourhood and past my house. He had a special connection with Old Delhi and its residents,” said Murshid Ahmed, a local resident who owns a publishing business.

Referring to Narendra Modi’s walk along with the procession, another resident Obaid Ali said it was the first time a serving prime minister had walked the roads of the neighbourhood.