Day after Amma funeral, it’s back to business in Chennai
MOVING ON Roads packed with cars and buses; people begin trickling back into offices
CHENNAI: A grieving Chennai appeared to move on with life on Wednesday hours after millions of weeping mourners paid their respects to chief minister J Jayalalithaa, belying fears that the beloved leader’s death would shut the state down for days.
The streets of Tamil Nadu’s capital city was packed with cars and buses on Wednesday morning as shops and restaurants opened and people started trickling back into offices.
“No doubt, it was a tragedy for all of us and we had observed mourning yesterday. But we need to move on,” said Krishna, an auto driver, parked in front of a hotel in the heart of the city.
Many shops and establishments had quickly downed shutters on Tuesday as news spread of Jayalalithaa’s passing, fearing riots and violence by her legions of followers who trooped into Chennai from all over the state. But there was little disorder as thousands of teary-eyed followers climbed trees and statues and thronged a British-era hall to catch one glimpse of their “amma”.
Educational institutions remained closed for the second consecutive day as the Tamil Nadu government announced holidays for three days. But it was business as usual in the government offices, though attendance was said to be very thin. Many restaurants, including that of the famed Saravana Bhavan chain, were unusually deserted. Hospitals and medical shops were the only places with some crowds.
Ripples of grief continued to surge through the city, however, as people cutting across class and gender lines term the her death a tragedy. “I feel sad that a strong leader like her [Jaya] has passed away. She spoke for our needs. We have lost that voice,” says Thangam, an elderly woman in Anna Salai. “I don’t believe in any political party but Jayalalithaa was there for the poor,” added Selvam, who runs a tea stall near the Eldams Road-Anna Salai junction.