Family against donating Sunil Gangopadhyay’s body

Though Bengali litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay had pledged his body, his family has decided to cremate the body on Thursday.

Sunil Gangopadhyay, who was president of the Sahitya Akademi, died at his south Kolkata residence early on Tuesday following heart attack. He was 78.

“He had pledged his body but we have decided on cremation. It is a personal decision and we thought it is the best thing for us to do,” the author’s son, Souvik Gangopadhyay, told The Hindu.

“After a person dies the whole thing is about the people who are left behind,” he said. The decision was taken after consultations with his mother, Mr. Souvik said.

Souvik, an engineer based in Boston, arrived here earlier in the day. He admitted that his father, an atheist, had pledged his body.

A memorial meeting would be held in the next few days. There would be no sradha ceremony, he said.

Sunil Gangopadhyay’s body will be taken from the funeral parlour to the offices of Anandabazar Patrika, a city-based media group, on Thursday morning. He was associated with the group and contributed regularly to its publications.

The body will then be taken to the Rabindra Sadan cultural complex. From there it will be taken to the office of the Sahitya Akademi, of which Sunil Gangopadhyay was president since 2008.

The final rites will be performed at a city crematorium around 1 p.m.