The Kerala Legislative Assembly will pay special homage to the Bard of Kerala, O.N.V. Kurup, by doing away with the day’s sitting, other than an obituary reference, which makes him the first cultural personality to receive this honour.
The House will meet only at 11.30 a.m., ostensibly after the funeral. It will adjourn for the day after the obituary reference. There will be no question hour and other businesses listed for the day. The Assembly was originally scheduled to take up presentation of the supplementary demands for the rest of the months of the current financial, besides piloting of two bills. The Business Advisory Committee will meet later in the day to decide on the rearranged schedule.
There have been couple of occasions when a few personalities had been honoured even though they had never been a member of the legislature. They include Moidu Moulavi, Jayaprakash Narayan, RSP leader Sreekantan Nair, and N.E. Balaram (he was a member of the legislature, but at the time of his death he was Rajya Sabha MP). The Assembly had adjourned after making obituary reference when these leaders died. But this is the first time that the Assembly is honouring a cultural personality.
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Poet O.N.V. Kurup will be cremated with full State honours at the Shanthikavadam electric crematorium at Thycaud on Monday at 10 a.m.
Before the cremation, 84 singers will join together for a musical tribute to the poet. MBS Youth Choir members, singers Sreeram, Kallara Gopan, Sudeep Kumar and others will sing poems and songs that ONV has penned.
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At 12.30 p.m., an ONV memorial event, organised by the State government and various cultural organisations, will be held at the VJT Hall. Singer K.J. Yesudas and others will be part of the event.
On Sunday, the poet’s body was kept for public viewing at the VJT Hall from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The place witnessed a steady stream of visitors from all walks of life, through the day. On behalf of the State government Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar placed a wreath.