People climb atop trees, walls on Marina beach to catch glimpse of amma

Chennai: It wasn’t just the roads in front of the Kamarajar promenade that were thronging with humans, there were people on trees, atop the Labour statue and people on top of bus sheds opposite to the MGR Memorial when the crowd arriving to get a last glance of their iconic female leader started swelling beyond control.

Since Tuesday morning, after paying homage to the former Chief Minister and Tamil Nadu’s Iron lady at Rajaji Hall, people in large numbers started moving to the Marina Beach where she was to be cremated.

The crowd, people pushing each other aside, climbing fences and trees, and ignoring repeated instructions from the policemen did not budge them, those who were obstinate to get a glimpse of her before she was put to rest on Tuesday evening.

Some were in mourning, some teary-eyed, and some distraught as the woman who gave them so much in life was no more going to be amidst them. Police had barricaded the area, organising it into spots that could have vehicles parked and that could not, and were busy guiding people.

Beyond the parking area, people were waiting anxiously waiting for her body to arrive, some clicking selfies and some pushing one another to get to the closest spots to the memorial and some waving at cameras of TV channels. For most in Chennai, the sun of their lives had set last night, never to rise again and with that, the crowd at Marina Beach only grew bigger.