Chennai:
Scores of leaders of political parties and artistes paid their homage to media baron and sports administrator B. Sivanthi Adityan, who passed away on Friday. The body of 76-year-old owner of popular Tamil daily “Dina Thanthi,” was taken in a procession from his Poes Garden residence to the electric crematorium at Besant Nagar where it was consigned to flames.
Earlier, a steady stream of mourners paid their last respects to the Padmashri recipient who was also an industrialist, educationist, philanthropist besides being associated with Indian Olympic Association and various other sport bodies.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Governor K. Rosaiah and chief minister J. Jayalalithaa were among those who condoled the demise of Adityan.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi, Union ministers G.K. Vasan and Jayanthi Natarajan, MDMK chief Vaiko, DMDK Leader Vijayakant, CPI state secretary D. Pandian, CPI (M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan, TNCC president B. Gnanadesikan and BJP president Pon Radhakrishnan were among those who paid floral tributes to Adityan at his residence.
Members of film fraternity including superstar Rajni, actor-politician R. Sarathkumar, Sivakumar, director Bharatirajaa and music director Illaiaraja also paid their last respects.
In his message to Malathi Adityan, wife of Sivanthi Adityan, Mukherjee said his contribution to society as a philanthropist and educationist would always be remembered.
Expressing profound grief, Manmohan Singh said the country had lost a true champion of the media, who believed that journalism was meant to serve the common man’s need for information.
Rosaiah said, “I am deeply shocked and grieved to hear about the demise of B. Sivanthi Adityan…his death is an irreparable loss to media and to sports in particular.”
In her message, Ms. Jayalalithaa said Adityan’s demise was a huge loss to journalism and sports. The Indian Newspaper Society too paid rich tributes to B. S. Adityan who was one of its past presidents.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / April 2qst, 2013