Ramesh returns for mother’s funeral

FORMER UNC attorney general ramesh Lawrence Maharaj will return home today to attend tomorrow’s funeral service for his mother Dolly Nanan Maharaj. The ‘‘brotherhood’’ of the Indian diaspora shared between political arch-rivals Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday and Maharaj at the weekend in India, evoked more feelings of the Indian heritage with Panday’s brother’s death last week and the passing away on Saturday of Maharaj’s mother — Dolly Nanan Maharaj.

Maharaj has been forced to cut short his visit and will return to Trinidad today for tomorrow’s cremation of his mother on the Mosquito Creek. Unable to secure a flight due to the Asian tsunami crisis, Panday was forced to remain in India and mourn the passing of brother “Raj” who was cremated on Saturday. Maharaj will cut short his India visit and return to Trinidad in time for tomorrow’s cremation of Dolly who died at a Gulf View nursing home around 10 am. Dolly, of Park Street, San Fernando, was the mother of 11 children, among them Suresh Maharaj who is president of City Bank and newspaper proprietor Robin Maharaj.

Panday and Maharaj’s fallout in 2001, resulted in a  split in the then United National Congress government which failed to regain office in the 2001 general elections. Panday’s presentation to Maharaj of the GOPIO award in Mumbai, India, for his long standing service to TT in the field of law and an advocate of human rights, was the first time the two had been seen publicly since their fallout. Both received awards for their  contribution to the Indian diaspora. 

When telephoned about the death, Maharaj, who lived in close proximity to his mother in San Fernando, expressed to brothers Suresh and Robin extreme sorrow about the loss. London-based novelist Roy Ramdin who is currently in Trinidad launching his book Rama’s Journey, an epic depicting the indentured labourers’ journey from India to Trinidad, yesterday commented: “Panday and Ramesh returning to their homeland, remind (me) of their voyage of brotherhood. Though poles apart politically, there is now empathy and sympathy between them.”