Singapore bids farewell to founding father Lee Kuan Yew

Singapore The funeral of Singapores founder and first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew was held on Sunday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing him as among the tallest leaders of our times and a friend of IndiaTens of thousands of mourners braved torrential rain howitzers fired a 21gun salute and jet fighters screamed across the sky yesterday in Singapore for the funeral of founding leader Lee Kuan Yew PICAFPLee 91 died on March 23 at the Singapore General Hospital where he was warded for severe pneumonia since February 5Modi was among the world leaders who gathered here to pay their last respects to Lee who nurtured a sleepy port city since its separation from Malaysia in 1965 to turn into one of the richest city statesThe passing away of Lee Kuan Yew marks the end of an era He was among the tallest leaders of our times Modi told the mediaHe was a global thinker who saw things ahead of others He was an advocate of economic progress but also made tireless efforts to advance peace and stability in our region he addedStating that Lees personal life was an inspiration for many like me the prime minister wrote in the condolence book He Lee was a torchbearer of hope not just for Singapore but for all of AsiaToday the flame is no more but this was a torch that lit the lamp of hope in many new nations As long as these lamps flicker he will continue to inspire eternallyI bow to this committed Karma Yogi this great man On behalf of all Indians I pay homage to himOver 14 million people came to pay their last respects to Lee on Sunday according to a source at the funerals organising committeeAbout 415000 people came to pay their homage to the late prime minister in the four days while his body lay in state in parliaments building from March 25 to 28Sundays programme began with his casket being carried out of Parliament House and taken in a funeral procession to the University Cultural Centre UCC located at the National University of Singapore NUS for the funeral service even as the skies opened upOfficers marched in the rain escorting Lees casket as the procession moved out of Parliament HouseHundreds of onlookers gathered in the streets to bid farewell to the founding father of SingaporeAt the funeral service in UCC in a moving eulogy Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who is Lee Kuan Yews eldest son said The light that has guided us all these years has been extinguishedThis has been a dark week for Singapore he saidFrom the ashes of separation he built a nationPaying his tributes Indianorgin trade unionist G Muthukumarasamy on Sunday acknowledged that the late leader helped improve the fiancial status of the ethnic Indian community in the city stateMuthukumarasamy recounted how when he was young his father would often tell him about Singapores founding father the Straits Times reportedLee saw the hardships experienced by the Indian community at the time and he was determined to help and make a difference Muthukumarasamy said in Tamil in his eulogy at the funeralDuring those days most Indian families had single incomes because they did not allow their women to workHe credited Lee for encouraging Indian women to join the workforce to learn a skill and help their families financiallyEthnic Indians comprise a little over 9 percent of Singapores total population of 39 millionFormer cabinet minister S Dhanabalan a Tamil in his eulogy described Lee as truly the ldquoFather of SingaporerdquoDhanabalan said that while Lee could be seen as a hard hearted man he had agonised over his decisions in privateDhanabalan also highlighted how much energy Lee put into preparing his younger Cabinet colleagues for the responsibilities aheadSingapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam said there will never be another Lee Kuan YewOver the past week we have mourned the passing of a man and an era There will never be another Lee Kuan Yew he said towards the end of his eulogyNo one person can take his place nor do what he didThe funeral service ended with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong laying a wreath on behalf of the family Lee Kuan Yews wife Kwa Geok Choo had passed away in 2010President Tony Tan Keng Yam laid a wreath on behalf of the stateA minute of silence was observed all across Singapore once the service ended followed by the playing of the national anthem and pledgeThe cortege then moved from the UCC to Mandai crematorium for a private serviceApart from Indias Modi among the galaxy of leaders who attened the funeral service were former US president Bill Clinton Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott