Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]August 16 : Senior leaders and dignitaries gathered in Chennai on Saturday to pay their last respects to Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, who passed away on Friday evening.
Tributes poured in from across the country, with Union ministers, state leaders, and representatives from Nagaland recalling his remarkable public life and contributions to politics, literature, and governance.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, speaking on behalf of the Government of India, described Ganesan as a close friend and dedicated leader.
La Ganesan passed away at 6:23 pm on August 15 at Apollo Hospital in Chennai. Nagaland has declared seven days of state mourning from August 16 to 22.
"Nagaland Governor La Ganesan is no longer among us; we have come to express our condolences on behalf of the Government of India. We have expressed our condolences; he was our good friend. He made a significant contribution to building the party in Tamil Nadu... He was a remarkable personality; I pray to God for the peace of his soul...," Meghwal said.
Union Minister L Murugan highlighted Ganesan's journey from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to becoming the Governor of Nagaland, noting his decades of service to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Tamil society.
"Today we lost our senior leader and the Governor of Nagaland... He started as an RSS cadre and later served as the BJP Organisation General Secretary and the BJP State President, working tirelessly for the party's growth and well-being across the state. Apart from that, he was a well-known Tamil scholar...It's a very big loss for Tamil Nadu and the BJP as well as for the people of Nagaland," Murugan said.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who flew to Chennai to attend the funeral rites, expressed the deep respect the Naga people had for the late Governor.
"We have reached this place to pay our respects and homage to our governor, Shri La. Ganesan...We Nagas have high respect for him...May his soul rest in peace," Rio said.
Born in 1945 in Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, La Ganesan's association with the RSS predated his schooling. He joined the BJP in 1991 to help broaden the party's base in Tamil Nadu, serving as Organising Secretary, National Secretary, All India Vice President, and State President.
When he was appointed as the Joint State Organiser of Tamil Nadu RSS, he was asked to serve in the BJP to broaden the base of the party in 1991. He served in the positions of Organising Secretary of the State BJP, National Secretary, All India Vice President and was appointed as State President of Tamil Nadu.
He was also a Rajya Sabha member representing the Bhopal constituency for 18 months. Ganesan was appointed Governor of Manipur from August 27, 2021, to February 19, 2023, and also held additional charge as Governor of West Bengal between July 18, 2022, and November 17, 2022. He took the oath as Governor of Nagaland on February 20, 2023.