Dr Babu Paul laid to rest

Perumbavoor: Dr D Babu Paul, former Additional Chief Secretary of Kerala government, was laid to rest with full state honours at the St Mary's Jacobite Church at Kuruppampady, near here, at 4:30pm on Sunday.

Babu Paul, who was also an eminent writer and orator, passed away early morning on Saturday following a heart ailment at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 78.

On Saturday, hundreds thronged to pay homage to Babu Paul at the St Peter's Jacobite Church on Punnen Road.

Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis led the prayers here. The body was later taken to Babu Paul's residence at Mummy's Colony in Kowdiar in the city.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Ministers Kadakampally Surendran, Thomas Isaac, and K Raju paid their last tributes.

Babu Paul is survived by children Mariam Joseph (Niba) and Cheriyan C Paul (Nibu). His son-in-law is Satish Joseph, son of former DGP M K Joseph, and daughter-in-law is Deepa, daughter of former DGP C A Chali. The former bureaucrat's wife, Anna Babu Paul (Nirmala), passed away in 2000.

K Roy Paul, former aviation secretary and member of the Union Public Service Commission, is his brother.

Babu Paul, a member of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), was a member Ombudsman for local self-government institutions of Kerala during 2000-01.

Before being appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary from 1998-2000, the IAS officer had also served as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, Transport Commissioner, Chairman, Cochin Port Trust, Finance Secretary among others.

Babu Paul authored the first Malayalam Bible Dictionary 'Veda Sabda Rathnakaran'. He is also the author of various books in English and Malayalam.

His autobiographical service story 'Katha Ithuvare' was published in 2001.

Final rest with mother sought

It was earlier decided to bury him at St Peter’s Cathedral in Thiruvananthapuram, which Babu Paul himself had helped build. But the family crypt at the Kuruppampady church was chosen, as per his wish, as his mother and her mother were buried there.

Babu Paul wanted to be buried next to his father and mother at this cathedral.

Father was buried elsewhere on the property since he was a clergyman.

Babu Paul had earlier expressed a wish not to hold an expensive funeral or costly coffin for him.

The body was brought from Thiruvananthapuram at 3pm to relative Ammini David’s house at Marangad where local residents paid homage to Babu Paul. After the funeral service, burial was officiated by Catholicos Baselios Thomas I, assisted by Abraham Mor Severios Metropolitan and Mathews Mor Antheemos.