25 Jan 2012, 1323 hrs IST

Kerala News: KANNUR, The man who liked to be known as a teacher more than anything else Sukumar azhikkode is no more. The state bade a tearful adieu to eminent writer, critic and orator Dr Sukumar Azhikode, whose mortal remains were consigned to flames with full state honours at the Payyambalam beach.

The funeral pyre was lit by his nephews Manoj and Rajesh and his close aide Suresh as a sea of humanity converged at the Payyambalam beach.

Union Ministers Mullapally Ramachandran, K C Venugopal, Ministers K C Joseph, A P Anil Kumar, M K Munneer, Speaker G Karthikeyan, MPs K Sudhakaran, P Karunakaran, M K Raghavan, MLAs A P Abdullahkutty, T V Rajesh,K K Narayanan, C Krishnan, CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, opposition deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, BJP president V Muraleedharan and many others were present at the funeral.