Chennamma Wife of Former PM HD Deve Gowda to Be Cremated With State Honors

The final rites of Chennamma, the wife of former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Deve Gowda, will be conducted with full state honors in the family’s hometown of Hardanahalli in the Hassan district of Karnataka on Monday afternoon. Chennamma passed away on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The Congress-led Karnataka Government announced on Sunday that her last rites would be performed with government honors. Outlining the decision, Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar noted her role as the wife of a former prime minister and the mother of a Union minister, stating that she stood by Deve Gowda at all stages of his political journey. Shivakumar is scheduled to attend the funeral on Monday.

Chennamma married Deve Gowda in 1954 in an arranged marriage when she was 17 and he was 21. She came from a relatively well-to-do family in a neighboring village to Hardanahalli. Early in their marriage, she financed her husband’s civil contractor work by offering her marriage jewelry so he could bid for a contract.

Throughout Deve Gowda’s career as a contractor and later as a politician, Chennamma managed their homebound life and raised their six children. According to Sugata Srinivasaraju's biography of Deve Gowda, Furrows in a Field, she provided a stable family life despite the financial uncertainties and debts that marked his early career.

Though she was not a public figure, family members and political leaders remembered her as a quiet force behind her husband and her sons, who include Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and former Karnataka minister H D Revanna.

Following her death, H D Kumaraswamy described his mother as the embodiment of unconditional love, sacrifice, and unwavering values.

Condolences have poured in from across the political spectrum. Prime Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief, remembering Chennamma for her humility and passion for serving society. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was among the first to visit Deve Gowda to offer his condolences, calling her a strong woman who faced hardships with courage. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also expressed his sorrow, noting her silent sacrifice and dedication away from the public gaze.

Several Union Ministers, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pralhad Joshi, and Manoharlal Khattar, are also expected to attend the final rites on Monday afternoon.