Minister of state for external affairs Pabitra Margherita is expected to attend the funeral programme of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as India’s representative. The Iranian leader was assassinated when the US and Israel bombed the country on February 28.
Bihar Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain is also likely to be part of the Indian delegation, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The ceremony is scheduled to be in Tehran on July 4.
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Who is Pabitra Margherita?
A first-term Rajya Sabha member from Assam, Pabitra Margharita has been serving in PM Narendra Modi-led council of ministers since June 2024.
Born on October 13, 1974, in Margherita town in Assam, he completed his schooling in his hometown before pursuing a diploma in Textile Technology from the Assam Textile Institute in Guwahati.
He worked in the cultural and media space before entering electoral politics.
Between 1998 and 2005, he served as the chief editor of the Assamese monthly magazines Maya and Sa Re Ga Ma. He also produced more than 20 Assamese short films and documentaries and over 100 Assamese folk and contemporary songs.
Margherita began his political career in 2014. He later held key positions in the Assam government, including member secretary of the Assam advisory committee for students and youth welfare and political secretary to the chief minister.
From 2017 to 2021, he chaired Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio, the Assam government’s film studio, where he was associated with initiatives to promote Assamese art and culture.
He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam in April 2022. On June 9, 2024, Margherita was sworn in as union minister. Two days later, he assumed charge as minister of state for external affairs and for textiles. He is married to Assamese artist Dr Gayatri Mahanta, and they have three children.
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Ali Khamenei’s funeral
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the six-day funeral programme, which will be held across Tehran, Qom and Mashhad.
According to Iranian state media, the funeral programme will begin with farewell ceremonies in Tehran on July 4 and 5, followed by the main funeral procession in the capital on July 6.
Ceremonies will then be held in the holy city of Qom on July 7 before Khamenei is buried in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9.
Iran has also invited the leaders of China, Russia, Pakistan and Qatar. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already announced that an official delegation will attend the funeral.
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