New Delhi, Jan. 10 : Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Leader of Opposition and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. K. Advani, besides people from various walks of life, attended the last rites of the founder and chairman of the Observer Research Foundation, R. K. Mishra, here on Saturday.

Mishra died in Bangalore on Friday night.

Mishra had made his mark on the national scene as an intrepid journalist. An editor of high standing, he was a dynamic and visionary thinker. he was also a parliamentarian of acclaimed integrity and a forceful proponent of social and economic reform.

On an another plane, in the several books that he authored, he explored realms of philosophy, religious thought and belief and the mysteries of man''s inner life. Above all, he was a most warm-hearted human being.

The ORF was his passion and creation to which he devoted all his energy and creative powers. It was his ambition to build ORF into a multi-dimensional, independent, world class think tank with the vision of a global India.

With his world wide contacts and respect with which he was received in international circles, Mishra brought his pioneering institution wide spread recognition.

Mishra was seen as an unfailing, ever available guide, member and a caring friend.

The ORF said in a condolence statement: "We were part of his family. Our loss is irreparable. His absence will be our constant sorrow, but his memory will be will also be an inspiration in our future work, to build our Foundation into a living monument to Mishraji."

Mishra was a member of Parliament (Upper House) from 1974 to 1980, and worked closely with late Prime Ministers of India, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

He was a Member of National Integration Council. Former Prime Ministers P V Narasimha Rao and A B Vajpayee had invited him to assist in several important political projects. Newspapers in India and Pakistan extensively reported his role in back-channel diplomacy between these two countries.

Born on September 28, 1932, he began his career as a journalist in Calcutta and worked with India's first multi-edition daily newspaper Vishwamitra , published simultaneously from Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur and Patna.

He also worked with Navbharat Times and Lokamaya , leading Hindi dailies of those times. At the age of 27, he became the first Indian Editor of daily newspaper. He moved to Delhi to work with Patriot - an English daily where he later became the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of the group's publications - Patriot daily and Link magazine.

After 30 long years of association with this group, Mr. Mishra left Patriot to head the Observer Group of Publications as its Chairman and Editor-in-Chief in early 1990.

A social activist and political adviser, Mr. Mishra has authored numerous articles and papers, and has edited several publications on economic, political, cultural and social issues. Of late he has been working on ancient Indian philosophy, the Vedas and the Upanishads.

He is survived by his wife Renuka, two sons and two daughters. (ANI)