Chandi is on the side of the people, fighting for what he believes to be the people and the people are on his side
Post Date – 11:40 PM, Wednesday – July 23rd 19th
Oommen Chandy (as OC is known to those close to him) has always been about people. He represented the people, often at odds with many in his own party, while fighting for what he believed to be their interests. The people supported him, sending him to represent them in parliament 12 times in 53 years. This has left him with an insurmountable political record. From his first election as a member of the Kerala State Legislative Assembly in 1970 until his last breath on July 18, 2023, he has been a provincial MP. This is also from the same constituency in Putupalli, Kottayam district. Chandi, a two-time chief minister, is different from the usual leaders because he can be easily approached at any time. He seemed to be at his best energy when he was surrounded by crowds, always smiling and listening attentively to what everyone had to say. It was also one of the factors that contributed to the huge success of his mass contact program. The scheme was launched during his second tenure as chief minister, where he traveled across the state and sat together for hours, many times after midnight, taking petitions directly from people. The initiative won the United Nations Global Public Service Award in 2013.
Chandi was also distinguished from the rest of the party by his political ambitions, which never went beyond Kerala. Even with predecessors and contemporaries like AK Antony and Vayalar Ravi, and younger generations including Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal who went on to become federal ministers or hold state positions, Chandi preferred to stay in Kerala as a provincial assemblyman. His political acumen is unquestionable, and his tactics and diplomacy have often held together the party and the United Democratic Front it leads. His government, which came to power in 2011 with just a four-seat majority, completed a five-year term without being overthrown, an approach that will still be to his credit given how easily coalitions with higher majorities are now deposed. For the Putupali people, the older generation affectionately called him “Kunjun Zhu”, and he was always one of them. On Sundays he would be seen at Putupali Church, not sitting in the front row but somewhere in the back of the church, often on the floor or near the door. For weddings or events to which he was invited, he would slip into the crowd, stand still, and suddenly realize that the Chief Minister was standing next to you, which often surprised many people. The church has arranged a special place in his memory at the cemetery, where he will be buried on Thursday. His last wish was also to become a member of the people. Before traveling to Germany for treatment for throat cancer, Chandy told his wife that his funeral should be held without national honor and that he should be buried like other civilians, according to his son, Chandy Oommen. The Kerala state assembly will reconvene on August 7 and it will be the first time since 1970 to meet without Oommen Chandy. The only time he missed an entire session of parliament was between January 23 and March 30, when his ill health prevented him from attending.
