The last two months have been unusually busy for Kerala CM Oommen Chandy who seems to be on a marathon inauguration spree of projects, many of which are yet to be completed.
Online trolls in Kerala are having a blast lampooning Chandy’s undue haste in inaugurating anything and everything that catches his eye.
One widely circulated Whatsapp message goes like this: “Inauguration of any yet-to-be complete airports, metros, buildings, homes, latrines included -undertaken with efficient responsibility… Contact … followed by a picture of Chandy lost in contemplation!”
That this is an election gimmick is obvious to anyone endowed with common sense and trolling is at its creative best with witty remarks and jokes aplenty on Chandy’s latest fad.
Taking a cue from the Hollywood block buster Taken, there is one where Chandy is seen mouthing Liam Neeson’s classic dialogue albeit with a twist: “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. But I’ll find you and I will inaugurate you!”
On January 24, Chandy inaugurated the Kochi Metro rail which has more than 50% of work remaining before the metro can actually begin its operations.
He then went on to inaugurate the Smart City in Kochi on February 20. This is supposed to be the future IT hub of the state. That the first phase attracted only non-IT companies like Little Gems Kindergarten School, Subway outlet and the SBT bank… well-IBS Software being an exception- this tall claim too fell flat.
But that did not deter him from inaugurating a three-room Medical College functioning in an incomplete five-storey building on the General hospital campus in Thiruvananthapuram on February 25. That it did not have even a single fully-functional floor was not a dampener in the least for the CM’s upbeat mood and so obviously he missed out on the sight of the doctors protesting at such a farce.
Next was the turn of the Kannur Airport which was inaugurated on February 29. Well in the absence of a control room or even an airport terminal, it is no surprise Chandy preferred to rely on the expertise of an Indian Air Force pilot to land a Dornier 228 flown from Bengaluru on a yet-to-be complete runway –‘jugaad’ at its best!
You can’t really blame him with Assembly elections just round the corner and so if there is anything that needs inaugurating in Kerala, you now know whom to get in touch with.
As some smart guy said: “Tomorrow’s sunrise will be inaugurated by CM Oommen Chandy!”
Pics : International Chalu Union (ICU)