On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 18, thousands stood alongside the road from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to the Puthuppally House at Jagathy, waiting for hours to get a final glimpse of their beloved leader. “A people’s leader,” they called Oommen Chandy. Janakeeya nethavu, to be exact. Veteran Congress leader Oommen Chandy had passed away in the early hours of Tuesday at a private hospital in Bengaluru, where the 79-year-old was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) local leader Nettayil Gopan, who himself is in his 70s, says that in his political career that spanned decades, he has never seen a change in Oommen Chandy’s generous nature. “He was made Minister during the term of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran. Whether he was a local leader or the Chief Minister of Kerala, he remained the same person, who helped those in need. He loved his people and was loved by them equally. Anybody who stepped into his house did not leave without getting what they needed, and he never did any harm to anyone,” he says.
As a testament to this, Thiruvananthapuram resident Chithira recalls how she had come to Oommen Chandy’s residence years ago seeking help for her sister’s treatment, and he later reached out to her for updates regarding her health. Maheshwaran Nair, former secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and councillor of Poojappura ward, also shares instances where Oommen had extended financial and other support to those in need.
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“Scores of people have come here seeking help for health ailments. He never saw any difference between people from different parties, and would help anybody who asked him. During COVID-19 pandemic, he was available to people 24/7. Even if someone called, he himself would pick the call. He visited his hometown of Puthuppally every Sunday. He also eventually brought Puthuppally to Thiruvananthapuram (Oommen Chandy’s house is named Puthuppally). His house was like a sanctuary to those in need,” he says.
Mohanan, a local resident, says the leader was always pleasant towards everyone, and no one ever saw him get angry. “He was a people’s leader in the truest sense. We can have only one Oommen Chandy and no one can replace him. There is not going to be another Oommen Chandy in this world,” he says.
A woman party cadre who came to pay homage to the demised leader says they only saw Oommen Chandy with a peaceful and calm demeanour. “I have come to Oommen sir asking for help on behalf of many people. We had the permission to knock on his doors at any time. He also had a sharp memory, if he meets a person once, he never forgets them,” she says.
Many among the cadre say they are unable to imagine the Congress party without the veteran leader, as one of them even asserts that he was like a member of their family. “It feels like we have lost a father in our family,” she says. To all those present at the Puthuppally House, awaiting the mortal remains of Oommen Chandy, it was indeed a personal loss.
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The leader’s body, which was scheduled to be brought to the house at 2.30 pm, finally arrived around 4.30 pm after a procession through the city. The mortal remains were airlifted to Thiruvananthapuram from Bengaluru around 11.30 am and brought to the Puthuppally House, from where it will be taken to the Durbar Hall in the state Secretariat. Later, the body will be taken to the St George Orthodox Cathedral in Thiruvananthapuram, where Oommen Chandy used to attend services when in the capital. By night, the body will be brought to Indira Bhavan, the office of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, and then to Puthuppally House again.