Remembering Oomen Chandy: The Man Of Masses
A year after the passing of former Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy, his legacy continues to endure and inspire. His first death anniversary will be observed at Puthuppally on July 18.
The 79-year-old was elected from the same constituency to the Kerala assembly for 53 years without a break. Ooman Chandy was known to be a grassroots politician who made accessibility his calling card. He has also played a pivotal role in the transformation of Kerala’s polity and society.
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Oommen Chandy is one of the prominent Congress leaders who grew up through KSU, the student wing of the Indian National Congress in Kerala, and has a unique stature as a mass leader in the state’s political arena.
Right from his student days, he had no doubt about his calling. He was elected from the Puthuppally constituency in Kottayam district in his twenties and represented it in the State Assembly for more than 51 years. During his tenure, he has not only established the record as Kerala’s longest-serving legislator but has also won 11 consecutive elections since 1970 and served over 19,000 days as an MLA.
Apart from being known as the “man of the masses” who was accessible at all hours of the day and night, and stood for the people throughout his long career, there was more to his accomplishments than sheer public popularity.
He has been the backbone for several development projects in Kerala including Kochi Metro, Smart City Kochi, Vizhinjam International seaport in Thiruvananthapuram, and even the Kannur International Airport, which all are regarded to be known as the state’s best-known infrastructural triumphs.
Oommen Chandy could be summed up as a champion of development, democracy and secularism. Amidst all his hard work in and for Kerala, he also served as general secretary of the All India Congress Committee for Andhra Pradesh from 2018 until his death.
One of the initiatives, the Kerala Congress leader has come up with was a remarkable one. For the Jana Samparkam project, Oommen Chandy would stand on his feet for fourteen to eighteen hours a day in each of the state’s fourteen districts, meeting lakhs of voters in order to address the grievances of the public directly.
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For his remarkable method of solving problems, he was awarded the United Nations Public Service Award in 2013. Moreover, he was widely respected and admired by people from all walks of life for his simplicity, humility, and commitment.
Oommen Chandy inspired the young generations at large with his dedication and energy. He left the arena with a legacy to be remembered.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on X, “We pay our respects to a stalwart leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy who left an enduring legacy in the state’s development and the country’s political landscape.”
We pay our respects to a stalwart leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy who left an enduring legacy in the state’s development and the country’s political landscape.
His unwavering dedication, visionary leadership, and unshakeable commitment to the people… pic.twitter.com/MAnE7p64Gl
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 18, 2024
