Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid last respects to Oommen Chandy at the Durbar Hall of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
A pall of gloom descended around Puthuppally House in Jagathy here on Tuesday as many people gathered in groups to mourn the death of their loved ones.visit,
Home of Oommen Chandy, once a refuge for the underprivileged for more than four decades and which he valued as much as his constituency Puthuppally, heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed in the state capital as sorrow and grief hung in the air. As soon as the news of his death came in the early hours of Tuesday, the number of his supporters and well-wishers gathered outside the house.
Though the body reached the Thiruvananthapuram airport by 2.30 p.m., the funeral procession took hours to reach Puthupalli House due to heavy traffic on the roads.
As the ambulance carrying the mortal remains of the veteran leader arrived at the house around 4.45 pm, muffled screams gave way to frenzied wails with slogans of “”.Aaru paranju marichennu, illa illa marichittila, jeevikkunnu njangalilude” (Who says he is dead, he lives in us) echoed outside the house.
In emotionally charged moments, senior Congress leaders AK Antony and VM Sudheeran broke down while paying their last respects to their late colleague. Apart from a large number of Congress workers, many people from different walks of life came from near and far to pay homage to the former chief minister, who was considered by many to be one of the most loved leaders of the people.
Sreekumar, an auto-rickshaw driver who hails from Cherthala, came from his home town to pay last respects to the leader, whose mass contact program brought happiness to many families like his. “During one such event in Alappuzha in 2011 which lasted for about 15 hours, boiling He patiently listened to my woes before issuing directions to waive off a loan of around ₹1 lakh, which we struggled to repay,” he says.
The vehicle carrying the mortal remains of former chief minister Oommen Chandy left the Secretariat building in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday after people paid their respects. , Photo credits: S. Mahinsha
Aloysius, a sixty-two-year-old fisherman from Kannanthura, remembers that 10 years ago he had come to Puthupalli House to seek financial assistance from the then chief minister to repair his house, which had been damaged by strong waves on the shore. He recalled, “Chandi sir did everything possible to ensure that I get ₹10,000 as assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.”
Crowd management efforts by the police failed in the area as people vied to get inside the house to have a last look at their leader.
Similar scenes were witnessed at the Durbar Hall of the Secretariat as the unruly crowd forced the authorities to lock the doors at regular intervals to limit the entry of people.
Senior Congress leader VM Sudheeran arrives near the mortal remains of Oommen Chandy at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. , Photo Credit: S Mahinsha
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues and several leaders from different political parties arrived to offer condolences to the bereaved family. Mr Vijayan talked about his deep friendship with Chandy despite their political differences.
Mr Chandy’s mortal remains were later taken to St George’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral near the Secretariat and later to Indira Bhavan before returning to Puthupalli House late in the night.