Grief descends on State capital as people pay last respects to former CM

A pall of gloom hung around Puthuppally House in Jagathy here on Tuesday as several people huddled in groups to bemoan the loss of their beloved ‘Kunjunju’.

A pall of gloom hung around Puthuppally House in Jagathy here on Tuesday as several people huddled in groups to bemoan the loss of their beloved ‘Kunjunju’.

Once a refuge for the deprived for over four decades that he cherished as much as his constituency Puthuppally, Oommen Chandy’s house in the State capital witnessed heart-rending scenes as sorrow and grief rent the air. His supporters and well-wishers swelled in numbers outside the house soon after news of his death broke early Tuesday.

Though the mortal remains reached Thiruvananthapuram airport by 2.30 p.m., the funeral procession took hours to reach Puthuppally House as large crowds thronged the roads.

As the ambulance that carried the veteran leader’s mortal remains arrived at the house around 4.45 p.m., the muffled cries gave way to frenzied wails as chants of “Aaru paranju marichennu, illa illa marichittilla, jeevikkunnu njangalilude” (Who says he has died, he lives in us) echoed outside the house.

In emotionally charged moments, senior Congress leaders A.K. Antony and V.M. Sudheeran broke into tears while paying last respects to their departed colleague. In addition to a large number of Congress activists, numerous people from various walks of life came from near and far to pay homage to the former Chief Minister, considered by many to be among the most endearing leader of the masses.

Sreekumar, an auto-rickshaw driver, who hails from Cherthala, came all the way from his home town to bid adieu to the leader, whose mass contact programme brought joy for several families like his. “During one such programme in Alappuzha that stretched nearly 15 hours in 2011, Ummachan patiently listened to my woes before issuing directions to waive off a loan of nearly ₹1 lakh that we struggled to repay,” he says.

Sixty-two-year old Aloysius, a fisherman from Kannanthura, remembers having come to Puthuppally House 10 years ago to seek financial assistance from the then Chief Minister to repair his house that had suffered damage after strong waves had lashed the coast. “Chandy sir did all he could to ensure I received an aid of ₹10,000 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” he reminisced.