If you go to Narikaveli house on Hill road here, you can see a man ironing in the midst of several khadi clothes in a room. After the election notification came, his work has almost doubled. Forty four years of experience in laundry makes Chandran a close friend of politicians. Over the years he has evolved as a professional who perfects the wardrobe of style-conscious politicians. Currently, he is a household name among prominent politicians in the state.
Chandran irons the clothes of INTUC state secretary V P George who has been utilising Chandran’s services for the past 18 years. When the campaign is in full swing,
Chandran is also busy with his iron. Shirts and dhotis of T Siddique, the UDF candidate in Kasargod constituency are washed and ironed here. His colleagues bring their clothes to Chandran and take back from him after it is pressed.
Another notable politician is Anwar Sadath MLA, who is one of his regular customers. Yet another customer for the last three years is P T Tomas MP.
“P T Thomas came to me through V P George. He came here several times and often contacts me over the phone. His dress items will be ready whenever he needs them,” says Chandran. He says that he maintains good contact with these leaders and they often visit him whenever they come to Ernakulam.
Chandran says that he used to press around 60 clothes a day but during election season, it often becomes 100 a day. Local leaders also depend on Chandran for pressing their clothes. “But sometimes they chide me telling that I am too busy with leading politicians and that I ignore them,” he says.
His customers are all praise for the professionalism with which he executes the work. “He is prompt and is a perfectionist too. So I have been depending on him for the past 20 years,” says Vishwanathan Swami, a customer. The secret behind his popularity is his method of traditional laundry. He washes the clothes with his own hand and uses the right ingredients to get the perfect colour and freshness. Earlier he was assisted by helpers.
“Nowadays there are no experts who know the job to help me, so I am forced to do all the work myself. If I get good workers I am ready to employ them,” says Chandran.
Chandran had been running a dry-cleaning shop in Ernakulam but discontinued it a few years ago and started business at his own home. Chandran says he gets a decent income from the job. And last but not the least, he has been using the same electric iron for the past 20 years.