Amidst discussions on the successor of former chief minister Oommen Chandy, his son Chandy Oommen, who is likely to be the UDF candidate in Puthuppally assembly constituency, asserts his political experience of 23 years, while maintaining that it would be the party that takes a final call.
Days after his father was laid to rest, Chandy Oommen, in a chat with TNIE principal correspondent Abhilash Chandran, shares memories of the senior Congress leader, his political stance and how he struggled to cope with the veteran’s demise.
The farewell given to Oommen Chandy was something Kerala had never seen. People from all walks of life poured in to pay last respects to him. Your thoughts?
I will never say it was unexpected. As part of election work, I visited houses across Kerala in the past two decades and remember how I was welcomed everywhere. People irrespective of political affiliations showered their love on me and received me as their own. That rousing reception was not for me, but for my father. People paid back the love and affection they had for him. My father loved people and they paid it back multifold.
You and your family had a tough time during his final days. How did you come to terms with the reality?
I had seen him very happy when I returned after participating in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. He appeared healthy and we had food together. At the same time, he had slight difficulty ingesting the food. We were forced to face the reality within four to five months (voice trembles). People continue to visit his tomb and offer prayers. My father didn’t share any wish to be fulfilled. He was always with people. It is an irrevocable loss for all. I would have broken down had there not be people to support me.
What is your view on the support received from Congress? A few people had raised concerns regarding his hospital treatment.
There weren’t any concerns. The entire Congress leadership stood by us. Soniaji, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and many others came down to Kerala to pay homage to him. Rahul Gandhi reached Puthuppally and took part in the mourning procession. A host of others, including chief ministers of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and governors of Kerala, Goa and West Bengal, also paid last respects to my father. We received tremendous support from many people during his treatment. It was Rahul Gandhi who helped us move to Germany to provide advanced healthcare to my father.
Talks have commenced on choosing a successor of Oommen Chandy in Puthuppally. After stating that the candidate for the byelection will be from the leader’s family, state Congress president K Sudhakaran has left the final decision to the family.
I have been in politics for 23 years. I won’t say anything else. I haven’t come across the state Congress president’s statement. Moreover, I am not in a state to think about it. I won’t make any political comments now. At present, I can think only about my father’s final days and the time he spent with us. I am sure my party will take care of everything. Whatever be the decision, I will accept.
When actor Vinayakan made a controversial comment against Oommen Chandy’s mourning procession, you said he should not be booked.
I grew up seeing my father’s qualities. He never hurt anyone. One of the incidents that I heard about him was when he had intervened in a labour dispute while serving as labour minister. During the discussion, a man suddenly slapped my father. When the police moved in to arrest the man, my father stopped them. Similarly, he didn’t wish to punish those who attacked him in Kannur while he was chief minister. My father always stood for freedom of expression. He followed the same policy his entire life. I can’t take a different stance.
As the son of a legendary leader, people may have high expectations from you. Do you think it is a burden?
The sun and moon cannot be compared. There is no light for the moon without the sun.