KOTTAYAM: While Mercy Ravi became memory on Saturday, the illustrious little town of Kottayam also passes through memories of a brief but notable association with her as the first and only woman legislator who had represented the segment in the Assembly.
Incidentally, she was able to make it to the Assembly only once.
Mercy had pulled off a political coup in the the 2001 Assembly polls by trouncing CPM’s Vaikom Viswan, who is currently the LDF convenor, by a handsome margin of over 12,000 votes. The meticulous campaigning spearheaded by Vayalar Ravi, by tying all loose ends, including the enlisting of sure support of different sections of society, had cost the Left camp dearly, which had considered the segment as a bastion for them till then. The anti-government wave against the incumbent LDF dispensation had also helped a lot for turning the tables in favour of Mercy.
However, as an MLA, Mercy Ravi was strapped from forging ahead owing to teething health problems, though the job of nursing the constituency was fairly handled by Vayalar Ravi himself and his trusted aides.
He had also chipped in components of his MP fund for undertaking development works.
One of the notable work completed was the improvement of the Tiruvarppu Road, in the western outskirts of the town, much to the relief of a vast populace in the low-lying area.
It was a fact that Mercy was not able to passionately involve herself with the hopes and aspirations of the Assembly segment, during 2001-06. But, she had an uncanny knack of nurturing longstanding friendly relationships with people from various walks of life.
Her intellectual streak and literary flair had earned her a basket of friends, even when she was not so with her political tryst.
K M Mani mourns Mercy Ravi
Kerala Congress leader and former minister K M Mani has mourned the death of Congress leader and former MLA Mercy Ravi.
In a condolence message, he described Mercy as a shining example of the women presence in Kerala politics and a proven votary of women’s empowerment. Even when remaining as the pillar of strength in the political career of her husband and Union Minister Vayalar Ravi, she had successfully found a place of her own in politics, he noted. As an MLA, her performance in and out of the Assembly was clean and a model for all, he said.
In a condolence message, Jose K Mani MP recalled her contributions as an MLA to the development of infrastructure facilities in the backward, western low-lying region of Kottayam Assembly segment, which the people recounts even now with gratitude.
On a personal level, a good adviser has been lost, Jose K Mani said.
