Why Oommen Chandy will be laid to rest with no state honours

Former Chief Minister of Kerela, Oommen Chandy, passed away in the early hours on Tuesday (18 July) in Bengaluru after a long battle with cancer. He will be laid to rest without state honours as per his last wish. The 79-year-old had expressed a wish for a common man’s burial. On Wednesday, Chandy’s family informed the state government of his final wish that his funeral be held without state honours — which include a gun salute, among other ceremonial customs. Chandy’s body will be buried in a special tomb built at his parish church in Puthuppally in Kottayam today, according to Christian rituals. “He wished for a common man’s burial for him. His family is fulfilling that wish,” senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala told PTI. “The party also has no say on this matter as it was our late leader’s wish,” said AICC secretary and MLA P C Vishnunath to PTI. Chandy’s son said that his father was “born as a common man, lived like one and died like one”. “He did not want state honours. Therefore, we all want it (funeral) to be done as per Appa’s wish,” he said. The funeral Preparations are in full swing for Chandy’s funeral ceremony at Puthuppally Orthodox Church in Kottayam district. His body will be buried in an exclusive area — where priests are usually interred — on the church premises, instead of in his family vault at the cemetery. In the early hours of Thursday, the burial procession of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy visited Kottayam district. A large number of people gathered on the roadside to catch a final glimpse of their beloved leader. [caption id=“attachment_12889262” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A crowd gathers as the mortal remains of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy is taken to Kottayam from Thiruvananthapuram. PTI[/caption] Public viewing arrangements were made at Thirunakkara maidan and his house in Puthupally, and the final rites are scheduled for 3.30 pm. A holiday has also been declared for schools in the district on Thursday. The veteran leader’s burial will take place without state honours, as per his last wish. Burials or cremations of former chief ministers of the state are usually held with full state honours after the performance of religious rituals, if any. In 2010, Congress stalwart and four-time Kerala chief minister K Karunakaran was cremated with full state honours. While there were no religious rituals performed before the cremation of Communist chief ministers like EMS Namboodiripad and E K Nayanar, who died in 1998 and 2004, respectively, they were accorded full state honours. The legend Oommen Chandy’s demise marks the end of an era in the Congress as well as politics in Kerala. He served as the Kerala chief minister from 2004 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2016. He was also the Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2011, and a minister in governments led by K Karunakaran and A K Antony, handling the portfolios of labour, finance, and home. [caption id=“attachment_12889272” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Oommen Chandy was an MLA from the Puthuppally Assembly constituency for 53 years, winning it for the first time in 1970. File image/PTI[/caption] He was an MLA from the Puthuppally Assembly constituency for 53 years, winning it for the first time in 1970. Chandy’s active political career can be linked to the story of the Congress in Kerala. The former CM could be reached by phone at any time of day or night, and he was equally available to party officials and grassroots workers. Chandy is survived by wife Mariyamma, daughters Achu and Mariyam, and son Chandy Oommen, a Youth Congress leader. With inputs from PTI