Oommen Chandy

Oommen Chandy was born on 31 October 1943 to a Malankara Orthodox Christian family in Kumarakom, Kottayam district, as the son of Baby Chandy and K. O. Chandy of the Karottu Vallakkalil house.[8][9][10] He was named after his grandfather, V. J. Oommen, a member of the Travancore Legislative Council.[11] Oommen ventured into the political arena as an activist of Kerala's largest student organization Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Indian National Congress party.[12] He was the unit president of the KSU at St. George High School, Puthupally, and went on to become the state president of the organization.[13]

Oommen completed his pre-university course from CMS College, Kottayam and received a B.A. in economics from St. Berchmans College, Changanassery.[14] Later, he earned a bachelor's degree in law (LL.B) from the Government Law College, Ernakulam.[15]

Oommen started his political career through the Kerala Students Union (KSU), in which he served as president from 1967 to 1969. He was elected as the president of the State Youth Congress in 1970.[16]

Oommen represented the Puthuppally constituency for five decades, having been elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1970, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021.[16] During his legislative career, he also served as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 1996 to 1998.[16]

Oommen Chandy with the prime minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A. K. Antony at Emerging Kerala summit, 2012

Second term as chief minister, 2011–2016

Oommen Chandy with Narendra Modi

UDF, led by Oommen Chandy, secured a slender margin of majority in the assembly election held on 13 April 2011 by winning 72 seats against the 68 seats of the LDF. He took the oath on 18 May 2011 with six other ministers of his cabinet. Later, thirteen other ministers were also inducted into his cabinet.

Oommen Chandy received the 2013 United Nations Public Service Award[24][25][26] for the Asia-Pacific region, for "Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service." The award was presented on 27 June 2013, in Manama, Bahrain, by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo. The award was based on the theme "Transformative e-Government and Innovation: Creating a Better Future for All".

The inauguration of Complete E-literacy project at Thiruvananthapuram (2014)

Oommen Chandy first took charge as chief minister on 31 August 2004 and adopted the motto Athivegam Bahudooram (Fast and far). Sanctioning of unemployment allowance, and welfare measures for labourers were some of the measures introduced by his government.[27] Oommen attended the 35th World Economic Forum held at Davos, Switzerland, in 2006.[27] The Karunya benevolent scheme was implemented in 2011–2012, allowing free treatment of patients with cancer, haemophilia, and kidney and heart diseases.[28] Forty-three Cochlear implant surgeries were performed under a Cochlear implant scheme for hearing impaired children.[29] More organ implantation surgeries were done through Mruthasanjeevani project.[30] Oommen also received the United Nation's Public Service Award for his Mass Contact Programme (Jana Samparkka Paripadi), for hearing and solving the complaints of citizens.[31] In 2005, Information Technology was made a compulsory subject for the school-level students, making Kerala the first Indian state to do so.[32] Victers TV, which is India's first public edutainment channel broadband network on EDUSAT for schools, was inaugurated by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on 28 July 2005 at Thiruvananthapuram.[33] The Hill highway project, a massive highway project that connects the eastern hilly areas of the districts of Kerala first proposed in 1960, was approved by the First Oommen ministry in 2005. The Government of Kerala approved the project and allocated funds on 17 January 2005, Oommen inaugurated the first phase of the project between Kasaragod and Palakkad at a function held in Payyavoor.[34]

Kochi metro was the fastest completed metro project in India on its inauguration

The Second Oommen ministry (2011–2016) adopted the motto Vikasanavum Karuthalum (Development and Care).[3] Oommen Chandy's regime was instrumental in beginning the construction of several massive infrastructure projects as well as some human-welfare schemes in Kerala which included the Kannur International Airport in Kannur,[35][36] the Kochi Metro at Kochi,[35][37][36] the Vizhinjam International Seaport at Thiruvananthapuram,[35][36] and the Smart City project.[35] The projects for Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro and Kozhikode Light Metro were approved in 2012.[38] A suburban rail project was initiated in 2013.[39]

The Technopark at Thiruvananthapuram became the largest Information Technology park in India with the inauguration of its third phase in 2014.[40] The Taurus Downtown at Technopark was commenced during the period 2011–2016.[41] The second phase of InfoPark, Kochi was inaugurated in May 2015.[42] Phase two of InfoPark Thrissur was completed during the same period.[43][44] The Park Centre of Cybercity at Kozhikode was formally opened by IT Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty on 15 February 2014.[45][46] UL Cyberpark at Kozhikode was inaugurated in January 2016.[47]

It was also during his administration that 12 new Taluks,[48] 28 new Municipalities,[49] and the Kannur Municipal Corporation were formed[49] for more effective decentralisation and proper utilisation of resources in the state,[49][48] It was the largest Taluk delimitation in the state of Kerala since 1957.[50][48] A number of state highways were constructed under Oommen government, and the final decision to widen the national highways of the state to 45 metres (148 ft) were taken in 2014.[51] During his tenure, 227 road bridges costing nearly Rs 1,600 crore were built across Kerala, the most ever in the state.[52][30] The Kozhikode bypass was completed and the works of Kollam Bypass and Alappuzha Bypass roads were restarted during 2011–2016.[30] The Karamana-Kaliyikkavila and Kazhakootam-Karode bypasses for the city of Thiruvananthapuram were initiated and started.[30] The Kochi-Mangalore GAIL pipeline was commissioned by the Second Oommen ministry in 2013.[53]

Oommen Chandy in September 2015

Oommen Chandy's administration also made the decision to build at least one government medical college in each district without one, to ensure the presence of the public medical college in all 14 districts of Kerala, which was instrumental in the public health infrastructure of the state.[54] As a part of the project, new medical colleges were established in the state starting in 2013, after a gap of 31 years.[55] The National University of Advanced Legal Studies at Kochi was founded in 2005 and the Indian Institute of Technology at Palakkad was established in 2015. The universities founded during 2011–2016 period include the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur (2012) and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University at Thiruvananthapuram (2014).[56][57][58] The K. R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts at Kottayam was inaugurated in January 2016.[59] In 2015, the Cochin International Airport became the world's first fully solar-powered airport with the inauguration of a dedicated solar plant.[60][61] The airport won the Champion of the Earth award in 2018, the highest environmental honour instituted by the United Nations.[62] The airport was awarded The Best Airport in Asia-Pacific in 2020 (with 5–15 million passengers per annum) by the Airports Council International.[63] The Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) was formed under KSRTC in 2015 to manage affairs related to urban transportation.[64] It was inaugurated on 12 April 2015 at Thevara.[65] Works on the last phase of Kollam Bypass was started on 27 May 2015.

Cochin International Airport is the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy

Social welfare pensions were doubled during Oommen Chandy's second ministry, increasing to Rs.600.[66] The government distributed pensions ranging from Rs 800 – Rs 1,500.[30] Social welfare pensions which had been distributed to 12.9 lakh people until 2011 were extended to 34.43 lakh during 2011–2016.[66] Pensions for the disabled and widows were increased to Rs 800.[66] Old-age pensions were increased to Rs 1,500 for those above 75 years and Rs 1,100 to those above 80 years.[66] Other social welfare measures included free rations for those who lost their employment, and 4,14,552 houses for those who hadn't homes before.[3] Free rice was given to those who were below the poverty line.[30] Food kits were distributed during Onam, Ramdan, and Christmas.[30] A rubber Subsidy to ensure a minimum price of Rs 150/kg was implemented in 2015.[67] The Kerala Public Service Commission filled vacant posts during 2011–2016,[66] appointing as many as 1,67,096 job candidates, setting a record;[66] 46,223 posts were created in the same period.[66] The second Oommen ministry had also made the decision to prohibit liqueur in the state by discouraging bars.[68] The number of political killings were relatively low (eleven) during 2011–2016.[69] Kerala was declared as the first complete digital state of India on 27 February 2016.[70]

Twenty-six sectors were identified for showcasing in the Emerging Kerala summit of 2012 held at Kochi.[71] The event was organised by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), to highlight investment opportunities available in Kerala and advertise to the world its state of readiness to receive investors.[72] Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the three-day event.[73][74] Goals for the event included bringing in 45 specific project proposals with an investment of over Rs.40,000 crore, including Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd's Kochi Refinery expansion and another joint venture project of Rs.18,000 crore, Volkswagen’s engine assembly unit (Rs.2,000 crore), a hospital and pre-cast concrete structure manufacturing unit (Rs.570 crore), and a solar energy plant (Rs.500crore).[75] A number of projects were conceptualized and developed in the tate following the summit, the most prominent of which included the Kochi-Mangalore GAIL Pipeline, Vizhinjam International Seaport, Kochi Metro, Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro and Kozhikode Light Metro, Petroleum Chemicals & Petrochemical Investment Region, Kochi-Palakkad National Investment and Manufacturing Zone,[76] Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargode Semi High Speed Rail Corridor, Kerala Seaplane, Electronic hub at Kochi, Titanium Sponge Plant Project at Kollam, Oceanarium project at Kochi,[77] Bio 360 Life Sciences Park at Thiruvananthapuram, a gas-based powerplant at Cheemeni, Kasaragod,[78] and Kochi LNG Terminal.[78][79]

Burial site of Oommen Chandy

Oommen Chandy died at Chinmaya Mission Hospital at Bengaluru on 18 July 2023 at the age of 79 due to complications from throat cancer.[90][91] His body was later taken to Thiruvananthapuram by chartered flight and kept at the durbar hall and later the KPCC office. On 19 July 2023 his funeral procession started from the state capital to his hometown Puthuppally, Kottayam, taking about 30 hours to reach, where thousands of people gathered on roads to take a last glance of their dear leader. His body was taken to the St. George Orthodox Church, Puthuppally where he was interred on 20 July 2023 under the presence of Baselios Marthoma Mathews III.[92] Upon his request, the family denied state honours, his son stating that his father wanted a simple funeral.[93]

• Chief Ministers, Ministers, and Leaders of Opposition of Kerala (PDF), Thiruvananthapuram: Secratriat of Kerala Legislature, 2018