Veteran Congress leader Oommen Chandy, who passed away last Tuesday, carried a pocket diary and pen with him at all times. Even when he did not have a penny in his pocket, the little diary remained his constant companion.
Kunjoonju, as he was affectionately called, was particular that he jotted down his programmes and schedule himself. He noted down specific codes, ones only he could comprehend, in the diary. Only those in his close circles could even decipher his tiny handwriting.
If Oommen Chandy noted down an event in his diary, he made it a point to attend the same, no matter how busy he was. Because of this, organisers would often hem him in to ensure he had entered the same in his diary.
OC used to write and stick his name ‘OOMMEN CHANDY’ in bold English letters on the diary cover. Sometimes, he would write his name on the first page. He followed this habit right from his college days when he worked for the Kerala Students Union and later helmed the student’s outfit. He took great care to stick to it even when he became the Opposition leader and the Chief Minister.
Chandy would scribble down party events, marriages, funeral functions, things to do on the day, and other programmmes in tiny letters. He would jot down in a single line what others scribbled in ten lines. Not even his close circles had the permission to handle his pocket diary. He only entered the place or name, and the time beside the respective events. Nothing more was ever written.
It was the task of his personal staff to find more information and brief him about the programme as and when they happenit happened.
His former Additional Private Secretary R K Balakrishnan recollects that there were many occasions when the note said – in Thiruvananthapuram at 10 am, or Kasaragod at 6 pm.
If there was no blank space left in the diary, he would scribble down things on tiny pieces of paper and keep them between the diary pages. The diary would be in a battered state by the end of the year due to frequent use.
His pocket would often bulge out as he stuffed numerous pieces of paper in the diary. Even when he was taken to Bengaluru for administering treatment, he carried the pocket diary along.
His former press secretary P T Chacko recalled that there were a couple of instances when Oommen Chandy lost his pocket dairies during train or flight journeys. Fortunately, he got them back later.
He would turn restless if the diary went missing, and continue to be upset till he got it back.
Every year, he would get a new diary to replace the old one.
