Oommen Chandy’s legacy lives on as family treads his charity path

Kochi: A year since his passing away, former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s legacy continues to live on through a slew of charity works – a trait that made the pragmatist’s decades-old political career stand out. While the Congress party has been missing Chandy’s political acumen in its day-to-day running, people close to him have been on a mission to ensure that there is no end to the path of philanthropy he showed them.

Oommen Chandy’s son Chandy Oommen, who succeeded his father as Puthuppally’s MLA, is leading the welfare and charity works in the name of the former chief minister with a set of activities initiated by the Oommen Chandy Foundation, a charitable trust. As part of the programmes commemorating the former chief minister on his first death anniversary, the foundation will open Oommen Chandy Sports Arena, a football turf at Kooroppada in Puthuppally constituency, on Thursday. The turf was built on a 50-cent land donated by Maliyekkal Charitable Trust.

Chandy Oommen told Onmanorama that several people from different parts of the state have come up offering land for various projects in the name of his father. The foundation chaired by Chandy has Dr Mohan Thomas as its secretary.

The foundation has already received one acre of land at Vakathanam and it will be used for a housing project. A lodging facility for cancer patients and their caretakers is planned at a six-cent plot in Thiruvananthapuram.

“Another person has offered a 10-cent plot at Chengannur to build an orphanage. In Kozhikode, someone is ready to donate one acre of land. We want to explore the possibility of a social science institute there,” Chandy Oommen said. He said the foundation will be distributing medicines worth Rs 4 lakh to the needy at Vellarada panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram.

Chandy Oommen said the foundation will be focussing on health, education, sports and housing.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will be attending the Oommen Chandy commemoration events in Kottayam, organised by the foundation, on Thursday. AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal will formally inaugurate the foundation at a separate event.

Chandy Oommen brushed aside the recent reports of a political controversy relating to the foundation. There were reports that a section of the ‘A’ group leaders in Congress, who have been staunch Oommen Chandy loyalists, were unhappy as they were not consulted about the formation of the foundation. Rubbishing such reports, Chandy Oommen said he was only focussing on his works and not controversies. A senior Congress leader who was close to Oommen Chandy said the controversy was baseless and Chandy had all right to go ahead with the foundation’s works. Though the Congress had announced it would launch a charity organisation in the name of Oommen Chandy, no steps have been taken yet.

Meanwhile, Oommen Chandy’s wife Mariyamma Oommen and eldest daughter Maria Oommen are also active in charity works in his name with an initiative named Oommen Chandy Sneha Sparsham. The initiative has been launched by Manna Charitable Trust run by Mariamma and Mariam since 2012. As part of Oommen Chandy’s death anniversary, the trust will be conducting medical camps, providing educational assistance and handing over documents of a pledged house by paying the mortgage amount.