Oommen Chandy autobiography completed before saying goodbye, oommen chandy autobiography kalam sakshi mathrubhumi books

18 July 2023, 06:26 PM IST

Oommen Chandy’s autobiography ‘Kalam Sakshi’.

ALate former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s autobiography ‘Kalam Sakshi’ was about to be published by Mathrubhumi Books. When Oommen Chandy, who filled Kerala politics and people’s minds for fifty-three years, left, he had recorded his ‘story’ in letters. Let’s read a part from the autobiography.

Standing on the verandah of a house in Puthupalli, Jagathi, a rainstorm is blowing outside. Not the usual wind. The Meteorological Center has announced the arrival of the cyclone. The wind whipped the treetops around. The clouds in the far eastern sky thickened. The air seemed to tremble with the force of the wind. The windows of the house were closed. When it started raining, he went inside. Not the usual way. He is the friend of the hurricane.

It was generally a less busy day. The visitors came back suddenly after hearing the torrential downpour. A couple of phone calls came in between. When he answered it and returned to the calm, the wind and rain outside were heavy.

What a speed for wind and rain. Then I remembered that it was like my life. Over sixty years of public life has been a fast journey. Non-stop, non-stop travel without rest. So many faces met along the way. Obstacles along the way; It’s over. That journey continues where he won for the twelfth time and reached the assembly.

I blinked my eyes to the light of this earth at the mother house in Kumarakam. A small village on the banks of Vembanat lake. I was born there on October 31, 1943 in a house called Oruvatthara. His father was KO at Puthupally Vallakal. Chandy. Mother Kumarakam Baby in a one-story house.
Kumarakam Vembanath in my childhood memories is a baby village filled with the enchanting beauty of the backwaters and the coast. A land of paddy fields, rare bird species and thatched houses. Now it is an internationally famous tourist destination. A must-visit place in the world. But Kumaraka is not part of my life. My father’s house is Pudupally.

Ichayan and mother are gone today. Ichayan left in 2003. Amma in 2006. The elder sister Achamma is still in Puthupally. Brother Alex is also at the family home there.

My father V.J. Oommen belongs to Vallakalil family. Valiammachi aunt Pudupalli carrot family too. My father became a new parishioner through marriage. The root family is Mannar near Thiruvalla. After my grandfather got married from the Carrot house, our family name became Carrot Vallakalil.

The Vallakalli family also has a legacy of politics and public activism. My grandfather V.J. Oommen was a member of the Travancore Legislative Council, the then legislature of Travancore, from 1928 to 1931. He was elected from the Commerce-Industry (North) constituency. Malayalam Manorama editor K.C. Mamman Mapila was the opposite candidate. The 64-member assembly had two constituencies for traders and industrialists. Vallyappachan was in the rope industry centered in Alappuzha. The family Chitti business was also run. After the administrative reform in October 1932, when the Nirvana movement started, he became active in it. My Ichayan’s sister, Ammini Thomas, who got married in the Pallam Idathumpadikkal family, was also an activist of the Congress and the Mahila Congress. Panchayat member and president. That tradition must be in my blood. Now his son Chandi Oommen is also in the field of political activity. Acting as National President of Outreach Cell of Youth Congress.

There is a family school in Pudupally as a memorial to my father. VJ Oommen Memorial U.P. school Ichayan K.O. Chandy was the headmaster there. My political debut was during the strike at this school during the Orana struggle. It started with blood.
My political journey begins there. The rain of memories is pouring down. Time is witness to everything.

The time when Orana strike is going on. It is the movement that led to the liberation struggle to bring down the communist government that came to power through the ballot box for the first time in the history of the world. The reason for the strike was that the boat fare of students in Kuttanad was increased to ten paise.
I was a student of Pudupally St. George Government High School at that time. This school got that name when St. George High School, which was in the private sector, was handed over to the government with the condition that the name should not be changed. This should be the only government school named after a saint in the country. I was in KSU at that time. Secretary of the unit. President V.T. John Banana.
After studying in their own school, they go to the nearby mosques and disrupt their studies there. The school unit of KSU has decided to go on strike in support of the student strike in Kuttanad. That’s when a comment came from colleagues. First VJ. Oommen Memorial U.P. Let’s go to school. I was shocked when I heard that. Because our family is a private school. My father K.O. Chandy is the headmaster there. When he thought about the situation when he went in front of Ichayan, a shiver spread throughout his body. But the leader should not be arrogant. Bravely led the march and remained in the forefront. The procession started from Pudupallikkavala. The school is on the way past Thrikhel Temple. EMS They reached the school steps with slogans against the government. As the procession entered the compound, I slowly backed away from the front line. The leaders of the procession went and rang the bell. The children in the class heard it and came out. My gaze is on the office room of the school. The eyes are looking for Ichayan. The man was quite calm but an introvert.

Ichayan got up and came out after hearing the sound of the bell and the noise of children rushing out pretending to have left the class. He has a cane in his hand. After seeing Ichayan’s beheading, all the courage went through the pump. Didn’t think of anything else. one run In the dying patch. When he reached the veranda, he jumped out. Bottles were piled up on the other side. That’s where it fell. The feet were torn. Full of blood. There is a deep wound. The activists who came running after seeing the leader running and jumping saw me with both legs covered in blood. They carried me to the nearest dispensary. The wounds required stitches. It was a baptism in blood for the upcoming uprisings.

My public work started in two ways. One, KSU at St. George Government High School. Two, All Kerala Balajanasakhya.

1st and 2nd class studies Pudupally Government L.P. Was in school. The school is attached to St. George High School. M.D.L.P by Puthupallippally The school is closer to home. Still don’t know why my parents enrolled me in a government school. Adjacent to the house is a family school, V.J. There is Oommen Memorial U.P. But then it is a women’s church. It is now a school for both boys and girls.

When he was in the third class, M.D.L.P. Came to school. Studied there till class 5. Joined St. George Government School in 6th standard. There until eleven. At that time the eleventh class was also in school. Then a year of pre-university. Later SSLC After that comes the undergraduate system. Now it’s a plus.

In the high school classes Madakal Achan and Shoshamma teacher, Pulimootil Chacko sir and Narayana Pillasar were the class teachers. Maruparambi M. Ip Sir Headmaster. M.O. Kora Payyappadi, Vt. John Vazhakala, Sivaraman Kanjirathummoot, Thopil T.M. Abraham, Kallarakkal K.I. Varghese, Iravinellur Ramachandran Nair, Sivaraman Nair and other soulmates who filled the school life with happiness and sweetness are also remembered. Study days were preferred over holidays. It was because of loving teachers and close friends.

Then there is Labor Week. Gandhi Jayanti week. No class for five days. Full community service instead. Cleanliness is the main program. Those were the happiest days of school life.

A boating competition was held for the children during their high school studies. Pudupalli is in Eravinallur Chira. The paddock is full of water. All the children are very enthusiastic and happy. Some swam in the water. I don’t know how to swim. Staying away. Some of my friends threw me into the water. They thought I knew how to swim. There is not much water in the paddock. There is status. But I fell into the waterfall of the ground. There is more depth. I didn’t get the floor. Falling into the water. Arms and legs. Even then, people on the shore thought it was acting. He choked and started drinking a lot of water. I started feeling like I was falling into the abyss of death. I want to call ‘God’. can’t Confirmed that everything is coming to an end. Seeing my death threats, some of the elders who were standing on the shore thought that it was not a problem. They jumped into the water and scooped me up from death. Still remembering those moments sends shivers down my limbs.
Sports Day is a much awaited day in school. My favorite sport is bicycle racing. That is the only item I participate in. At that time I had an Arupahanchan bicycle. A chatak. Karot Vallakalil VJ was a member of the Travancore Legislative Council. Oommen M.L.C. There is a legend that Sakadam was Vaka. Only I could kick it.

As soon as I roll that over and I appear, Pilleruset starts howling. It doesn’t matter. Will compete. I don’t remember winning at least once. Participating, not winning, or sportsmanship is the motto.

The school youth festival started during my schooling. 1958 Youth Festival Changanassery Perunna N.S.S. In college. Remember that it is the third state arts festival. It was not customary to conduct a competition at the district level and send the winners back then. Candidates are selected directly from the school. Headmaster nominated me for speech competition. Very happy. On the first day he reached Peruna. The then Director of Public Education, Dr. Venkataraman is the inaugurate. The ceremony was in the evening. The inauguration is over; and dinner. The bed is in the school hall. The benches were placed close to each other. It was the first time that he stayed away from home alone at night. As soon as the lights went out, I was totally freaked out. All the enthusiasm that had been there till then was tied up. Can’t sleep. Totally unfamiliar atmosphere. It blew me away. He turned and lay down. As he lay staring into the darkness, he thought of the tranquility of the house. It is enough to reach home somehow. It brightened up a bit. Told the teacher who brought us. He was a merciful man. I was taken to Pudupalli in the morning bus itself. Later, he participated in the school arts festival many times. Be it the inaugural or the chief guest at the closing ceremony. I was not able to sleep away from home that night, and I was fortunate and happy to sleep at home occasionally.