Christian leaders express their grief and pay eloquent tributes to Oommen Chandy, the twice-elected chief minister of Kerala, who passed away on July 18 while receiving cancer treatment in Bengaluru. He was 79.
"India has lost a humble and dedicated leader who devoted his life to public service and worked toward the progress of Kerala," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement following his passing.
Chandy served Kerala as a lawmaker for 50 years and twice as chief minister, according to Cardinal George Alencherry, leader of the Eastern rite Syro-Malabar Church.
The bishop remarked that Chandy “loved the people of Kerala and the people of Kerala loved him." The late leader left "a deep impression on the hearts of the people" of the state.
Based on his strong belief in God, Chandy always made an effort to discover answers to every problem in life, and was able to leave unsolvable issues in God's hands and maintain his composure, according to Alencherry.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council described the late leader as "a true patriot" who respected others and constantly sought to steer the state toward secularism.
Chandy was characterised by Calicut Bishop Varghese Chakkalakkal as a noble man with "fire in his heart and wings on his feet."
The prelate praised him as a leader who acted quickly to advance Kerala's development and gave special attention to resolving the issues of "the silent and the marginalised."
As a gesture of respect for the state's former chief minister, the Kerala government announced July 19 as a public holiday with two days of mourning.
Chandy’s burial rituals would take place at his parish in Puthuppally Village in Kottayam District on July 19 afternoon. He belonged to the Syrian Orthodox Church and is survived by his three children and wife, Mariamma.
