Name Vizhinjam Port after Oommen Chandy, KC Venugopal urges Kerala govt

K. C. Venugopal urged the Kerala government to name the Vizhinjam International Seaport after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, calling the port a reflection of Chandy's vision, while highlighting his legacy of transparent governance and public service

Kottayam (Kerala): AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Saturday urged the Kerala government to name the Vizhinjam International Seaport after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, saying the ambitious port project was a testament to the late Congress leader’s vision.

Addressing a memorial meeting organised in Puthuppally here as part of the third death anniversary of Chandy, Venugopal said the state government should immediately take steps to name the port after the former chief minister.

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“If a name is to be given to the Vizhinjam Port, it should not be any other name. It must be the name of Oommen Chandy,” he said. Venugopal also said memorials dedicated to Chandy should go beyond buildings and monuments.

“It should not be limited to buildings and books. The government should create institutions and memorials that will help future generations study, research and understand Oommen Chandy’s life and contributions,” he said.

Referring to Chandy’s son and Puthuppally MLA Chandy Oommen, Venugopal described him as the rightful political successor to the late leader and recalled his election campaign, in which he used no posters or banners, yet secured victory by over 53,000 votes.

He also praised Chandy Oommen’s participation in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, recalling that Rahul Gandhi had once asked him to persuade the young MLA to wear footwear during the march through northern India because of the extreme cold. “But he did not yield,” Venugopal said.

Recalling Oommen Chandy’s political life, Venugopal said the late leader represented the highest ideals of public service. “A public representative becomes a true public servant when he not only listens to the grievances of people but pursues them until solutions are found. Oommen Chandy’s era was one defined by genuine public service,” he said.

He said the unprecedented public response during Chandy’s funeral procession from Thiruvananthapuram to Puthuppally reflected the deep personal bond the former chief minister had forged with the people.

Venugopal said Chandy’s four editions of the mass contact programme, in which he directly interacted with around 12.5 lakh people, earned international recognition for transparent governance.

He recalled an international media report highlighting the installation of CCTV cameras and live telecasting of the Chief Minister’s Office as a symbol of administrative transparency.

He also said Chandy opened the doors of the Kerala Secretariat to the public and institutionalised weekly Cabinet press briefings, both of which were later discontinued.

Venugopal praised Chief Minister V D Satheesan for restoring those practices after assuming office. Claiming that the UDF’s victory in the recent Assembly election was influenced by public appreciation of Chandy’s style of governance, Venugopal said the mandate reflected an endorsement of the late leader’s legacy.

He also recalled an incident in Kannur when stones were hurled at Chandy during a protest, injuring him. “Despite suffering a head injury, he instructed that no retaliatory action should be taken against those who protested. He said they had merely expressed their protest and should not be harmed. That reflected his extraordinary magnanimity,” Venugopal said.

Drawing a contrast with the previous LDF government, he alleged that public protests had later been dealt with harshly and violence had been justified.

“The people of Kerala compared these two styles of governance during the election. That comparison was one of the reasons why the UDF secured such a decisive mandate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chandy Oommen, in his speech, said controversies had surfaced every year during the commemoration of his father’s death anniversary and appealed to everyone to keep such issues away from the occasion.

“From the very first death anniversary onwards, there has been some controversy or the other surrounding the commemoration day. I request everyone to keep all controversies away from this day,” he said, without elaborating.