Kerala Assembly session begins; tributes paid to Oommen Chandy, Vakkom Purushothaman

The ninth session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday here with Speaker A N Shamseer, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and various other legislators paying tributes to former CM Oommen Chandy and Congress veteran Vakkom Purushothaman, both of whom died last month.

Both Shamseer, Vijayan and various other legislators, including Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan recalled the respective contributions of Chandy and Purushothaman in the political sphere of the state and how with their demise, an important chapter in Kerala politics has come to an end.

This is the first session of the House in more than five decades in which Chandy, who died in Bengaluru on July 18, will not be present as a representative of Puthuppally Assembly constituency in Kottayam district.

He had represented that constituency for 53 years straight as he won from there 12 times in a row starting from 1970, everyone remembered.

Everyone in the House was of the view that Chandy, who was twice chief minister of the state, was able to achieve this feat through his hard work and perseverance which he did not give up even when he was seriously ill.

Chandy’s sincerity towards public work was an example for the new generation as well, they all said.

Purushothaman, who died here on July 31, held the record of being twice Speaker of the Kerala assembly in addition to being the Governor of Mizoram and Tripura and Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, they said while paying tributes to him.

They said that he played a leadership role at most levels of the democratic process as he was part of legislative bodies from the panchayat to the Parliament during his over seven decades long career.

He was a minister three times, handled many important portfolios like finance, health, excise, labour, agriculture and tourism effectively, they said.

Shamseer, Vijayan and Satheesan said that Purushothaman’s political career spanning over seven decades was an excellent reference for all public servants, especially the newer generation.

After paying tributes to the two veteran leaders, the House concluded for the day and will resume on Tuesday.

During its 10-day long sitting, the House would consider various bills, including the one to substitute the ordinance issued by the government for the safety and security of those working in the healthcare sector.

The House is also likely to witness heated discussions, debates and even protests on a variety of issues concerning the Left administration, including the financial crisis the state is in.

The controversial remarks by Speaker A N Shamseer, the police action over a brief malfunctioning of a microphone when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was speaking at an event and the government’s stand towards the media are also expected to be points of contention in the House.

The session will conclude on August 23.