Umman Chandy’s family to carry out his wish for burial without state honours

Oommen Chandy, a former chief minister of Kerala who died on Tuesday, expressed a desire for a simple burial; as a result, his mortal remains will be buried without the official honours typically given to past CMs.

Without the state honours, which include a gun salute and other ceremonial practises, Chandy’s body will be buried in a unique tomb constructed at his parish church in Puthuppally, Kottayam, tomorrow.

According to senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, Chandy told his family before his death that he wanted to be buried in a common grave.

‘He wished for a common man’s burial for him. His family is fulfilling that wish,’ Chennithala told PTI.

According to a government source, Chandy’s family requested that he be buried as a commoner and without state honours in a letter to the chief secretary.

MLA and AICC secretary P C Vishnunath claimed that the state government has granted the late leader’s family’s request.

‘It was Chandy sir’s wish, and his family conveyed it to the government. The party also has no say on this matter as it was our late leader’s wish,’ Vishnunath told PTI.

Former state chief ministers are often buried or cremated with full state honours following the conclusion of any applicable religious rites.

K Karunakaran, a stalwart of the Congress and a four-time chief minister of Kerala, was cremated in 2010 with full state honours.

Communist Chief Ministers such EMS Namboothirippad and E K Nayanar, who died in 1998 and 2004, respectively, were cremated without the performance of any religious rites, but they were nonetheless given full state honours.

The Puthuppally Orthodox Church in the Kottayam district is currently in the midst of final preparations for the Chandy family funeral service. Instead of being interred in his family vault in the cemetery, his body will be interred in a private priests’ burial area on the grounds of the church.

Chandy, who twice held the position of Chief Minister of Kerala, died on Tuesday in a private hospital in Bengaluru. He passed away while receiving cancer treatment, according to party sources. He was 79.