Oommen Chandy was a go-getter in every sense. In a political career spanning over five decades, which came to an end on Tuesday after a prolonged battle with cancer, he was always motivated by the philosophy that politics is the opportunity to serve the people. In doing so, he did not mind making mistakes. He did not want to be a perfectionist who would end up doing little. In taking a decision, he was always prompted by his convictions and a celebrated sense of compassion.
When it comes to addressing a problem, he had a 90-per cent rule. Even if 10 per cent of the things he tried to implement go wrong, he was least bothered. He knew there was a system to correct it.
“As far as I’m concerned, I try to do what I believe is right. When I try to do 100 such things, at least 10 of them may likely go wrong. I may have heard only one version of a matter. So, I ask the officials concerned to point out the mistakes or they had the freedom to note them on the files. I then rectify the mistakes,” the former Kerala chief minister once told Onmanorama.
He feared he would end up doing nothing if he tries to implement a thing or address a matter after studying it thoroughly.
“If I decide to implement something only after studying it thoroughly, I may be able to get only 10 things done. But I’m particular that even if 10 things go wrong, I should get 90 things done. I have no ego regarding the ones that didn’t work. A social worker or ruler should not have false prestige,” he explained.
In hindsight, it is evident that it was this firm belief in doing the maximum possible for the people that prompted him to launch the Mass Contact Programme that won him the United Nations Public Service Award in 2011.
IAS officer N Prasanth N’s tribute to Chandy stands testimony to the latter’s belief in the ‘90 per cent rule’. In a detailed note on social media, Prasanth, now a special secretary to Kerala government, recollected his experience of attending the Mass Contact Programme in Kozhikode in 2016 when he was the district collector.
"Those hours were like an extensive university education for me. I saw that day his mind to do things for the people. I witnessed him taking tens of thousands of decisions quickly and the way he did it. Even though several people explained different angles of a complex matter simultaneously he listened to them calmly, got the core of their arguments and took 'on the spot' decisions. I understood that those around him including me were only his assistants -- the decisions were his," the officer said.
He said Chandy looked into each complaint with compassion. "Then he would ask the collector what can be done. The final decision would be beyond the collector's suggestions. By the night, the collector's suggestions improved and started to fall into the chief minister's track. The officials who could be with the chief minister in his Mass Contact programme had the fortune to get the biggest practical lessons in public grievance redressal," he said.
N S Madhavan, a former civil servant and celebrated writer, recollected Chandy as a ruler who trusted his officials. “I had worked with many political leaders during my career. Of the lot, I treasure memories of Shri Oommen Chandy, the then Finance Minister, 1991-1995, the most. His trust in officers was total, and that put a lot of pressure on them to be extra meticulous. This goodbye is sad,” Madhavan tweeted.
