Changanassery: Holding on to his son’s hand, Thomas Zachariah ran behind the bus, that was carrying the mortal remains of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, to see the beloved leader for one last time.
“When I realised that I would never be able to see the person who had influenced my life so much, I didn't think about anything else. I held my son’s hand and ran after the bus,” said Pathanapuram native Thomas Zachariah, who is a soft skills trainer.
Thomas was in tears as he ran alongside the bus during the wee hours of Thursday, with his son Jagath in tow, for quite a distance. The bus was stopped and they were allowed to enter and pay their final respects to Oommen Chandy.
Earlier while he was serving as a priest in Thiruvananthapuram, Thomas had got acquainted with Oommen Chandy's family. During this time, Chandy's daughters Maria and Achu were part of the church choir. After relinquishing the priesthood, Thomas moved to Kottayam from Thiruvananthapuram and lost ties with Oommen Chandy.
His wife Ajitha is a librarian at the rubber board. His elder son Bhagath is a class 9 student, and his younger son Jagath is in class 5.
After one of his relatives died on Wednesday, Thomas had to leave for Thiruvananthapuram early on Thursday morning. But he was hoping to see Oommen Chandy during the journey. He and his son travelled through Changanassery bypass but the car could not proceed due to the crowd. Then they got out of the car and started walking. By the time they reached Perunna, the bus had already passed. And they ran after the bus.
"I felt that my children should also know about such a public personality. They also need to have a recollection of him," Thomas Zachariah said.
