In a first, the Mannan tribespeople of Oommen Chandy Colony under Kanjikuzhy panchayat in Idukki have broken their traditional custom for their beloved leader. The tribespeople in the colony on Wednesday conducted special rites for former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
According to the Mannan tribal head, it is for the first time that such rites have been conducted for a non-tribal person. The special rites were held as part of the concluding ceremony of a seven-day-long mourning for Chandy.
After the prayers, a special cooking session was organised to remember the Congress leader. The food was prepared and served on a banana leaf along with a glass of water and tobacco. Food was also served to those who attended the rituals.
Colony tribal head Sukumaran P.K. told The Hindu that the rites were held at the Oommen Chandy Colony community hall. “Normally, the seventh-day rites are conducted only for Mannan tribal community members. But we decided to break the custom for our beloved leader. The colony has 95 tribal families and all of them joined the function,” said Mr. Sukumaran.
“After completing the seven-day mourning, all the tribal community members visited the tomb of Chandy at Puthuppally Church in Kottayam and offered their prayers. They also visited the family members of Chandy and expressed grief over his demise,” said Mr. Sukumaran.
“A spiritual art form of the Mannan tribal community, Mannankooth, was set to be held here with tribal songs from Wednesday night to Thursday morning for Chandy,” said Mr. Sukumaran.
According to tribal leaders, the rituals will continue for three years. As per custom, the Mannan community performs special rites for the deceased on January 16 and 17 every year. Next year, special prayers will be observed in Chandy’s name.
The tribal settlement has a deep relationship with Chandy. After a long protest led by former Congress leader Karimban Jose, the State government allotted land for 39 tribal families there in 1974. Chandy was a Youth Congress leader then, and the government issued title deeds for the families thanks to his intervention. Expressing their gratitude, the tribal people and Congress leaders named the Mazhuvadi ward ‘Oommen Chandy Colony.’ There is still a board at the entrance to the colony that prominently exhibits its name.
