I first 'met' Appa on a hartal day when I was two years old. He used to keep a distance from the family till then due to political responsibilities. However, on that day, Appa stayed at home as he had a fever. Although hartal is generally a curse, it was a blessing for me. After that, we used to see him close when he comes home after winning the election.

We never felt any difference when he was in power or not. He was open-minded in family and outside. He gave us all freedom. Appa never used to scold us if we get low marks for exams. He used to jokingly say, "You should get 60 marks. I will beat you if you get more than that." He used to bring everyone into a comfort zone. He will fulfill even our small wishes even while he was busy.

While I was grieving the untimely death of beloved leader Rajiv Gandhi, Appa promised to take me to Delhi and show Veer Bhumi. Before resigning as Finance Minister in 1994, Appa took me on a trip to Delhi. He showed me Veer Bhumi and introduced Sonia Gandhi.

While I was staying in a hostel in Delhi during my studies, Appa used to instruct that I should return to the hostel before 10 pm. If I turn up late as part of my public work, he used to wait without sleeping and call me. He still does that. As a parent, he was not able to come to my school and college. It was my mother who handled all that.

Appa spent most of his life with his followers. The scenes at home during childhood are unforgettable. The dining room, the drawing-room, and the office room will be full of people. It did not change whether Appa was in power or not. The crowding in the dining room stopped after Appa became the Chief Minister.

Appa has a special ability to bring his opponents close to him through his actions. A CITUC worker, who had attacked him during a discussion in the 1970s, later received the best INTUC worker award from him. The man who threw stone at Appa in 2013, is now in the UDF.

Although people used to say a lot during political crises, Appa didn't care. His method is to focus on the work and not be bothered by criticism.

(Memoir shared by Oommen Chandy's son Chandy Oommen when Oommen Chandy completed 50 years in the Legislative Assembly)