'' Very early in the morning while it was still dark, I went to the tomb of our beloved elder brother Oommen Chandy. There were already some women with flowers, incense, and candles at the tomb. The smell of flowers and incense lingered in the surroundings. Breathing the fresh scented air at the quiet break of dawn in that ancient churchyard of nine saints, I felt a subtle fragrance of a different kind, the scent of good deeds and kind words that surpassed that of flowers and frankincense.

The well-known Puthuppally St. George's Orthodox parish has most appropriately prepared Oommen Chandy's grave in a special place designated for departed priests in order to honour her spiritual son. In fact, this morning I found that he is buried, rather inadvertently, in a triangular space outlined by three coconut palm trees forming three vertices of a triangle. (See the picture)

I thought this was probably a greater honour because in biblical symbolism a palm tree stands for a righteous person. "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree"( Psalm 92:12). The Orthodox Church sings this verse at least three times a day along with the offering of sweet smelling incense in her Prayer of the Hours (Yaama prarthana).

Kerala's equivalent of the biblical date palm is the coconut palm which we call our Kalpa Vriksha, the divine tree. Every part of the coconut palm is useful for people in some way. Oommen Chandy was a palm tree, an epitome of righteousness, compassion, and an ever open refuge for the poor and the needy. As a political leader and chief minister he too had his moments of doubt and indecision like any other human being. But, in general, people trusted and loved him more than many others because he acted out of good faith and sincere intentions.

Think of the unprecedented attachment of people of all colours to this political leader as displayed in his 28-hour long funeral procession. It unveils people's deep craving for leaders of genuine integrity, transparency, simplicity, forgiveness, silent suffering, compassion and total dedication to the people both in politics and in religion. Can we make an attempt as a civil society to respond creatively to the fundamental human values practised by this humble public servant?