Kerala Minister Saji Cherian stops scooter at roadside eatery for tea & idlis

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 11 (IANS) In what may be seen as an effort to strike a rapport with local people ahead of local body polls this year and Assembly polls in 2026, Kerala Fisheries Minister and CPI(M) leader Saji Cherian on Thursday stopped his scooter at a roadside eatery in Thiruvananthapuram for idlis and tea.

On Thursday morning, at a modest tea shop humming with familiar sounds like the clinking of glasses, the hiss of boiling milk, and the easy chatter of walkers pausing after their daily rounds, a scooter stopped.

As soon as the rider removed his helmet, the crowd froze in surprise to see Minister Cherian.

"Tea, please," Cherian said, before asking what was on the menu.

"Idli is ready, but the sambhar will take a little while," came the reply from the eatery staff.

"No problem, I'll wait," the Minister nodded, settling in like any other customer.

As the sambhar simmered, the conversations began to flow.

Passersby, locals, and even a few journalists gathered around him, curious yet amused.

One of them observed how rare it was to see a person in power sitting casually among the people.

Cherian said, "Power and its privileges are temporary. I am happiest when I live like an ordinary citizen."

In Chengannur, his constituency, residents say their MLA is always within reach - his phone on, his door open, his presence unfenced by protocol.

"For my people, there are no barriers," he added.

Now 60, Cherian's political story is a familiar one in Kerala: student activism, party ranks, a seat in the Assembly, and eventually a Cabinet berth.

He first entered the House through a 2018 by-election, retained his seat in 2021, and was brought into Pinarayi Vijayan's Cabinet.

In 2022, his comments about the Constitution triggered a storm, forcing him to resign.

Cleared later by the Kerala High Court, he was sworn in again in January 2023.

The episode, however, did not change his manner - frank, unpolished, sometimes reckless, but always direct.

As he waited for his breakfast, the Minister patted the scooter he had arrived on, a vehicle that had been his quiet companion through both power and pause.

"This scooter is special to me," he said. "The day after I resigned, I went back home on it. I still use it often in my constituency. It keeps me close to people - it reminds me of who I am."

Soon, the packet of idlis with sambhar was ready. The Minister tucked it neatly onto his scooter, put on his helmet, waved to the small crowd, and rode away towards his official residence, just a kilometre down the road.

--IANS

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