Caste factor, communal harmony, Katchatheevu row hog limelight

MADURAI: Going beyond the question of who is going to win the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency this time, the elections are getting turned into a contest between ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, contesting as an independent with the support of BJP-led NDA, and the AIADMK, to garner Thevar votes.

Major political alliances led by BJP, DMK and AIADMK have high stakes in the polls. The constituency comprises six Assembly seats including Tiruchuli, a part of its neighbouring Virudhunagar district, and Aranthangi of Pudukottai district. AIADMK candidate and OPS are expected to split the Thevar vote bank, leading to a possible advantage for the DMK candidate who has the Muslim vote bank advantage.

Fishing and its allied activities are the mainstay of the local economy in Ramanathapuram district, which has a coastline of 271 km, the longest among other districts in the state. But voters lament that the Katchatheevu issue, severely affecting the livelihood of fishermen, is only a poll issue which is forgotten once elections are over. The non-coastal region is largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture.

The never-ending problem of frequent arrests of Rameswaram fishermen and detention of boats by the Sri Lankan Navy is a sensitive poll issue. Especially fishermen are contemplating boycotting the upcoming polls as their demands for the release of jailed TN fishermen and seized boats from Sri Lanka were not met.

 Locals lament that tourism opportunities aren’t tapped to their potential in this region. Even with Rameswaram being a famous pilgrimage centre and Dhanushkodi a major tourism destination, tourism facilities are poor. The long-awaited demand of palm cultivators, largely from Sayalkudi, for direct procurement of palm jaggery (Karupatti) and other palm products by the government hasn’t been met. They want their products to be marketed through PDS and permitting to tap toddy.

Despite the contest to control Thevar votes among the AIADMK and BJP-supported Panneerselvam, sitting MP K Navaskani has an obvious edge. Representing IUML, an ally of DMK, the candidate contests on ‘ladder’ symbol.

Navaskani, who is seeking a 2nd term, is optimistic about the win. He is banking on the votes of the minorities and fisherfolk. The Thevar vote bank is expected to split between Panneerselvam, contesting on ‘jackfruit’ symbol and the AIADMK with its traditional Mukkulathor support.

The fact that Pannerselvam is fighting away from his home turf Theni is a disadvantage for the former CM. The five-time MLA is making his maiden contest for an LS seat this time, relying on the votes of the ‘Mukkulathor’, who constitutes 28 per cent. Minorities constitute 22 per cent, the Devendrakula Velalar constitutes 17 per cent.

Remaining upbeat, Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam, the DMK MLA, who belongs to the lineage of the freedom fighter U Muthuramalinga Thevar, said Navaskani, the son of Ramanathapuram soil, who is reliable and easily approachable, would certainly win and retain the MP post. He added that Ramanathapuram is a remarkable example of communal harmony so the caste factor won’t influence the outcome of the elections. Even though the ‘mukkulathor’ community is the majority in Ramanathapuram, voters are mostly party-oriented, he told DT Next. After Tiruvannamalai and Tiruchi, the DMK scored a victory in all four Assembly constituencies under the Ramnad LS seat, he said.

OP Raveendranath Kumar said he is confident of his father’s win. The supporters were happy with the ‘jackfruit’ symbol, he said and added the voters are smart enough to choose the right candidate to represent in the parliament and won’t want to waste their votes by opting for others. Though it’s a new symbol for OPS, contesting with the support of BJP-led NDA, is a big strength, he said.

President of the Rameswaram Fishermen Cooperative Society N Devadoss points out at the simmering anger over fishermen arrests by Lanka. This will reflect in the elections too, he says, pointing out at the boycott of the St. Anthony’s Church festival by the Indian fishermen.