The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Big challenge to Tirumavalavan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Big challenge to Tirumavalavan

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

The Dalit Panthers of India, which grew in north Tamil Nadu opposing Vanniyars, faces its biggest challenge, ironically in a Lok Sabha election. And that too in just one constituency it is contesting in, Chidambaram. Its general secretary, Thol. Tirumavalavan, who came a handsome second last time, is in the fray.

His candidature on behalf of the third front, People's Alliance, will only brighten the chances of the Pattali Makkal Katchi candidate, given the vote polarisation, between the DPI and the Vanniyar-dominated PMK. For, his other opponent is a former DPI leader with some following in the area.

Though there has not been any major Dalit-Vanniyar clash in the constituency in the run-up to the elections, memories of the 1999 Lok Sabha polls refuse to fade away. Sporadic violence was reported from almost all six Assembly segments. The violence was, in part, a reaction to the direct challenge the DPI posed to the PMK dominance in the constituency. Mr. Tirumavalavan lost by a margin of over one lakh votes. But the DPI pushed the Congress-AIADMK combine to the third place and showcased its strength.

Now he cannot launch a soft campaign to ensure that opposition votes are not split — his other opponent is, the BJP's D. Periyasamy, who parted ways with the DPI over a year ago. `TADA' Periyasamy, as he is known, has since his expulsion from the DPI launched a scathing attack on Mr.Tirumavalavan, questioning his source of funds and style of running the party. In many ways, the confrontation between the two assumes personal overtones.

Mr. Periyasamy has done everything, from invoking actor Rajnikant's name to appealing to people not to be `misled' by caste-based formations. He has also been highlighting the need for giving the Vajpayee Government another term to complete its unfinished development agenda. The BJP has also launched a whispering campaign that Mr. Tirumavalavan is not serious about the contest.

He, however, dismisses these "desperate rumours" and says he will campaign hard for his victory.

Leaders of some Tamil nationalist outfits have said they will campaign for Mr.Tirumavalavan. But these do not mean an end to the DPI's problem.

The PMK is the DPI's traditional `enemy' in the Vanniyar belt in north Tamil Nadu and no leader from either community can be seen making a concession to the other. "It will be viewed as a sell-out. They have to oppose each other everywhere," says a local Congress leader. In their speeches, local leaders of both the parties stoop to unheard of levels and the attacks are directed at members of the other community. In the event of Mr.Tirumavalavan taking away a significant share of votes, he will ensure a PMK victory. If that happens, it is highly unlikely that his community will forgive him.

Mr. Tirumavalavan says there can be other possibilities: He won the Mangalore Assembly seat (in 2001) and showed the people that he worked for them round-the-clock.

If Mr. Rajnikant wanted to defeat the PMK, he should support the DPI in Chidambaram, Mr. Tirumavalavan told this correspondent.

Women (5,72,842) outnumber men (5,52,454) in this constituency with 11,25,296 voters. The Assembly segments are Kurinjipadi, Bhuvanagiri, Kattumannarkoil (Reserved), Chidambaram, Vriddhachalam and Mangalore (Reserved).

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