Nothing encapsulates the political climate of Kanyakumari district better than a saying of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, “ Nellai Enathu Ellai; Kumari Enathu Thollai. [Tirunelveli is my border and Kanyakumari is a nuisance].”
A formidable turf of the national parties, Kanyakumari, which was part of the erstwhile Travancore till 1957, has once proved elusive to the Dravidian parties. If caste is a factor to reckon with elsewhere, here religion prevails over all other considerations.
Though the trend changed gradually and Dravidian parties gained ground, they could make a difference only in the company of the national parties — the Congress, the BJP and the Communist party.
James Reynold Daniels, former Principal of Scot Christian College, however, said caste was as much a factor as it was in other parts of Tamil Nadu and the major castes always had an upper hand. “Both religion and caste are playing a role, though a high socio-political culture is inherent to Kanyakumari district,” he said.
When the district was witnessing a struggle demanding its annexure with Tamil Nadu, people rose above all narrow sectarian considerations. Marshal Nesamony was not seen just a leader of Christian Nadars, but a leader of all communities.
“The late Simon belonged to the fishermen community and he could win Tiruvattar, a predominantly Nair and Nadar belt, and P. Ramasamy Pillai won from Vilavancode and Noor Mohamed from Padmanabhapuram. People could transcend all man-made differences,” Mr. Daniels said. He, however, agreed that it was only the Dravidian parties which first paid attention to the local needs, particularly roads, and constructed a big stadium.
The trend changed in the early 1980s when the district was pulled apart by communal tensions in the wake of the Mandaikadu riots. The district elected Balachandar, who contested only on the plank of mobilising Hindus in the district, in 1984. Later, the Padmanabhapuram constituency elected BJP candidate C. Velayudham.
V. Umaiorubhagan, Principal of Noorul Islam College of Arts and Science, said religion took centre stage of the district’s politics because the religious minorities elsewhere were actually a majority here.
He, however, contested the relevance of the caste angle: “Caste is not playing a significant role. During election time, it will be BJP versus other parties, though the DMK and the AIADMK have aligned with it in the past. The political party which can really give a fight to the BJP will get the votes of Christians and Muslims,” he said.
Even BJP supporters prefer the AIADMK in the Assembly polls as they continue to view the DMK as atheist and anti-Hindu in its outlook. However, it is notable that a combination of the DMK and the Congress always proved effective in the region.
Sahitya Akademi winner Ponneelan said one key reason the district politics was entangled in religious divisions was because it could not produce a leader with a secular outlook and good socio-political insights after Nesamony.
“Now religion and caste are intertwined and a leader is judged based on his religion,” he said, admitting that a non-Nadar BJP candidate might not be able to poll votes on a par with a BJP candidate who belonged to the Nadar community.
A combination of the DMK and the Congress has always proved effective in the region
