Melur has seen many onslaughts from invaders in the past. In every invasion from the north, residents of Melur have given up their lives in large numbers. The constituency, which spans Melur taluk, has in it the birthplace of P. Kakkan, former Agriculture Minister, at Thumbaipatti.
Melavalavu, a village panchayat, witnessed the massacre of six Dalits, including its president Murugesan, on June 30, 1997. The recent scar that will remain etched in public memory is the death of farmlands due to granite greed in villages around Melur. The world’s largest granite polishing facility remains closed at Therkkutheru.
The AIADMK, DMK and the TMC have nominated candidates for the predominantly agrarian constituency, ravaged by the granite mafia. P. Periyapullan alias Selvam of the AIADMK is in the place of three-time MLA R. Samy, while the DMK has opted for A.P. Ragupathi from the family of late A. Ayyanan Ambalam, AIFB leader. T.N. Bharat Natchiappan is the TMC nominee.
Kakkan, the icon of Melur, was a benchmark in Tamil Nadu politics. He used only public transport for travel after his defeat in 1967, lived in a rented house and underwent treatment in a government hospital. He was instrumental in Madurai getting an Agricultural College and Research Institute.
Little did he know that the collective farming wisdom of the region would one day be threatened by monstrous machines that have sliced off chains of hillocks, besides scooping off giant chunks of earth.
Agricultural fields have turned into granite dumps or deep gorges with stagnant rainwater. Thanks to the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, the spread of granite tentacles has been cut.
What is of utmost concern for residents like Elango Kallanai of Narasingampatti is the gentrification of Melur. “Allured by brokers and middlemen, our people have given all their lands to the granite industry. Instead of fighting like Maoists, they had surrendered meekly. Today, there are many families in Keezhaiyur, Keezhavalavu and Malampatti without anything to call their own,” says Mr. Elango. It is not too late. “If there is legal and political support, we will retrieve our lands and rebuild our economy.”
Though a majority of employees in the granite units were from outside Tamil Nadu, alternative employment for locals is not there following shutdown of the industry. VR. Thangarajan of Keezhavalavu blames monopolisation by an individual for the shutdown.
In north Melur, inadequate water supply for irrigation has driven many youth to seek employment elsewhere. “In the last five years, farming has suffered due to inefficient water management, even after raising the level from 136 to 142 feet in Periyar dam,” says K.M. Chellam of Vellalur.
Acute water scarcity has hit Kottampatti, in the northern tip. “We buy water for Rs. 10 a pot. Encroachments have shrunk the water holding capacity of our tanks,” says V. Karuppu.
As is the trend in recent elections, the caste factor is expected to determine the outcome this time too.
