Though the Tamil Nadu fishermen issue had its impact to an extent in the Assembly elections, it is unlikely to play a major role in the outcome of local body elections in these parts of the region.
Fragmentation of fishermen on caste and communal lines, divisions among them on various issues, disunity among leaders of various associations come in handy for the candidates of various political parties to garner votes other than the shooting incidents that claimed a number of fishermen's lives until the recent past.
Sensing the mood of the people, the political parties have chosen candidates either on the basis of caste or community background for municipal election in Rameswaram and other local bodies. However there are a few candidates, who are known for fighting for the cause of fishermen, are also in the fray, hoping to garner the support of fishermen.
“The fishermen are completely divided on caste and community lines as far as Rameswaram island is concerned. No one is raising the common issue, haunting us for several years. Considering the polarization of votes mostly on caste lines, it seems that it will not have any say in the local body elections,” says a fishermen leader of Rameswaram.
However, he added that the candidates of political parties, which were effective and vociferous in highlighting the fishermen issue in the past, might bank on the support of fishermen, who did not believe in caste and community politics.
The common voters feel that the mismanagement of municipality in the past, which failed to fulfil the expectations of the people particularly fishermen and tourists, is likely to impact the outcome of the polls in Rameswaram municipality.
They pointed out that the tourists had been forced to fend for themselves. The municipality, which concentrated on collecting toll at various places from the tourists for entering Rameswaram and parking their vehicles, had not provided proper facilities to them. The town lacks basic amenities to the tourists such as toilets, bathrooms, cleanliness, parking lots.
