Agrarian distress, lack of employment opportunities and the scars of the ravaging floods of December — the northern districts of Tamil Nadu face a multitude of economic problems that stem from haphazard planning. As politicians canvass this election season, they need to factor in these aspects as well as the caste tensions that escalate every now and then in a couple of districts.
The poorly developed districts of Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram, Vellore and Tiruvallur, with 59 Assembly constituencies among them, perhaps hold the key for the resurgence of the DMK, provided it can brave the threat posed by the third front and that of the PMK. The floods have dented the image of the ruling AIADMK in this region, with people recounting inefficient relief and rehabilitation measures and alleged partisan behaviour of party men and officials in post-flood response.
In Cuddalore, the worst hit by the floods, complaints of relief money not reaching people’s bank accounts echo from different parts. “They [officials] came and surveyed the damage. But we are yet to get the relief money. We have no hopes either,” says Balu of Poondiankuppam in Kurinjipadi.
Farmers in Villupuram, Cuddalore and Tiruvannamalai criticise the government for fixing an unreasonably low compensation for the crop damage. The Rs. 13,500 per hectare would not cover the cost of production for even an acre. “I had sugarcane and groundnut on my six acres. I have met the officials several times but I am yet to get the compensation. I had to take loans for new crop,” says A. Ramasamy of Devanur in Tiruvannamalai.
The abysmally low rainfall for straight four years since 2011 created a drought-like situation in Tiruvannamalai and the water table went down drastically. This pulled down agricultural production. Coupled with drought, lack of fair pricing for paddy, sugar mills’ audacity not to give State-advised price for cane and the systematically dwindling groundnut area have crippled the agricultural economy.
Though Tiruvannamalai used to be one of the leading paddy producing districts in the State, its farmers failed to get drought relief while their politically influential brethren in the delta managed to squeeze some relief. After the rains are bountiful in 2015, people expected good turn in the paddy yield, but the brown plant hopper diseases hit the crops in epidemic proportion and affected both the productivity and pricing.
Accusation of ruling party members intervening with officials and recommending relief for their own supporters was something heard across districts.
In Vellore, the delay in executing the Thenpennai-Palar River linking project has turned into a huge disappointment. Farmers for long have been urging the government to declare this district drought-prone and take remedial measures. Due to acute water scarcity, coconut cultivation has been severely hit in the last several years. Cultivators also blame the tanneries for the continuing pollution of water bodies.
In many parts of Villupuram, lack of employment opportunities dominates the woes of the voters. With inadequate irrigation facilities, farming is confined to a few months in places like Kurinjipadi and Ulundurpet. It is in such areas that schemes like 20 kg free rice and goats and cow distribution have become a huge hit.
As one moves to Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram, unequal development stares one in the face. While areas near the capital Chennai have witnessed rapid urbanisation, there was no parallel addition to civic infrastructure.
Within the PMK, its leaders are expecting the Vanniyar community to back its chief ministerial candidate Anbumani in a major way, though he himself is contesting in distant Pennagaram in western Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district. Historically, the community has never mobilised behind one party.
On the other hand, this will also be the first time in over a decade that the VCK would contest in close to 15 seats in this region.
(With inputs from A D Balasubramanian in Tiruvannamalai.)
