The Pollachi Lok Sabha constituency spread across the scenic rural parts of Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts is going to witness a triangular fight of the AIADMK, DMK and BJP.
After a long gap, the BJP has fielded its own candidate, K. Vantha Rajan, against the two Dravidian majors. The last time the BJP fielded its candidate in the constituency was in 2009.
While the DMK’s K. Eswarasamy is tasked to retain the party’s presence in the Lok Sabha, the AIADMK’s A. Karthikeyan is assigned to wrest back his party’s supremacy in the constituency, where it won in 2009 and 2014.
The DMK is primarily highlighting achievements of the government under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, along with promises for the largely agrarian constituency. The AIADMK and BJP candidates have included developmental works for the constituency in their election promises.
A major confidence for the AIADMK in the election is that all the six Assembly constituencies, namely Thondamuthur, Kinathukadavu, Pollachi, Valparai, Udumalpet and Madathukulam, are represented by its MLAs. Naam Tamilar Katchi’s N. Sureshkumar is another candidate in the fray.
Pollachi constituency has a unique landscape comprising plains, hills and semi urban areas, with farming as the main source of income. Except in Valparai, coconut is the main crop in all the other Assembly segments, primarily Pollachi.
Pollachi is synonymous with coconut and the fall in the price of the main crop is the prime concern of farmers of the region, according to T.A. Krishnasamy Gounder, president of the United Coconut Growers’ Association of South India.
Farmers are getting ₹8 to ₹10 for per nut whereas a price between ₹20 and ₹25 is considered profitable. Farmers have been demanding a minimum support price for coconut as in the case of copra.
“The price of coconut had increased to ₹15 and above per piece last summer. However, the price is remaining at a very low level this year. Due to the increase in labour cost and other factors, small scale farmers are also not converting coconut into copra much. Even if such small-scale farmers convert coconut into copra, the price is not lucrative. While the government procures copra at ₹110 per kg, private players are paying only between ₹80 and ₹85 per kg,” says Mr. Gounder.
Whitefly attacks and root wilt disease are also hampering coconut production in the region. In the Pollachi taluk itself, farmers had to cut down over 50,000 coconut trees due to the root wilt disease. There is a fall in the yield due to the whitefly attack.
“Instead of providing palm oil through ration shops, the government must distribute coconut oil, which has nutritional benefits. The government should also consider providing coconut to card holders and use coconut oil for noon meal and breakfast scheme. These measures will help coconut farmers continue farming without loss,” adds Mr. Gounder.
Due to the fall in coconut price, several farmers have chosen intercrop farming, in which other crops like nutmeg are grown along with coconut.
The coir industry in Pollachi, which thrived with the coconut production, is also in a slump with fall in exports of fibre, labour shortage and hike in power charges.
“95% of the export of coir fibre used to be to China, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry is yet to pick up export. The price of fibre used to be over ₹20 per kg 15 years ago. Now, the price is a little over ₹5 per kg. Another biproduct, coco-peat, which used to have ₹28 kg three years ago, is now being sold for ₹15 kg,” says B. Rangaraj, a coir industry owner.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s reclassification of coir industries from white to orange, placing them in the category of polluting industries, has also affected the sector as industries have to get approval from the board.
Farmers in the region are also seeking immediate implementation of the Anamalaiyar – Nallar projects, considering the dip in the share of water for irrigation from the Parambikulam Aliyar Project.
T. Krishna Balaji, Joint Secretary of the Pollachi Train Passenger Welfare Association, feels that more train services were needed on the Coimbatore-Podanur-Pollachi sector to improve the connectivity in the constituency. Trains that connected Pollachi to southern districts were also much needed.
Pollachi constituency is also home to nearly 40 tribal settlements of different indigenous communities, who are residing in reserve forest areas of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve. According to Tribal activist S. Thanraj of Ekta Parishad, Tamil Nadu, only one tribal settlement, namely Nedungundram in Coimbatore district limits, has power connection and bitumen-topped road.
“Even after several years of independence and all the socio-economic developments we boast of having achieved, these tribal families are living without basic amenities. Due to lack of road connectivity and transportation facilities, several children do not go to schools. The government must consider establishing of a tribal residential school at Kulipatti tribal settlement, which is at the centre of about 10 settlements,” he said.
Roads, power connection, access to healthcare, and granting of agricultural land and community rights to tribal people under the Forest Rights Act are among other demands for tribals, he added.
In Thondamuthur and Valparai areas of the constituency, crop raiding, loss of lives and properties caused by wild animals are main concerns of farmers.
