Devendrakula Velalars, who are spread across several districts in south Tamil Nadu, face many issues. But, in an election season, they all agree on one thing: the need to identify and consolidate and speak in one voice.
Karunanithi, a senior citizen in a village in Thachanallur in Tirunelveli district, says the community desperately needs a leader like Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol. Thirumavalavan, who can forcefully articulate its concerns. He is disappointed with the current crop of leaders in the community.
“We lack a leader who can speak like Mr. Thirumavalavan. Look at how he speaks for the people he represents. The leaders who emerged within our community and showed promise have only done well for themselves,” Mr. Karunanithi says.
While the community members agree that leadership has to emerge from within for pragmatic reasons, many say battle of egos and one-upmanship among the leaders have sapped the community of its electoral strength.
‘One-upmanship’
Kopparai Subramanian, who has been an elected local body representative at Thachanallur since 2006, identifies the battle of egos between the leaders as one of the reasons for the community’s failure to develop.
“The constant one-upmanship among the leaders has affected the community’s development. When these leaders disagree and separate, the strength [of the community] reduces. And none of the bigger parties — the DMK, the AIADMK, the Congress, and the DMDK — will like leaders emerging from the community. We are like curry-leaves to them,” he says.
Activists point out that the community has innumerable small outfits as the functionaries of K. Krishnasamy’s Puthiya Tamilagam or John Pandian’s Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, who split after disagreeing with their leaders, form smaller outfits in the neighbourhoods where they are active. Subsequently, these outfits become smaller and smaller.
Madurai Muthu Pandian of Tamilar Viduthalai Kalam, who says his outfit is the third biggest organisation after Puthiya Tamilagam and Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam in the south, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempt to reach out to the community has made Dr. Krishnasamy rethink his strategy and has forced him to again prove his strength within the community. “They may feel threatened... When a Prime Minister of the country is directly reaching out to the community, where is the need for other community-based leaders?”
In this election, Puthiya Tamilagam, which was earlier part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, is contesting in 60 constituencies alone, arguing that the BJP has not promised that it will take the community off the Scheduled Caste list. Dr. Krishnasamy has reiterated that this election will be a referendum on whether or not the community wants to leave the list. Mr. John Pandian is contesting in Egmore, Chennai.
Jeevan Kumar Malla, president, Bahujan Dravida Party, which is contesting in 20 constituencies in the southern districts, says there is a leadership vacuum within the community due to lack of an ideological approach. “While the Scheduled Castes in the north respond to an issue ideologically, the Devendrakula Velalars have often responded emotionally. Their outlook is dimmed because they mobilise themselves primarily as a caste. The community was depoliticised by leaders who have become wheeler-dealers,” he says.
