Madurai
Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, tension is mounting in Madurai as political parties and caste-based outfits of two rival castes — Mukkulathor and Devandrakula Vellalars — have come up with pleas to name Madurai airport after their respective leaders — Muthuramalinga Thevar and Immanuel Sekaran.
Both sides have been making this demand for long.
Several Mukkulathor outfits recently brought vehicular traffic to a halt around Thevar statue at Goripalayam during a day-long bandh. Even as they were planning to commence a relay hunger strike on Thursday, posters seeking the Centre and State to name the airport after Immanuel Sekaran by Moovendar Pulipadai came up in the city on Tuesday.
Devendrakula Vellalar, a Scheduled Caste community, has been claiming right to name the airport after Immanuel Sekaran, as it was the SCs from Chinna Udaippu, who had contributed their land for their airport.
Bharatiya Forward Bloc leader Muruganji said that unfortunately a tall freedom fighter like Muthuramalinga Thevar had been confined to a community. “It is the making of people of our own community. Muthuramalinga Thevar was the right hand for Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. He had sent 68,000 people from Tamil Nadu to the Indian National Army. His contribution to the freedom struggle is immense and our demand for naming the airport after him is only a recognition for a freedom fighter,” he added.
However, the Devendrakula Vellalars have a different reason.
“Over three hundred acres of land was acquired from people from our community for the Madurai airport. As part of tradition of the State government to name public institutions or buildings after the people who give away their land for public causes, we are making this demand. Even now a good portion of the land to be acquired for airport runway extension is only from our people. It is only but our right to insist that the airport be named after our leader,” said C. Baskar, coordinator of Moovendar Pulipadai.
The title ‘Moovendar’ represented the Chola, Chera and Pandiya kingdoms, Mr. Baskar, an advocate, said. He said that by naming the airport after Immanuel Sekaran, the contribution of land by Devendrakula Vellalars, would be etched in history. He also recalled that the Centre had, in the past, released a postal stamp in memory of Immanuel Sekaran, who had sacrificed his life, fighting against oppression of SC people.
Even the then Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, had promised to name the airport after Muthuramalinga Thevar years back. Mr. Muruganji said that all major political parties, including BJP, Congress and DMK had supported this demand. “Only the State government is delaying the no-objection certificate for naming the airport after Thevar,” he added.