On the lines of High Range Samrakshana Samithi, another non-political body which came to the electoral arena following a massive agitation in Munnar, is also out of the electoral fray this time.
Pengal Outrumai, a collective of estate workers, which successfully organised a massive agitation inside the walls of tea plantations in 2015 took international media attention as it was an all-women body. It continued the agitation for long challenging the political organisations which it termed “supported the exploitation of workers” in the plantations.
The agitation by the women who plucked tea leaves for generations got massive support from across the States. The economically backward women collective got financial support from cultural organisations and prominent persons without political affiliations. Many cultural leaders came to Munnar to support the agitation.
To an extent, the stir succeeded as the government was forced to revise the minimum wage of estate workers in the State.
Pengal Outrumai entered the electoral scene in the last local body elections and successfully fielded Gomathy to the Devikulam block panchayat in addition to two other members to the Munnar grama panchayat.
The degeneration soon started with inherent divisions after it entered the political scene. It had to face other political parties having strong trade unions and had to stand on its own feet when political decisions were taken and got sidelined.
According to an analyst, the seed of the degeneration was within when it entered politics and power. The organisation itself was against the two. Moreover, it failed to garner support and influence outside the plantation area. The wave of support it enjoyed subsided with the change in its moto, he said.
Pengal Outrumai president Lisy told The Hindu that it had decided not to contest elections. She said that those who got the support of the people later supported a coalition and even decided which front should rule Munnar grama panchayat. “We still have 2,000 members and it was a collective decision not to contest the elections. However, we will continue as a body for protection of workers’ right,” she said.
According to her, it was true that the body lost its sheen as a political entity and should exist as a non-political body.
Gomathy said she would not contest the local body elections. She said it was true that they cannot have any entity in local bodies by standing alone. However, we will continue to fight for the plantation workers’ issues. She said that people would support, but they cannot deliver when elected to a body outside plantations even if it was a local body.
