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A Ganesh Nadar

A time to despair

Every year, in the month of August, a mela-ish (local fair) atmosphere descends on Panickanadarkudieruppu.

S Shunmugasundara Nadar expired a decade back. Every year, on his death anniversary, his children feed and clothe the poor. On the first anniversary, they distributed 500 saris. This year, on the 10th anniversary, they had planned to distribute 3,000 saris and 1,500 dhotis.

S Rajarathinam's arrival was awaited by the poor. Every year, he'd come to their homes and gave them a coupon which entailed them to come the samadhi on the anniversary day and collect a sari or dhoti.

Rajarathinam reached the village on August 3. The printer from Kurumbur delivered the coupons on August 4. Rajarathinam checked the numbers and was satisfied. The lists of the poor started arriving as they usually did. Four or five villagers sorted out the lists and gave them to him for approval. He usually approved most of them. This year, he tore the lists of bits.

The message spread like wild fire. By work of mouth, the astonished villagers came to know those who desired clothes this year would have to come to the samadhi to collect their coupons. Nobody was going to carry it to their homes.

The next morning, a 3,000-strong crowd jostled at the samadhi. Rajarathjinam arrived, flanked by his wooers. The first village announced was "Sundrajapuram.". The people from that village were separated from the crowd and given coupons. The next village was "Tiruchendur". Over 250 people had come from Tiruchendur, 15 miles away.

The people of north Nalumadi, Chanivillai and Lakshmipuram got the shock of their lives when they realised that they were being studiously ignored.

The next day, the bolder ones asked Ganesh whether they were going to get coupons or not. "Not if I can help it," was the rude reply. They went back disappointed.

On August 7, the people assembled and sat in a row. Rajarathinam, Ganesh, and three others sat on chairs. Three of them were writing names on the coupons.

"What's your name?"

"Nirmala."

"Village?"

"Arumuganeri."

"Give her a coupon."

"Next?"

"Janki."

"Village?"

"Lakshmipuram."

"NO!" roared Ganesh. "Get out."

The rejected ones abused and cursed, but to no avail. In the earlier years, everybody got coupons. This year, the coupons were being reserved for a certain sect of the poor. The reason could be traced to an election that took place 10 months earlier in October, 1996. For the first time in the villages' history, a Rajarathinam-sponsored candidate had actually lost. Those hamlets who had not voted for the regime now lost five saris till the next election.

Local leaders in every hamlet sent lists of their favourites. Every list was torn and thrown. Some sent the people to the samadhi, others vowed revenge. One such vengeful person was the agricultural society secretary. His list of 12 people was rejected. He gave them Rs 150 to buy their own saris and decided to declare war.

August 9 dawned like every other day. The buses to Panickanandarkudieruppu were overcrowded. The coupons, which were not given to the locals, found their way to Arumuganeri (seven miles), Sayulpuam (20 miles) and Tiruchendur (15 miles) away.

First, there was a pooja. Then, prizes were distributed to the students of Sri Ganesh School. A special present was given to all 1,400 students. The happy students cheered for Shunmugasundra Nadar. The clothes distribution started at 12 noon and went on till 5 pm. The queue stretched almost a kilometre -- from the samadhi at the school corner to the post office at the river.

Four thousand five hundred people received clothes and 10,000 people ate at the samadhi that day. The next day, the morning paper had a small headline -- Poor Fed and Clothed at PNK. The report went on to say that students belonging to the school run by Saravana stores also received prizes.

And hell broke loose. All the antagonists got together, "What do they mean by school run by Sarvana stores (Rajarathinam's shop)? The school belongs to the village and not them." A fierce debate ensued.

"Why should our school children cheer his father?" was another objection.

One poor woman lamented, "We should've voted for Ganesh, none of this would've happened."

Ganesh argued, "We are not responsible for what appears in the press." But his words fell on deaf ears.

A caucus led by ex-president Prabhakaran started inciting people to oust Rajarathinam as school correspondent. Rajarathinam retired angrily, "I am ready to resign. I don't need any post." Ganesh dissuaded him, "If you must resign, do it at leisure. If you do it now, it means you are scared of them and the allegations are true."

A letter stating that the school was being run like a private serfdom was prepared. It was signed by 15 villagers, photocopied and sent to the villagers living in Bombay, Madras and Coimbatore. Only those people who were known to belong to the anti-Rajarathinam camp received the letters.

Rajarathnam went back to Madras. The barrage of criticism was faced by his local supporters.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier