As Tamil Nadu prepares for an electoral battle, its southern districts, once known as a laggard in the development process, are trying to shed the image stuck to them.

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Though it is too early to arrive at any conclusion about the lasting beneficial impact of the process, the region is getting much more attention in recent years than in the past. In the last eight months, two important developments took place in Thoothukudi district itself: the establishment of an electric vehicle manufacturing plant by VinFast and the commissioning of the first 660-MW supercritical thermal power plant established by Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation.

Berthing bigger ships

The Thoothukudi port, named after leading freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, has initiated the tendering process for the outer harbour project, the implementation of which will enable bigger vessels to get berthed at the port and help reduce the dependence on the Colombo harbour for trans-shipment. In fact, Ramanathapuram, considered a condemned district in the past for the posting of government officials, is one of the top 10 districts (placed ninth) in paddy cultivation, with the district accounting for 7% of area coverage and 4% of paddy production. Tirunelveli, which only makes a modest contribution in this area, however records the State’s highest rate of yield of 4.4 tonnes per hectare against the State’s average of 3.35 tonnes per hectare.

Supply of workforce

“One-third of the workforce in the information technology sector in Bengaluru or Chennai is from the southern districts,” says Ashwin Desai, former chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (Madurai Zone), adding that Madurai hosts around 200 IT firms, including Honeywell Technology Solutions, which collectively generate $200 million and employ 18,000 persons.

A cross-section of people, with whom this journalist interacted last week during a visit coinciding with electioneering by political party leaders, is of the view that there has been peace since the region witnessed caste clashes in the 1990s, which led to the death of over 300 persons and destruction of properties. However, the weaknesses of the fragile situation were exposed three years ago when a Scheduled Caste boy, studying in Class XII at Nanguneri in Tiruneveli, was hacked by his schoolmates belonging to the Backward Classes. The caste factor is still important in this region, says P.S. Chandraprabhu, a Rajapalayam-based social activist, adding that incidents like the one at Nanguneri occur only to demonstrate the “hegemony” of some communities over the vulnerable sections.

“Let us not forget that each region has its own disadvantages,” says United Economic Forum president Ahmed A.R. Buhari, pointing out that the availability of land at chapter rates is one of the important advantages of the region. The Forum, along with others, has come up with a vision document, ‘Unnatha Tamizhagam’, that visualises the State as a $4-trillion economy by 2047, with each region accounting for $1 trillion.

‘Anchor industry’

Though Mr. Desai and T.R. Thamilarsu, a businessman based out of Thoothukudi, are happy that the Madurai airport has got the international status and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) project is coming up, they are clear that the region is desperately in need of “a large anchor industry”. Mr. Thamilarasu says an Indian Institute of Technology or Indian Institute of Management should be established. He calls upon private institutions in higher education to set up their campuses in the south. S. Rethinavelu, one of the prominent voices of industry from the south, calls for the adoption of a need-based approach to agricultural and horticultural produce and further improvement of water management. The Central government should set up a Pulses Board in Madurai or any other place in the southern region, Mr. Rethinavelu suggests.

Pointing out that people in the region have been nursing a grouse for long that they are being neglected, the industrialist emphasises, “It may sound odd to outsiders but I would say that Madurai should be made the second capital.” This will accelerate the development in the southern districts, he adds.