On a Saturday afternoon in August 2006, a long-standing Congress leader and former Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sport, Dhanuskodi Athithan, his wife, and daughter were on their way to Thoothukudi from Tirunelveli. It was meant to be a short trip in view of the distance (about 45 km).

But that turned out to be a treacherous trip for the former Union Minister as the car in which he travelled met with an accident near Vagaikulam, leading to the death of his wife and serious injuries to all others in the vehicle. The Congress leader lost his left hand.

Still interested in politics

A traumatic phase in his life has not deterred him from carrying on his normal activity in public life. Though he did not contest in any election after the 2004 Lok Sabha election when he was elected from Tirunelveli for the fifth term, Mr. Athithan remains in politics, taking a keen interest in all the developments. A few days ago, he attended a public meeting addressed by Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin in Palayamkottai.

Talking about the issue of reviving the prospects of the Congress nationwide, Mr. Athithan, in an interview to The Hindu, emphasised that the party must turn itself into a “people’s movement”, by doing field work and taking up people’s issues. “Look at the Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts where the party is still strong. This is because of this approach,” the former Union Minister pointed out.

Asked whether the party’s leaders in Tamil Nadu would have the confidence to convert the party into a people’s movement after the organisation had served as a junior ally of either of the Dravidian parties in the last 55-odd years, he answered, “It is for the leadership to do that. It would be good if the leadership exhibits its strength,” he says, recalling that the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s former chief G.K. Moopanar had shown the way and stood steadfast in strengthening the party further.

Mr. Athithan had followed Moopanar when he founded the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) in April 1996. He returned to the Congress when the TMC(M) was merged with the national party in August 2002. He recounted how Moopanar persuaded him to become a Union Minister when the United Front government was in office during 1996-98, though he had suggested to the TMC(M) founder to give the opportunity to N. Dennis, who had represented Nagercoil (now Kanniyakumari) in the Lok Sabha for six terms.

‘Base is not narrow’

On the perception that “the party is a force to reckon with” in southern districts in view of its following among certain sections such as the Scheduled Castes and religious minorities, Mr. Athithan did not agree with the view that the party had a narrow base. “Nadars have been a source of support to the party since the days of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj. The same holds good in respect of the the Scheduled Castes too,” he said.

Asked for his suggestion to those who face troubled times like the one that he underwent nearly 20 years ago, Mr. Athithan’s reply: “Be self-confident.” He added that he resumed his political activity within six months of the accident.