The Muslim-majority Kadayanallur constituency, which is deprived of any major development even though it was represented by a minister and influential MLAs in the past, is once again hopelessly listening to the long list of promises being made by the candidates in fray for the April 23 Assembly polls.

Even the independent candidates had won Kadayanallur segment twice – in 1967 and 1980 – but the Congress has bagged this constituency only once – S. Peter Alphonse in 2006 – in the 13 Assembly elections held in this constituency since 1967. Former Minister P. Chendur Pandian in 2011 and his son C. Krishnamurali in 2021 have represented this constituency, housing sizeable Muslim voters.

As Mr. Krishnamurali of AIADMK is seeking re-election, the DMK has given this seat to its ally, MDMK, which has fielded T.M. Rajendran in DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol. The Naam Thamizhar Katchi has nominated M. Abubaker Siddique and actor Vijay-led TVK has fielded R.K. Abdul Jalil.

Of the 5 dams in Tenkasi district, Kadayanallur constituency houses 3 reservoirs – the smallest, but scenic Gundar Dam, Karuppanadhi and Adavinainar Dams – to keep farming alive. Apart from paddy cultivation, horticultural crops are widely grown along the Western Ghats boundary, which attract the wild animals including elephant, wild boar, Indian Gaur and deer that cause extensive damage to the standing crops. Farmers who try to chase the invading wild animals back into the reserve forest also get attacked and lose their lives at times.

“Farmers suffer huge loss every year owing to wild animal invasion. Hence, the government, besides digging trenches along the Western Ghats border, should also erect solar electric fence to save the farmers from wild animal attack and the standing crops. Moreover, the farmers should be given due compensation for the crop damage caused by the wild animals,” says farmer S.T. Shaik Maideen of Kadayanallur.

Another major demand of the farmers is the desilting of these 3 dams at regular intervals. “The Gundar, Karuppanadhi and Adavinainar Dams are not desilted for decades... Consequently, the storage capacity of these dams have dwindled drastically. Hence, the government should desilt the dams so as to facilitate farming in Kadayanallur constituency,” says farmer S. Mariappan of Kadayanallur.

Even though the public are clamouring for removal of encroachments made along the Paappaan Channel that causes flooding of western parts of Kadayanallur, the official machinery adamantly refuses to carry-out impartial encroachment eviction drive.

Since Tenkasi district has neither government engineering college nor medical college, the Kadayanallur voters expect the government to establish these institutions in their segment.

“The Tamil Nadu Government, which miserably failed to get medical college for Tenkasi district, may get it sanctioned in future and hence a full-fledged medical college hospital has to be established in district. There is no sufficient space for upgrading the existing Tenkasi Government Hospital into a medical college hospital. Since the government has sufficient unused lands in Kadayanallur, a government medical college and hospital should be established here. While all other southern districts have government engineering college, the government has let down Tenkasi district. Hence, a government engineering college should also be established in Kadayanallur segment having 2 municipalities – Shencottai and Kadayanallur, 6 town panchayats and 4 panchayat unions,” says a doctor with Department of Public Health and serving in Tenkasi district.

While the weaving industry of this segment is almost dead now due to poor patronage, the coconut pith coir-making units are also in deathbed due to lack of financial assistance for modernisation.