The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an Ambedkarite political party led by Thol Thirumavalavan, is significantly expanding its organizational presence among the crucial tea plantation worker communities in Kerala’s Idukki district. The party has clearly outlined its strategy to field candidates in the forthcoming local body elections across several panchayats within the Peerumade Assembly constituency.
According to Navas N., the Kerala State general secretary of the VCK, the party intends to contest in a total of nine panchayats in the Peerumade region. He highlighted that Mr. Thirumavalavan has pledged his full support for the newly inaugurated VCK office in Vandiperiyar. High-profile campaigners, including Mr. Thirumavalavan himself and popular rapper Vedan (Hirandas Murali), are expected to bolster the party’s outreach efforts in these panchayats.
The VCK’s campaign will primarily focus on critical issues impacting the local community, such as the ongoing crisis within the tea plantation sector and persistent efforts to revive closed tea estates across the Peerumade hills. Another significant concern the party is addressing is the difficulty students face in obtaining caste certificates essential for pursuing higher education after completing secondary school.
Navas N. further elaborated on the cross-state support provided to plantation workers from Peerumade, including access to medical treatment at the Government Theni Medical College and Hospital in Tamil Nadu. He asserted that the VCK already wields considerable influence among tea plantation workers in both the Munnar and Peerumade areas, and their objective is to secure a substantial number of seats in the local elections, thereby solidifying their political presence in Kerala.
Focus on Tamil-origin Workers
It’s noteworthy that over 90% of the plantation workforce in Idukki hails from Tamil Nadu. This demographic reality translates into a significant number of Tamil voters concentrated in the Devikulam, Peerumade, and Udumbanchola taluks, making them a key target for the VCK.
Political observers suggest that the Tamil Nadu-based party is strategically aiming to capture a portion of the traditional vote banks currently held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the United Democratic Front (UDF). Both these fronts maintain active and influential trade unions within the plantation sector.
However, established union leaders remain skeptical of the VCK’s potential impact. K.T. Binu, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)-affiliated Hill Range Estate Employees’ Union, dismissed the VCK’s chances of gaining significant traction. He emphasized the enduring strength and influence of CITU-led unions in the sector, drawing a parallel to the past unsuccessful attempts by another Tamil Nadu-based party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), to establish a foothold in the region.
Echoing this sentiment, Shaji Pynadathu, general secretary of the Kerala Plantation Workers Union (KPWU), which is affiliated with the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), reiterated that existing trade unions are deeply entrenched and active in Peerumade’s plantation sector. He firmly stated that the VCK is unlikely to make a substantial impact.
Indeed, history offers a precedent: in September 2019, an AIADMK member, Praveena S., briefly held the presidency of the Peerumade grama panchayat with UDF support. However, the AIADMK’s influence subsequently waned in successive elections, suggesting that establishing a lasting presence in this politically complex region might prove challenging for the VCK as well.