Chennai
Commenting on the curious case of his name and alias, the candidate said it was not unusual for those in Ramanathapuram to be rechristened with Muslim names and be identified with either of the two names. Cutting across religious lines, people take part in Santhanakoodu festival at Erwadi dargah, festivals in temples and also offer homage at Muthuramalinga Thevar’s memorial at Pasumpon, he told DT Next.
Interestingly, his father Kather Batcha alias S Vellachamy was a two-time MLA from Mudukulathur Assembly constituency in the district – as an independent in 1971-76 and also won as a DMK legislator in 1989. Narrating the region’s history, Ramesh Devadoss, a resident of Chinnakadai in Ramanathapuram, recalled how freedom fighter U Muthuramalinga Thevar, who was born in Pasumpon in 1908, was brought up by Meerakal, a Muslim woman, after he lost his mother when he was just six months old. This harmony is maintained by the different religions even now, Devadoss added. Muthuramalingam, the district secretary of the DMK who has been the president of Melaramanathi village panchayat in Kamuthi union for 20 years since 1996, is pitted against D Kuppuram of BJP.
The district, which has a 271 km-long coastline, relies on fishing and allied activities for livelihood. In the interior villages, the rural population is dependent on rain fed agriculture. The constituency comprises three municipalities – Ramanathapuram, Keelakarai and Rameswaram, last of which is a popular pilgrimage and tourism destination.
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