In a state where "social justice" and "Periyar" always take centre stage, the battle for votes has made "inter-caste" marriages and parental nod for love marriages a matter of mandate. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has proposed a law, that it believes "will preserve the family structure and well-being of the young adults."
"For a woman, 18 years is a young age and if they get married at 18, there is no future and her education is also stopped," said PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss as he released the party’s manifesto, for the April 19 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. Citing examples of countries like Singapore, Philippines, Japan, and Brazil, PMK’s manifesto says that the environment of insecurity for young women is increasing.
"Considering family advancement and economic livelihood, women who go to school and college, and those who go to work are affected by indecent overtures and sexual harassment. School and college-going girls are deceived by false promises at an ignorant age and are mistreated. We will endeavour to eradicate all forms of sexual harassment and atrocities against women and create an environment where women can live with complete security," the manifesto promised.
The PMK, the Vanniyar-community-dominated party has significant influence in north Tamil Nadu. One of the largest OBC communities in the state, the Vanniyar vote bank is close to 13 per cent. The PMK founded in 1989 by Ramadoss had always championed the Vanniyar cause. The party which always fought in an alliance with either of the Dravidian majors, went alone in 2016. However, it drew a blank in 2009, 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Anbumani gained entry into the parliament on a Rajya Sabha ticket from the AIADMK. The party once pitched its President Dr Anbumani Ramadoss as the CM candidate and is now contesting in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu.
Junior Ramadoss ran for Chief Ministership in 2016 and promised to bring in a change in the state. This time the PMK is contesting in 10 constituencies, mostly in the northern districts of the state where it has a significant vote bank.
PMK and its pledge against inter-caste marriage
In fact, PMK’s 2019 manifesto also insisted on an assurance to make parental consent compulsory for marriage. Despite Anbumani being part of the ruling NDA alliance as a Rajya Sabha MP for the past four years has not pushed the BJP to bring in legislation. Apparently, PMK had in the past accused the Dalit men of luring upper caste girls into marriage and termed it as "Nadaga Kadhal" meaning staged marriage. The PMK was in the forefront of the protests when a Dalit youth Elavarasan from a village in Dharmapuri district eloped with Dhivya, a Vanniyar community girl.
Dhivya’s father killed himself when a Kangaroo court in Dharmapuri ordered the return of the girl. But she refused. Later Elavarasan was found dead on the railway track. PMK’s protests and interventions in this case in 2013, ignited the animosity between the Vanniyars and the Dalits, thus forcing Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) to sever its ties with the PMK.
Vanniyar community dominant party’s poll promise dates back to PMK’s protests against inter-caste marriage in 2012, which led to riots in Dharmapuri.
