DHEEKSHITHAR THAATHAA ( 5 )

                       DHEEKSHITHAR  THAATHAA (5)          

                                       India  achieved Her Independence from the British rule on the 15th of August 1947 under the  able leadership of Mahathma Gandhi and others, without any bloodshed or use of weapons against mighty brutal force employed by the British causing heavy loss of  life(.I am not giving   the details of the  Indian Independence Movement .)  Due to subsequent division of India into two nations viz India and Pakistan ,a lot of unwanted ruptures occured,consequent on which Mahathma Gandhi was shot dead in a public meeting on 30th of January 1948. At that time G  was with us in Kalakad and on hearing the sad news he cried and with one single towel in hand ran on   the street and walked the full distance to Ambasamudram of about 22 miles to be at the Ponvizha Mandapam'( at that time there were no bus facilities connecting these places ) All congress men in the area gathered to condole the death and to do further actions/A constituent assembly was formed with Dr.B.R Ambedkhar as head in which Gandhi also was a membteer till his death.Sirdhar Vallabh bhay Patel ,Jawaharlal Nehru , C .Rajagopalaachriyaar   Babu Rajendhraraprasad were some leading members of the committee. With effect from 26th January 1950 India was declarted a Republic Union governed by the rules stipulated in the Constituition which is considered as the sacred book of  our Motherland India..It was decided to hold election for every five years to choose Representatives to the Legislative Assembies of different States by casting of votes by people.The first such election was conducted in the year 1952. G was asked to contest.He was never for position or power.just like Gandhiji.There was one LakshmiSankar another Congress woman of the area  wished to contest ,but she lost the battle by a margin of more than 11000 votes to her popular rival  Paappaangulam Chokkaingam, a  communist party candidate. This is mainly because of the two main pockets of  labour force ,workers of Harvey mills Vikramasingapuram and  Maancholai Tea Estate near Papanasam Dam in the hilly area within the said Ambasamudram  constituency.The general trend of the of the entire country was a thumping win for the Congress party which spearheaded the Independence Movement.Really an unfortunate loss in the particular Ambasamudram connstituency.! Thirunelveli district had 18 constituencies and there were 17 wins and one loss ! 

                            Next Election fell due in the year1957. Congress party thought that none other than  G can win .Everybody understood the respect he had earned from the society irrespective of parties and caste equations which generally decided  the fate of the candidates! This time three parties contested..D M K also was gaining ground by efflux of time and the contest was triangular.G from CongressRathnavelpandian from D M K and Nallasivan from Communist were the contestents.It is usual that during the election meetings wide propaganda is given  to the fitness of one's own party and 

 and  to point out the weakness of  candidates opposing him.In G's case the opposite parties not only failed to pinpoint his weakness but  began to hail him! The labourers of the mill and estate assured  support to him.They requested him not to strain to beg for votes.They said ,otherwise he is very much welcome.   Our elder brother Venkateswaran who was already at Cheranmaadhevi for his college studies also joined the election work with huge number of his friebnds. G won with a formidable difference of more than 12000 over his next rival! He became a member of the Madras State  Assembly!              

                                                                                      ( to be continued )             

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