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Political impact of Kiruttinan's murder
 The murder of former DMK minister T. Kiruttinan and the subsequent arrest of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi's elder son M K Azhagiri and some party functionaries, who were allegedly involved in the killing, has not only hit newspaper headlines but could also hit the party's prospects in the southern districts of Tamil
Nadu.
The southern districts of Tamil Nadu, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Madurai and Tirunelveli, termed as the 'Thevar Belt', has a large number of Thevars living there. In 1965, DMK leader Karunanidhi, stole the hearts of this community, when he launched a protest against the then Congress government led by M Bhaktavatsalam, which ordered police firing to put down an agitation by the Thevars in which several persons were killed. This brought the DMK electoral gains when it had a prestigious victory in the 1967 general elections. The DMK then wrested all the seats from the Congress in this predominantly Thevar belt. The Congress secured a blank in these districts, with the Congress leader K Kamaraj himself being defeated in his constituency of Virudhunagar, in the erstwhile Ramanathapuram District. The 'Raja' of Ramanathapuram who stood in the Ramnathapuram constituency was defeated by DMK candidate, Thangappan, who was only a rickshaw-puller. From that moment, Karunanidhi, particularly the DMK party, was a favourite of the Thevar community.
However, when matinee idol and DMK leader M G Ramachandran was dismissed from the party and formed his own organisation, the ADMK, bulk of the Thevar community members supported MGR. The ADMK won the by-election in the Thevar dominated Dindigul constituency with a handsome margin, defeating both the DMK and the Congress. Subsequently, MGR himself contested (and won from) the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, in Aruppukottai, Madurai (W) and Andipati constituences, banking heavily on the Thevar community votes. The preference of this community for the AIADMK continued when J Jayalalithaa was the leader of the party. She too won from the Andipatti constituency.
The Thevar community, which is generally called as 'Mukkulathors' consists of three seets namely Kallar, Maravar, Agamudaiyar. Even though the members of Kallar and Maravar sects were behind Jayalalithaa, the sect Agamudaiyar was traditionally behind the DMK. That was why the DMK fielded only Agamudayars as the party candidates in all the
Thevar-dominated areas.
However, the murder of T. Kiruttinan has upset the apple-cart of the already depleted DMK force in the southern districts as he belonged to the Agamudayar community and exercised considered influence among his community members. The Agamudaiyars, are also upset over the attitude of the top DMK leadership. The DMK leaders are perceived by members of the Kiruttinan family as going out of the way to protect Azhagiri and other DMK functionaries while giving the impression that they were soft on the assailants.
For the past two years, the AIADMK had not endeared itself to the people even in the southern distrits as a result of the anti-incumbency factor due to several harsh steps taken by the government. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa visited the Muthuramalinga Thevar samadhi before the elections. But she avoided the visit after she won the poll, observers point out. But the murder of Kiruttinan has come as a shot in the arm for the AIADMK as the Thevar community, particuarly the Agamudaiyars, has become hostile towards the
DMK.
The statement of DMK leader Karunanidhi that groupism was common in the party and that this factor was there even during the days of Annadurai's leadership has hurt the community. The crime of the murder of Kiruittinan has thus affected the society here in these parts in more ways than one.
Harvey
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