Forest covers more than half of Pathanamthitta, a southern district in Kerala which shot to national spotlight after a supreme court verdict allowed women of all ages to enter Sabarimala, considered the abode of Lord Ayyappa.
The district houses the hill shrine, thereby making it the pilgrim capital of the state, but Sabarimala has been conspicuously left out of the campaign of the ruling Left Democratic Front.
The battle for the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat also assumes significance in the wake of the apex court ruling which triggered massive protests in the region.
So, for the three main fronts led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), this election has become a prestige battle.
All the more for the ruling CPM, which took a bold stand to implement the verdict by invoking renaissance values, but drew flak from political adversaries including the Congress and the BJP.
While Congress has fielded two-time MP Anto Antony, a familiar face in Pathanamthitta, the BJP has pitched in with its 'star' candidate K Surendran, who was in the forefront of Sabarimala protests.
That put the onus on CPM to field its best bet. The party fielded Veena George, the sitting MLA of Aranmula. The early announcement of her candidature also helped Veena to get a head start in the constituency. The Congress and the BJP dithered before announcing their candidates.
The Pathanamthitta campaign seems to be laced with jingles and parodies of popular Malayalam and Hindi songs.
The scorching heat has failed to dampen the spirits of party workers.
They are waving flags and riding bikes, toeing the candidate in the campaign vehicle.
Veena’s day begins at 7 am, when she starts from her residence at Kumbazha to reach her first spot at Deepa Junction, Parumala, nearly an hour later.
Local leaders and party workers have gathered to give her a rousing welcome.
Crowds started pouring in. Comrades pass on red garlands to them to garland Veena.
Local party leaders are seen working out the nitty gritty of the function.
An announcement informs the crowd that Veena is about to reach.
The eager wait is on as women and children vie with each other to get a prime slot near the vehicle parked on the roadside from where the candidate would address them.
The crackers are ready.
A moment later, a grey-coloured Innova reaches the junction.
Clad in a red and green saree, Veena waves to the crowd.
A party leader soon announces that the second round of campaigning in Thiruvalla assembly segment is starting.
He reads out the names of people to garland her. Children give her 'kanikona' (Indian Labarnum) and wish her all success.
“No need to push, you can also see her,” someone was heard saying, probably to an eager child.
Veena walks towards the people gathered there and pauses for brief chats.
Some of them bless her. Others raise issues they face. There is a feeling that political leaders seldom act on issues the layman faces. Veena listens patiently.
After a while, she gets into the vehicle to address the crowd.
“I request all of you to vote for our symbol – hammer, sickle, and star -- and give us the opportunity to serve you for the next five years. Our aim is thorough development in Pathanamthitta, which has been ignored in the last 10 years,” she said.
The insinuation is obvious, Congress' Anto Antony has been the sitting MP for two consecutive terms.
She promises the crowd to do what ever it takes for the development of the region and moves on after the brief speech to the next spot, Chamala.
The campaign schedule has been properly planned.
Local party leaders had already arranged everything - from people to songs to garlands - at all the spots, a sure-shot sign that the CPM's well-oiled party machinery is at work.
A cry for change
Veena’s candidate vehicle followed her pilot car to the next campaign point, Kurumbeswaram.
Local leaders jumped on to their bikes with red flags fluttering high from their bikes.
As they started to march behind her vehicle, they were given instructions to follow the Innova car and not to create traffic blocks.
The enthusiastic party workers, most of them youngsters, shouted ‘Inquilab Zindabad,’ which translates to ‘Long live the revolution’.
Slogans hailing Veena and promising change resonated in the festive air.
Her candidate vehicle moved at a steady pace through narrow paths that seemed to pierce through swathes of paddy fields.
In between, the campaign vehicle stops at small junctions.
As she moved on, vehicles passing through paused to get a glimpse of her.
A man coming in the opposite direction stopped his two-wheeler and clenched his fist. It was evident that he was a die-hard comrade.
Men and women came out of their homes hearing frenzied sloganeering, a sign that the candidate is about to reach.
“Our candidate Veena George is on her way, just behind this vehicle,” the announcer proclaims from the candidate's vehicle.
Veena waves at everyone as the vehicle passes through Niranam, Moosaripadi, Ottathengu before reaching Upper Kuttanad area.
At Ganapathipuram, she was greeted by Amminiamma. Age has not doused the spirit of camaraderie in Amminiamma, 90.
“Dheerdhayode nayicholu… laksham laksham pinnale (Lead us forward. Lakhs of us are behind you”, she proclaims.
At Cosmos Junction, Veena was garlanded by another enthused comrade, who has trumped age.
Flanked by a boisterous crowd, 96-year-old Kaliyamma shouted 'Inquilab Zindabad'.
These are booster shots any candidate would welcome as the campaign progresses.
Development takes the front seat
If the motto during the assembly polls was LDF varum elam sheriyakum (LDF will come to power and everything will be set right), this time there is a tweak – Development alone is on agenda.
Veena’s speech at all her campaign stops was more or less the same: “I will be with you for the next five years,” she reiterated.
After an enigmatic pause, she spells out the motto of the ruling front in Kerala – development.
The pause perhaps is an attempt to play up the need to usher in development in the constituency – she does not forget to point out that this aspect has always been ignored by the Centre vis-a-vis the constituency.
Nowhere in her speech did she mention Sabarimala, though the constituency is set to witness a fierce triangular contest centred on this issue.
There is no doubt that Sabarimala issue will have an impact. But for the CPM, a victory here is a matter of prestige as it will bolster the party's self-proclaimed bold stand on the issue.
In Veena's speeches, the emphasis is on development in Pathanamthitta by bringing more job opportunities and improving basic infrastructure.
The need for a national highway is another cause she is championing. “For the last 10 years, our constituency has been ignored in all areas including agriculture and infrastructure facilities. Arrears of around Rs 1,300 crore need to be given to us under the employment scheme. I promise to raise common man’s voice and needs in Parliament and bring more funds for the development of our constituency. I could do it only if you support me in the election,” Veena said.
The sitting MLA of Aranmula then attempts to convince the electorate how she plans to bring in central assistance to the constituency.
The grave need to protect the livelihood of farmers is emphasised, while seeking electoral blessings.
That is not an easy task as tough questions crop up during campaign.
A woman said she has never seen an MP after polls.
“Will you be like that? If not, I will give my vote,” she said.
Veena smiled and promised her that she won't be among the aforementioned group.
At times, you need to be a bit diplomatic to dodge uneasy situations, especially during campaign trail.
Plans for Pathanamthitta
The LDF backs the representation of more women in assemblies and Parliament, Veena told Onmanorama.
This will enable them to take up the cause of the women in the state. “We will have a historic win in Pathanamthitta,” she said.
Asked about her plans for Pathanamthitta, Veena says she has done her homework.
Based on her analysis, she will give more importance to development, agriculture and creating job opportunities.
Agriculture is the prime vocation and rubber is the most important crop in the constituency.
Naturally, it is important to find a solution to the slump in rubber price.
Veena also plans to mount pressure on the Centre to increase the minimum support price of coconut.
Prominence to Thiruvalla railway station is another key aspect which she is focussing.
Most residents in the constituency, who rely on railways, bank on Thiruvalla. So this is vital to link Pathanamthitta to the development map of India.
“I feel that it is also important to support the youths who aspire to be entrepreneurs. They often complain about connectivity issues here,” she points out.
Highway projects need to be initiated while linking pilgrim and heritage tourism is also essential. “A large number of pilgrims visit Sabarimala every year, hence it is important to have a national health institute here,” Veena listed out her priorities.
Veena was smiling at all those who wished her. She spoke to everyone with utmost patience and listened to their issues.
Veena prefers cotton clothes as she has to stand for a long duration on the open campaign vehicle.
She makes it a point to drink a lot of water to beat the tantrums of summer.
She says being a vegetarian, she is more energetic.
Tender coconut at regular intervals keeps herself cool and hydrated. When it becomes too difficult to stand, she shifts to her private car that follows her throughout.
As most candidates take a break from 11am to 3pm, the schedule gets delayed.
Unprepared visits to funerals and other occasions too change her itinerary.
She has been trying to reach every nook and corner of the constituency to meet maximum number of voters.
Veena really seems to have imbibed the tricks of the trade after her political foray just three years back.
Regardless of the outcome, it is clear that the constituency needs a focus on development, a fact which should cheer Veena's backers.