A lone voice amid the electoral cacophony
Independent candidates are curious characters in elections across the country. Lack of money, muscle and organizational power never prevented them from entering the fray, even if it was dominated by candidates from established political parties who had everything at their disposal. One of them was Poomedai Ramaiah.
Dressed in a white khadi suit and Gandhi cap, he rode his bike through the streets of Nagercoil, often walking alongside and pushing the bike, putting up posters that minced no words about local politics and the inaction of government departments, especially the Nagercoil Municipal Corporation. ‘Poomedai 666 Watts; Thottal Adikkum Shock’ was a slogan that frequently appeared on his posters, boldly declaring his own “power”.
Kotti – roughly translates as “eccentric” – a short story from the collection Aram Sirukathaikal Written by author Jayamohan, Poomedai tries to capture the character of Ramaiah. Not many took him seriously, but he still had his own group of followers who gathered on the premises of the Nagercoil Municipal Corporation (now a Municipal Corporation) to attend its meetings. From time to time these meetings were held near Veppamoodu Junction.
He would carry his own table and chair, set it up, and fly a white flag over it. poomedai (a round flower wreath). Local tradesmen did not hesitate to provide electricity for a few hours to support their meetings. As a result, the crowds often translated into more customers for nearby tea stalls.
Being a Gandhian, he used to start his meetings with prayers and slogans. Ramaiah had mastered the art of public speaking and his speeches were filled with funny sayings that often provoked laughter. Some of his comments were so layered that it took time for the audience to grasp their full meaning. He could talk about local, national and international politics with equal ease.
“In a meeting, he talked about the attack on Kamaraj in Delhi. Vadakku [the North]. He said he later asked a local Congress leader about the attack that took place in the North. But the Congress member said he was busy harvesting in the northern part of Kanniyakumari district,” recalled Professor V. Umaiyorubhagan.
Very few details are available about Ramaiah. Contrary to the claim that he was born in Kottaram, also found in Jayamohan’s story, Ramaiah was actually born in Vadakku Thamaraikulam in Kanniyakumari district. He lived in Kottaram because he had disagreements with his brother. Ramaiah had participated in the freedom movement and the struggle to annex Kanniyakumari to Tamil Nadu. Well, he knew Ramalinga Adigal’s works well and also ran his own magazine. meimurasu. His lectures on wallas were a delight even for academics.
“Have you read it? meimurasu? The 28th volume has been released. “I wrote about the worship of light,” he said in the short story. Kotti.
Ramaiah was relatively wealthy and well-read. “He was a member of the Communist Party but did not stay in the party after the split in 1964. By then he had also gained a reputation as an eccentric. He lost most of his wealth by contesting elections, holding meetings and publishing his magazine,” said CPI(M) leader N. Manickam, 96.
Mr. Manickam said Ramaiah also contested in the panchayat elections in Suchindram town and his symbol was: seeni chatti (pan). His opponents were Gopinath, a prominent CPI(M) leader, and Sornam Pillai, a local bigwig. “Ramaiah used to say that Sornam Pillai’s road roller was fit for use only on the streets and Gopinath pumpkin could not be used a day after cooking. But seeni chatti “It can be stored permanently in the kitchen,” he said.
Posters of Ramaiah were present everywhere, especially in the narrow alleys of Nagercoil town where people hid to answer the call of nature. There were slogans like ” on the banners.Thideer Current Cutting Vizha’ (for power outages) and ‘‘Thideer Saakkadi Moodu Vizha’ (highlighting the poor condition of the sewers). ‘Poomedai Muzhangukirar‘ they would declare.
He used to participate in competitions paanai (cap) symbol; then it became like this aanai (elephant). “Remember, our symbol paanaiHowever aanai” he reminded voters. He contested in local government elections, Assembly elections, Lok Sabha elections and by-elections. Well-wishers were paying his deposit but he could not get the money back.
In the early 1990s, his voice gradually faded and then fell silent. Mr. Manickam said he retreated to a temple in Vadasery near Nagercoil and subsisted on temple food in his final years. He died in 1996.
It was published – 30 March 2026 22:13 IST
