Ooty:
The Badagas , who constitute the single largest community in the hills and other tribes have not been able to contest parliamentary polls since 2009 when the Nilgiris parliamentary constituency became a reserved one.
So the announcement by the AIADMK that K.R.Arjunan, its Nilgiris district secretary and a Badaga, will be representing the hills in the Rajya Sabha has come has a huge shot in the arm for the community,which has fervently thanked the party for its gesture.
From Ketti village, Arjunan, who was made district secretary in January 2012, has held various party posts in the past and was chairman of the Ketti town panchayat in 2001-06.
Thanking the CM for having chosen to send a Badaga for the first time to the Rajya Sabha, community chieftain R.Iyaaroo said it was an honour for the tribals that she had opted for a man from amongst them for parliament.
Chairman of the Academy for Badaga Culture Trust, Manjai Mohan, said the chief minister had made the Badaga community proud by sending Arjunan to the Rajya Sabha and her gesture would “stay in the hearts of the Badagas forever.”
The hills were represented in RS last in 1952-58 by Surendra Ram of the Congress party.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by B. Ravichandran, DC / June 11th, 2013