Mangalore: Will CM's Visit Bring about a Change in Khatijamma's life?
by Melka Miyar - Daijiworld Media Network Mangalore
Mangalore, Apr 29: Old lady Khatijamma's fortune gave a facade of turning for the better for a day.
When chief minister H D Kumaraswamy paid visit to her home with intention to stay overnight, fans and tube lights, which were never there before, made an appearance and ran on a generator in her home. And as the CM left, so went out the fixtures, equally promptly.
Khatijamma, also known as Attimol, has been living in Ullal and has no other means of livelihood than rolling bidis. She has four sons and three daughters. She stays with one of the daughters and two grandson.
Will Kumaraswamy sleep over his promises?
On Thursday, an advance police party landed at her house to inform that the chief minister was to come to her home. She readily consented, but, she was not sure if this visit would usher in any changes in her day-to-day life.
All attention
On Friday, hordes of journalists and police joined her family. For some moments, the house turned out to be anyone's envy, with so much of attention, care and media glare. As good as the house of the affluent class. But how long?
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy reached Khatijammas' home, located close to the Melangadi madarasa, on Friday midnight. Speaking to mediapersons, Kumaraswamy assured of all benefits to Khatijamma from the State Minorities Development Corporation. MLA Jamir Ahmed also assured to pay Rs 50 thousand from his personal funds so that her house could be repaired.
Plans kept changing
Next morning at 5.30, the chief minister left the place and dashed to the Circuit House in the city for some extended rest. In fact, the hosts were pressing Kumaraswamy to have tea with them. But he appeared to be in a mighty hurry. That is not the issue here. But the question is, the chief minister came, he relaxed and left in a huff, so will this bring about any change in Khatijamma's fortune?
Listening to the problems
The original plan of Kumaraswamy was to stay in the madarasa here. During his early days in the CM's chair, he had made a negative observation on madarasas and said the they could be likely haven for terrorists. This remark drew such widespread protests and criticism that he had to set in motion a PR and damage-control exercise with a view to winning the Musilim community back. Hence came the offer to stay in madarasas overnight as a token of assurance of his confidence in them.
Foresight
Since the assembly by-election for the Ullal assembly constituency, caused by the death of sitting MLA U T Fareed, is to be held very soon, the CM's advisers may have asked him not to implement the offer, because, one never knows, it could have invited the wrath of the election commission, on account of the violation of the model code of conduct.
That forced him to turn to Khatijamma's house. But many political observers feel that the whole exercise was planned with an eye on the votes. Ullal has been a traditional Congress stronghold. Even when the two coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi were overwhelmed by the saffron wave in the last assembly and Lok Sabha election, Ullal was the sole constituency in the southern area to return a Congress candidate (now-deceased U T Fareed).
Food for thought for political observers
It is no secret that the state BJP is ridden with factionalism and torn between the Anant Kumar and Yadiyurappa camps. On the other hand, the chances of CM's seat being transferred by the JD(S) to the BJP appear to be getting dimmer. Hence, the JD(S), which does not practically have any base in DK, looks all set to dig its roots deep in the district, via Ullal.
Poll-vault
With a large Muslim population in Ullal, the traditional vote-bank of Congress is likely to be eaten into by the JD(S) show of strength. Both BJP and Congress leaders expressed to this correspondent - on condition of anonymity, of course - their apprehensions over JD(S) scoring over them in the coming polls. The mood of the Muslim community is upbeat and they are not averse to joining JD(S) as a secular plank.
Further, the emotional element of CM's having stayed in a poor woman's house is going to play a big role and is likely to translate into a chunk of votes, said a political analyst.
In the final count, the fortunes of JD(S) could turn for the better, if not those of Khatijamma's.
Also read: