Retired Tamil Nadu professor to walk on foot for clean electoral system

Chennai: A retired professor and former head of Political Science of Madras University, Dr. Ramu Manivannnan, will underake a walk on foot (padayatra) from Kanniyakumari to Chennai.

The yatra is to educate the people of Tamil Nadu against the culture of freebies during elections and to make people understand that votes were their rights and that it should not be exercised in exchange for money or other freebies.

Dr Ramu Manivannan told media persons in Vellore on Sunday that he was launching the ‘Vellore Declaration’ and added that he would commence the padayatra from this week itself. He invited every one, who was interested to clean up the electoral system and to work for a new set of leaders and rulers, to participate and join in his yatra which according to him will take a minimum of two months to complete.

He said that he would distribute leaflets and written notices during the yatra against the culture of freebies and casting of votes in exchange for money.

The professor said that the people should be educated that they must buy materials like fan, mixers and grinders by themselves instead of taking these as freebies from political parties.

He, however, said that this was a vicious cycle and that it would take time to clean this up as public was seeing this as their right to accept such freebies and cash in exchange for votes. He said that the Aam Aadmi Party had succeeded in New Delhi without offering freebies and cash and added that he was also aiming for a similar culture of electioneering and voting.

Dr. Ramu Manivannan also said that the government of the day should take initiative to provide medical services and education free of cost and added that if such a decision was taken it would go a long way to cleanse the system.

The professor called upon the people not to vote for those who were exploiting natural resources including plundering river sand, cutting forest trees, destroying hills and shores.