A smattering of grey in his beard, but no worry lines on his face. SP Udayakumar, the 54-year-old from Nagercoil who is contesting on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket from Kanyakumari constituency, has over 300 cases slapped against him.
The University of Hawaiigraduate, who studied peace and conflict, led a three-year struggle against the Kudankulam nuclear power project. Through his AAP candidature, the protest, that was till now restricted to the southern coast, will now have to be debated in Parliament, he believes.
His ascent as a non-violent agitator turned eventful after a local court issued a non-bailable warrant against him in September 2012, after which he was whisked away into hiding by supporters who disagreed with his intent to present himself for arrest.
The number of cases the Kudankulam police has filed is over 300 now, including cases of sedition and inciting violence through his speeches. There have also been demands to slap charges under the National Security Act. He left his hideout in Idinthakarai in Tirunelveli last week to file his nomination from Kanyakumari — the threat of arrest was kept at bay after the Supreme Court said he should be free till his bail application was heard.
On his entry into the AAP, he says Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan; Rachna Dhingra who champions the cause of the Bhopal gas tragedy survivors; and, Dayamani Barla, the activist-journalist who has highlighted the travails of the tribals, have all agreed to AAP’s invitations. “I belong in this party. And they all support an alternative development model.”
Western model The western model of industrialisation-based development is a “sham,” he asserts. Even in Western countries, the buzzwords are organic farming, appropriate technology, sustainable development, green building, and alternative energy policy. “We should not pick up a tool that the West has laid down.”
Low employability levels in a district that has a literacy rate of 82.8 per cent means the education system needs a reframing towards jobs. Farmers shunning their profession is a handle for industrialisation and realty developers to easily take over land. “Ours is primarily an agrarian community. Proper pricing support for farmers and introducing mechanisation to make agriculture profitable will arrest the trend of farmers shifting professions.”