RK Nagar bypoll: Farmer’s occupational garment not good enough to buy papers

CHENNAI: A man who arrived at the Tondiarpet zonal office clad in a sleeveless vest and lungi, with a towel wrapped around his head, was not allowed to buy nomination papers for the RK Nagar bypoll scheduled for December 21.

Police prevented P Jayaraman, a 42-year-old farmer, who chose to arrive in his occupational garment, from buying nomination papers, saying he was not “dressed properly”.  

The incident took place on Tuesday. After arguments, policemen escorted Jayaraman to a garment shop where he had to buy a shirt and put it on. Only then he was allowed into the zonal office to buy the nomination papers. The cops did offer `500 to buy him the shirt, but he declined and paid for it himself. “I am a farmer by profession. I wanted to identify myself as such before the public; so I chose to wear a sleeveless vest and lungi, which are traditional garments of a farmer. I wonder why a farmer’s clothes are considered unacceptable in a government office,” wondered Jayaraman, who lives in Kumaragam Avenue at Sholinganallur.

Jayaraman is a native of Sirunathur village near Kilpennathur in Tiruvannamalai district and his family has been engaged in agriculture for three generations.

A graduate in Tamil literature, Jayaraman moved to Chennai in 1993 and has been working as a consultant for organic farming for the past few years. “The only way for farmers to make people understand their woes is to enter politics at the State-level. So, I decided to contest the election to represent farmers and also wanted to gain the support of those concerned about farmers and their lives,” he said.

Jayaraman had travelled about 30 km on a two-wheeler from Sholinganallur to the Tondairpet zonal office (IV) at the Old Washermenpet Road.