Tamil Nadu is witnessing an intense debate on a new capital after nearly 40 years.
Notably, the demand has come from within the ruling AIADMK eight months ahead of the Assembly election.
In December 1980, at an official event in Madurai, the then Chief Minister, M.G. Ramachandran, called upon people to think out loud whether the State must have its capital at the centre (geographically). He gave three options — Chennai, Madurai or Tiruchi — but later hinted at his preference for a place between Tiruchi and Thanjavur, citing the availability of water in the region as the major reason.
However, his proposal met with immediate opposition from the then DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, who called it a “diversionary tactic”. The idea died down in course of time. In May 2002, the then Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, announced her government’s plan to raise a 2,000-acre administrative capital near Mamallapuram — the stretch involving Thiruvidanthai and Thaiyur villages, off East Coast Road and about 40 km south of Chennai.
The concept of a second capital got renewed after the Andhra Pradesh government decided to develop Amaravati, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam as the legislative, judicial and executive capitals respectively.
Focus on economy
Revenue Minister R.B. Udhayakumar says the demand arises out of the “realisation” that there has to be greater decentralisation than what prevails now with a focused attention on economic development of the southern belt. Besides, Chennai deserves to be “de-congested”, a fact which has got highlighted again during the pandemic.
Denying any political motive behind the demand, the Minister says the proposed second capital could come up on any of the stretches connecting Madurai with Virudhunagar or Tiruchi or Theni in view of land availability. In his estimation, 10,000 acres may be required, not necessarily contiguous. Tiruchi’s case is being promoted by Congress MP S. Thirunavukkarasar and Tourism Minister Vellamandi N. Natarajan. However, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has distanced his government from the issue, saying the Ministers’ views are made in their “personal capacity”.
Concurring with the position about “over-congestion” of Chennai, M.G. Devasahayam, former administrator of the Chandigarh Capital Project, says Madurai or Tiruchi can be a “counter-magnet” to the present “magnet” of Chennai. The issue of a fresh capital should not be viewed in a limited way, but with multiple dimensions.
K.P. Subramanian, visiting professor in the School of Planning, Anna University, wants the issue to be approached with “an open mind” and analysed scientifically. However, prominent DMK figures from the south are not impressed.
Speaking in her personal capacity, Poongothai Aladi Aruna, former Minister and legislator from Alangulam, argues the government has not “made use” of the existing development projects or information technology parks. “Let the government first upgrade all district headquarters and focus on job creation,” she says.
Her party colleague and former Minister Thangam Thennarasu, who hails from Virudhunagar district, questions the timing of the demand. It is “quite strange” that Mr. Udhayakumar, who has been Minister for nearly 10 years, is talking of the need for de-congesting Chennai now and looking at Madurai as a new capital, he says, asking why the government has not done anything for the industrialisation of the southern region.
