Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Lenin to vote for LS polls in Devikulam today
Sanjay Gandhi, 43, is all set to cast his vote at Marayur St. Mary’s High School in the Devikulam Assembly segment of the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency. Rajiv Gandhi will also exercise his voting right at the same school.
People named after prominent leaders is a feature of the Tamil-majority area of the Devikulam constituency. Names such as Rajiv Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi, Indira Priyadarshini, Rahul, Sanjay Gandhi, Priyanka, Lenin, and Stalin are common in the segment.
Mr. Sanjay Gandhi says
his father, Chelladurai, a staunch supporter of the Congress, named him after the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. “I take pride in bearing this name, given by my father, as a mark of respect. I am also a staunch supporter of the Congress, believing rmly that only the Congress can lead the nation to salvation. Bestowing the names of prominent leaders upon their children is seen as a gesture of respect in our community,” he says.
A resident of Gundumala, near Munnar, Mr. Gandhi says his family has remained loyal to the Congress for four generations. “My father chose this name as a tribute to Sanjay Gandhi. It’s a matter of great pride for our family to carry the names of distinguished Congress leaders,” he said
In Devikulam, Gandhi Dasan, a freedom ghter, named his children after Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi.
Writer and journalist M.J. Babu explains the prevalence of such names in the Tamil-majority regions of the Devikulam constituency: “Congress workers often name their children after the members of the Nehru family, while supporters of the LDF opt for names such as Lenin and Stalin. On Friday, numerous individuals bearing names such as Gandhi, Rajiv, Rahul, Lenin will participate in the electoral process in the constituency.” “Some individuals also name their children after prominent gures in Tamil Nadu politics,” he says.