There is something that makes the Uthiramerur assembly constituency in Kancheepuram district special.
Key Points
- Uthiramerur, known for its ancient Kudavolai voting system, remains a historic symbol of early democratic governance in India.
- Modern-day election campaigns dominate the town, with multiple parties competing for influence in this politically active constituency.
- Farmers face financial distress, citing rising costs, poor returns, water scarcity, and inefficiencies in procurement systems.
- Infrastructure concerns like traffic congestion and lack of connectivity remain key issues for residents in the growing town.
- Despite global recognition, locals feel Uthiramerur's historic democratic legacy needs greater attention, preservation, and integration into development plans.
With freshly harvested paddy fields on both sides of the road interspersed with those of sugarcane, Uthiramerur at first glance appears like any other town in the fertile plains of northern Tamil Nadu -- 95 km from state capital Chennai, it has all the elements of the classic Tamil countryside.
The calm is interrupted as one enters the main town, where the air is charged with energy from various political rallies.
An autorickshaw was seen urging electors to cast their votes for the udaya suryan (rising sun), the symbol of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Another autorickshaw, campaigning for actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), followed closely -- a routine sight in an Indian town during election campaigning.
However, there is something that makes the Uthiramerur assembly constituency in Kancheepuram district special.
Cradle of democracy in the world
Even 1,100 years ago, people used to cast votes here and an evolved system of local self-governance existed. It is, arguably, the cradle of democracy in the world.
This was long before the much-cited Magna Carta of England in the 13th century, often seen in the West as a foundation for modern democratic principles.
According to inscriptions found in the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple in Uthiramerur, the region had a detailed framework for local self-governance, way back in the 10th century during the Chola period.
It was known as the 'Kudavolai' system. In Tamil, 'kudam' means 'pot', and 'olai' means 'palm leaf'.
This electoral system was followed in the Brahmadeya villages of ancient Tamil Nadu.
Upon entering the temple, watchman Dhayalan asks: "You came because Narendra Modi talked about this (place), right?"
In the last six years, the prime minister has mentioned the temple's inscriptions multiple times in his speeches.
Whether during the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new Parliament, the January 2023 episode of his radio show 'Mann Ki Baat', or in November 2025 at the hoisting of the dharma flag at Ayodhya's Ram temple, he made it a point to draw parallels between the rules for contemporary elections and the Kudavolai system.
Kudavolai Legacy Meets Modern Politics
Modi is not the only politician to have publicised the inscriptions. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi, while touring Tamil Nadu in the 1980s with wife Sonia, had visited the temple, and was reportedly inspired by the inscriptions to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system.
Tamil Nadu's tableau for the Republic Day parade in 2024 represented the Kudavolai system.
Referring to the inscriptions around the temple's mandapam, Dhayalan says: "This is dated back to 920 AD. The villagers used to assemble at a common place and write the name of their preferred representative on a palm leaf and put it in a pot. A neutral boy used to pick the winners from the pot."
As he explains this, another DMK announcement comes from an adjacent road.
"This is a DMK bastion for the past two elections. However, this time the Pattali Makkal Katchi (part of the National Democratic Alliance) and TVK are putting up a tough fight. Whoever comes to power should give more prominence to Uthiramerur's history," Dhayalan sums up.
History matters, says local
Uthiramerur has more than 243,000 people, mostly farmers and agricultural workers.
"The DMK will win. Traffic woes are the main concerns for people in the town. The construction of a bypass road should be put on the fast track, and we need better connectivity," G Thamizhmani, who runs a chips' stall outside the temple, says without hesitation.
However, farmers appear to have a differing opinion, with some of them criticising malpractices at direct procurement centres, lack of storage facilities, and water scarcity in the region.
"We spend more than Rs 25,000 per acre, and get a revenue of only Rs 10,000 per acre after factoring in all expenses, including our hard work. A lot of middlemen and officials are looting us," paddy farmer V G Mani from Vedapalayam village tells Business Standard.
Another farmer from the same village, Gopal, complained about the rising drug use among youngsters in the region.
"My vote is for PMK's Magesh Kumar. We want a fair price for our crops, which we are not yet getting," he says, pointing towards the 6,000 acres of paddy fields surrounding the town.
Ancient Tamil Democracy Beyond Uthiramerur
However, Tamil Nadu's history with democracy and voting systems is not limited to this town. R Mahalakshmi, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for Historical Studies, says that there are similar inscriptions at places like Senthalai in Thanjavur district and Manur in Tirunelveli district.
"Uthiramerur is highlighted because people are unaware about other places. But there are similar inscriptions from the early medieval age as old as Uthiramerur in other parts of the state too," she says.
Though democracy has even pre-dated evidence in other parts of the world like in Athens, it was not as evolved as the Tamil Nadu inscriptions.
Amid various arguments, one thing is certain: Uthiramerur, the cradle of democracy in the world, needs more publicity and reach.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
