Ramya Haridas: Singing her way to victory

She was the only Lok Sabha candidate from Kerala handpicked by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. And, she was tasked with capturing Alathur, a left bastion that has never elected a Congress candidate. Ramya Haridas, 32, did exactly that. And, she sang her way to victory.

“Yes, my singing helped a lot during campaigning. And, I see nothing wrong with that,” acknowledged Ramya. She is just back from Delhi after meeting the Congress’s top brass. “Soniaji hugged me tight when I met her,” gushed Ramya. “Priyankaji congratulated me for capturing the toughest seat for the Congress. She also appreciated my singing.”

Music has been a part of Ramya’s life from a very young age. But, the daughter of daily wage labourers could not opt for a formal training in music early on. “Those were tough times,” recalled Radha, Ramya’s mother. “Ensuring that my kids do not go hungry was my only goal. Even that was difficult at times.”

But, a gritty Radha ensured that Ramya never missed an opportunity to be on stage, singing prayer songs. It was Radha’s affiliation with the Mahila Congress that brought Ramya into politics. Ramya started out with the Kerala Students Union and later joined the Youth Congress. As part of the Ekta Parishad, a civil society group, she took part in many struggles for land reforms. “It changed my perspective as I got an opportunity to see the world outside Kerala,” said Ramya.

Her life, however, changed when she was spotted by the talent hunt team, set up by Rahul. And, she was appointed the all-India coordinator of the Youth Congress. “What we found special about Ramya was her positive attitude and her understanding of the ground realities. Her civil society experience was an add-on,” said Krishna Allavaru, who is in charge of Youth Congress. Ramya is the lone woman MP from Kerala this time and also the second woman dalit MP ever from the state.

She is a huge fan of Rahul. “No matter how small or big a person, he will listen with empathy and would try to understand the feelings behind the words. That is a great quality that very few possess,” said Ramya. It is a quality she attributes to P.V. Rajagopal of Ekta Parishad, too. “Rajettan listens to everyone with complete attention and honesty. That is a quality I have tried to imbibe,” she said. “I believe half the world’s problems can be solved if we are ready to listen to others.”

Congress MLA Anil Akkara, who spearheaded the campaign in Alathur, said that Ramya would make voters feel that she was one of them. “Women flocked to see Ramya and they all wanted her to sing songs. This made our job easier,” he said.

Ramya, who loves the colour green, said she went to Alathur with three sets of dresses. “That is all I had,” Ramya recalled. But, by the end of the campaign, she had 56 sets of dresses—all donations. “Voters knew my background. They initiated crowdfunding,” she said. “Some contributed their pension funds, some gave me the money meant for their treatment.... I will not forget all that.” She has, therefore, announced that her entire salary would go to the people of Alathur. “I do not have much expense,” she said. Her only luxury is going to the movies; she is a huge fan of actor Mohanlal.

Victory comes with its own set of responsibilities. “Ramya is a young woman with a spark and a clear sense of conviction. She was able to connect with women and youth in a big way beyond caste and creed,” said John Samuel, public policy expert who had initiated a crowdfunding drive for Ramya. “I hope she will make a conscious effort to bring issues of the voiceless people to Parliament.”

Ramya is now touring her constituency to thank the people, and music, as always, is her companion. Ramya’s favourite song is about a glowworm. “A glowworm is a tiny source of light,” she crooned, “but that is enough to spread light.”

Ramya Haridas

Age 32

Party: Congress

Constituency: Alathur (SC), Kerala

Vote share: 52.4%

Education: SSLC; courses in pre-primary and early childhood education and fashion design