The DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu are making use of the farmers’ agitation in New Delhi to the hilt for political gains, charge farmers in the State. M K Stalin, DMK chief, is on record demanding the immediate repeal of the reforms enacted by the Centre. But the State’s veteran farm leader Mannargudi Ranganathan, president of Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Association and R V Giri, president, Consortium of Indian Farmers’ Associations (CIFA) have a different story to tell.
“These laws were long overdue and should be implemented all over the country. Let the politicians play their game for votes but they should not meddle with these reforms,” said Ranganathan, the person who waged a legal battle for Cauvery River water against Karnataka.
Ranganathan pointed out that the Bharat Bandh called by the Opposition parties on Tuesday turned out to be a “damp squib” despite the media blitzkrieg in Tamil Nadu. “The DMK, the Congress and the Communists and their allies were behind the show which was literally rejected by the people of Tamil Nadu,” said Ranganathan. He said the entire farming community in the State has welcomed the legislations enacted by the Centre.
R V Giri, the Virudhachalam based all-India president of CIFA said barring the farmers in Punjab and Haryana, the entire farming community was in support of the legislations. “I have ten acre sugar cane farm and till last year I was forced to sell the crop only to sugar factories specified by the Government. Not anymore. Now I can sell my crops to the buyer of my choice and that too anywhere in the country. This is a path breaking reform,” said Giri.
But he was not willing to lambast the DMK and its allies. “The DMK has been out of power in Tamil Nadu since 2011 and they are looking for dislodging the AIADMK Government. That’s the reason why they stage such agitations. Not a single farmer was present in Tuesday’s demonstrations anywhere in the State,” said Giri.
What stood out on Tuesday was the absence of even small demonstrations anywhere in the Cauvery Delta districts of Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore, popularly known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu.