Ever since the Centre passed the three farm bills, the opposition parties in Tamil Nadu especially the DMK and its allies like the VCK and Communist parties have been protesting against the laws that seeks to empower farmers by providing them avenues for realizing better prizes.
After the initial protest announced by the DMK in September failed to gain steam, it relaunched its protest against the farm laws once again on December 5 in the wake of the protests by ‘farmers’ from Punjab in Delhi.
Party chief M.K. Stalin, his son and DMK’s youth wing secretary ‘actor’ Udhayanidhi Stalin and other senior leaders have been participating in protests condemning the farmer empowerment laws.
However, it has been found that they are protesting against the very same things that they promised in their manifesto in 2016.
In its 2016 manifesto for the Assembly Elections, the DMK had promised to formulate a new policy to help farmers market agricultural produce nationally and internationally.
It had stated that it would bring in a policy that will enable farmers to sell their produce directly without the interference of any middlemen at market determined prices.
It had also stated that it would review the Agriculture Produce Marketing Regulation Act with changing times.
This is exactly what the recently enacted farm laws seeks to do. Through the new farm laws, farmers have been empowered by giving them the choice to sell their produce where they get a better price. Those who want to sell in the APMC can continue to do so and those wanting to explore the market have been given the choice to. The middlemen commission and patronage structure will disappear as farmers have the choice to sell directly to anyone at the farm gate.
Senior Journalist R. Rajagopalan has also pointed this double talk of DMK.
DMK especially MK Stalin is exposed. On Farm Bill. DMK in 2016 manifesto sought elimination of Middle men. Evidence is attached. திமுக ஸ்டாலின் விவசாயிகளை ஏமாற்றுவது அம்பலமானது. 2016 கருணாநிதி தேர்தல் அறிக்கையில் தரகர்களை எடு. ஆதாரம் கீழே. @mkstalin @arivalayam @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/O2N0NQYkUR
— R. RAJAGOPALAN (@RAJAGOPALAN1951) December 6, 2020