The farmers from Tamil Nadu who are protesting in New Delhi may be gaining a bit of attention from assorted politicians, but back in their home State, even those who are sympathetic to their cause are critical of their their methods.
A section of farmers’ representatives in Tamil Nadu is wary of the ‘gimmicks’ of the protesting farmers, led by P Ayyakannu, such as streaking, tonsuring, making a show of eating rats. Such ‘camera-friendly stunts’ detract from the serious issues that farmers want addressed, they complain.
The protest by Ayyakannu, who heads the National South Indian River Linking Association, a Tiruchi-based outfit, has been under media glare. But other farmers associations in Tamil Nadu have not taken up the cause, although there have been sporadic instances of support. On Thursday, a group of protestors in Chennai stopped traffic at Guindy, and a few days ago, some college students took to the streets. Likewise, on social media platforms, there have been occasional calls for protest gatherings.
Among Ayyakannu’s demands are a waiver of all farm loans, including those given by nationalised bank, linking of rivers, establishment of a Cauvery Management Authority, and Central drought relief package sought by the Tamil Nadu government.
RV Giri, National President of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations, says these demands are unexceptionable, but since agriculture is a State subject, it is for the Tamil Nadu government to address them. Can the Centre waive farm loans in Tamil Nadu alone, he asked rhetorically.
It was the State governments in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh that had provided relief to farmers, including farm loan waivers. Andhra Pradesh has taken up projects for linking rivers.Giri recalled that in 2008 the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had waived over ₹60,000 crore loans to small farmers across the country, with a ceiling for large farmers too. In Tamil Nadu, in 2001, the DMK had waived over ₹7,000 crore of cooperative loans to farmers; the current AIADMK government had waived about ₹5,700 crore of cooperative loans to small and marginal farmers.
It is in that context that the protesting farmers’ daily “stunts” distract public attention away from the issues that need to be addressed, added Giri. S Venkatesan, General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Private Sugar Mill Cane Growers Association, who participated in an agitation organised in Cuddalore in support of the protests in Delhi, said there was tremendous sympathy for the demands raised by Ayyakannu. “When thousands of crores in loans to private companies are written off, why cannot farmers too get some benefit?” he asked.
Yet, he said, on a day-to-day basis, the average farmer has other worries and probably does not know why farmers are protesting in Delhi, he said. Even farmers here who back Ayyakannu’s cause know full well there is no immediate solution, he added.
Another farmer who did not want to be named said Ayyakannu is known for his “novel” forms of agitations in Tiruchi, and has now taken them to Delhi. Opposition politicians may be marking their attendance at the agitation venue in Jantar Mantar, but what is the solution, he wondered.
Meanwhile, 20-30 farmers from various districts take turns to travel to Delhi to express support for Ayyakannu’s cause.
A couple of days ago, 20 of them went from Ariyalur; on Wednesday, 20-30 went from Tirunelveli. The show may be gimmicky, but it goes on regardless.