The uncertainty over the flow in the Cauvery, vagaries of nature, labour shortage, rising input costs and poor returns for their produce have rendered farmers in the delta region increasingly vulnerable.
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Resentment and scepticism run deep among farmers of the region as promises held out by political parties in successive elections have failed to resolve most of their livelihood concerns. This election seems to be no different as some of the core issues concerning farmers get drowned in the cacophony of competitive politics, feel a cross-section of farmers in the delta region.
“There is severe discontent among farmers as both the Centre and State governments have failed them. They have lost faith in political parties and their promises and this is very much palpable in villages,” says P.R. Pandian, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam, which has fielded its candidate as an Independent in Thanjavur Lok Sabha constituency.
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Prominent among the concerns of farmers is the price that they get for their produce as labour shortage and rising wages and input costs are squeezing margins heavily.
Although farmers agitation in the north over providing legal backing to Minimum Support Price did not seem to have a big impact on Tamil Nadu, the issue largely resonates with farmers here too, says V. Jeevakumar, a progressive farmer and activist of Thirukattupalli.
The BJP government at the Centre has been faulted for its failure on fulfilling its promise of “doubling farmers income.” The hand that feeds the country deserves a better deal. Farmers brave natural vagaries and other odds to ensure food security but get paltry returns which keeps them on a hand-to-mouth existence. MSP is a misnomer — it should be minimum profitable price,” says R. Pandithurai, a young farmer of Seelathanallur.
The State government draws flak for not keeping its word on hiking the procurement price of sugarcane to ₹4,000 a tonne and that of paddy to ₹2,500 a quintal. The Tamil Nadu government has failed to respond strongly to Karnataka’s attempts to push through the proposal to build a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery at Mekedatu. This and the Centre’s perceived tilt towards the upper riparian State undermine the rights of Tamil Nadu. The State government’s Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (for Special Projects) Act would help corporates take over agricultural lands and waterbodies, says Mr. Pandian.
In an attempt to consolidate farmers’ votes against the “anti-farmer policies” of the State and Central governments, the association has fielded a candidate as an Independent in Thanjavur Lok Sabha constituency. But such attempts have not been successful in the past. Nonetheless, Mr. Pandian believes that his experiment would usher in a change this time.