Farmers Movement Archive

'Convene Tamil Nadu assembly to pass resolution against farm laws'

CHENNAI: DMK president M K Stalin on Friday asked chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to convene a special session of Tamil Nadu assembly to pass a resolution against the three farm laws introduced by the Centre. "Starting with Punjab earlier and Kerala on December 31, 2020, states have convened assembly sessions and passed resolutions against the three farm laws, which will make farmers destitutes before corporates. The Centre is not even making a mention about Minimum Support Price (MSP)," Stalin said in a letter to EPS. Several lakh farmers, braving severe cold, have been camping and protesting in Delhi for 37 days. They are determined to force the Centre to withdraw the new farm laws, Stalin said. Tamil Nadu, which was the first state to offer free electricity to farmers and waive farm loans, has to extend its support to these protesting farmers. Noting that he was reflecting the wish of farmers in Tamil Nadu, Stalin urged chief minister Palaniswami to convene the assembly and pass a resolution asking Centre to repeal the three new farm laws. "As a leader of the opposition, I request you to forget differences. Let us all come together for the sake of farmers," Stalin said. The Kerala state assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to withdraw the three farm laws. Not only the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF, even the lone BJP MLA supported the move against the Centre. The ruling AIADMK had supported the farm laws in both the Houses of the Parliament. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who calls himself a farmer, has been repeatedly saying the farm laws would benefit farmers. "The AIADMK will not convene the assembly, especially since they supported the farm bills in the Parliament. But it is our duty to mount pressure on the government in support of the farmers," DMK Rajya Sabha MP and party spokesperson T K S Elangovan told TOI.

The Times of India

2021-01-02

Chennai