Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Farmers' body withdraws support to AIADMK

Special Correspondent

Coimbatore: The Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangham has announced withdrawal of support it has been extending to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

In a statement here, M.R. Sivasamy, its president, said the association had been extending its support to the parties depending upon the fulfilment of its demands. As the AIADMK Government had also responded positively to some of the association's demands, the Sangham had announced its support to that party for the coming elections.

Manifestos

However, a comparison of the manifestos of the AIADMK and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) revealed that the latter had promised to fulfil various important demands of farmers, including continuation of free electricity, writing off of co-operative loans and sugar mills themselves bearing transport expense for sugarcane.

"But the AIADMK manifesto does not contain any of these".

Hence, the Sangham had decided to withdraw the support it had announced for the AIADMK. It would remain neutral and the farmers could vote according to their wish.

`Untouchables'

Dr. Sivasamy also criticised both the DMK and the AIADMK for not allocating any seat to the farmers' representatives and treating ryots as "untouchables" in politics.

He contended that it was imperative that farmers' representatives should find a berth both in the legislatures and the Lok Sabha in order to save agriculture from ruin due to escalating cost of production and also the slump in price for farm produce following World Trade Agreement.

Hence, in a bid to convert farmers into a political force, a political party of farmers would be formed after the elections.

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