The absence of a responsive government in Fort St George and the seeming neglect of the Centre have added to the woes of farmers in Tamil Nadu. More than 150 farmers have died, either by suicide or due to governmental shortcomings as the state faces its worst-ever drought in 140 years. Added to it is the death of much lamented J Jayalalitha on 5 December last year, plunging the state in political chaos. Men wielding power in Fort St George are more interested in worsting the fortunes of the rival faction of the ruling AIADMK than in solving people’s problems. O Panneerselvam, who succeeded Jayalalitha as Chief Minister, announced on 10 January that Tamil Nadu would be declared a drought-hit state and that farmers who have incurred 33 per cent loss in paddy and other irrigation crops would be paid Rs 5,465 per acre and for long term crops Rs 7,287 per acre. Before implementing it, he was ousted by VK Sasikala who took control of the AIADMK by stealth and installed K Palanaswami as Chief Minister. The entire state machinery, including ministers, is now engaged in getting TTV Dhinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew, elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency, represented by Jayalalitha. With no responsive government in Chennai, the farmers have taken their agitation to New Delhi. Carrying human skulls and other symbols of protest, they have occupied Jantar Mantar for the last three weeks. The BJP government of Narendra Modi has so far not given any definite assurance to them.
The only promise the BJP has given is to provide a Dravidian party-free government in Tamil Nadu in the near future. The Congress, on the other hand, did express solidarity with the hapless farmers campaigning in New Delhi who have adopted unique strategies like displaying skulls or disrobing to the barest in public. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who called on them in Jantar Mantar, assured his party would fight for them and raise their grievances in Parliament and the Assembly in Chennai. Claiming the Modi government has written off debts worth Rs 1.4 lakh crore of 50 industrialists, he wondered why it could not waive the agricultural loans of Tamil Nadu farmers who are in distress. When Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, Radhamohan Singh, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, blamed the Tamil Nadu government for not utilising funds provided by the Centre for the purpose. Money made available under the State Disaster Relief Fund could also be used to mitigate sufferings of farmers due to drought, he said. Tamil Nadu under SDRF was allotted Rs 3,000 crore, but the relief the state sought, including Rs 264.11 crore for the destruction caused by cyclone Vardha in December last year, was Rs 39,565 crore. Against this, the Centre has released Rs 2,014 crore only based on the recommendation of a high-level committee meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 23 March.