TN adopts resolution against Centre's farm laws

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday adopted a resolution urging the Centre to withdraw the three contentious farm laws, against which farmers have been holding protests for months outside Delhi.

The main opposition AIADMK and its ally BJP staged a walkout over the issue while another partner PMK did not follow suit. DMK's allies, including Congress, the CPI and CPI(M) supported the resolution.

Chief Minister M K Stalin told the House that all cases, filed against farmers and leaders of political parties who staged peaceful protests across Tamil Nadu seeking withdrawal of farm laws, would be withdrawn.

Stalin moved a resolution, calling for the repeal of the three laws that went "against the doctrine of federalism enshrined in the Constitution" and sought that it be adopted unanimously. These laws should be withdrawn by the Centre to protect the interests of farmers and prevent agriculture from going into the control of big ticket companies, he said.

The resolution, listing the three farm laws, said "since the three laws are not conducive for our country's agriculture growth and farmers welfare, these should be repealed by the union government." Such laws were against the farmers' welfare, the resolution added.

Stalin said his government, which respected the peaceful protests of farmers, was proposing the resolution. The demonstrations began on August 9, 2020 and August 28, 2021 marked the 385th day of protests, he said.

Independent India has not seen such protests and "we have a duty to fully oppose the three farm laws enacted by the Centre."

"All the three laws are against agriculture and farmers. The only demand of farmers is that they should get the right price for their produce," the Chief Minister said, adding all the three laws do not even "speak of Minimum Support Price even for the sake of it."

With an ulterior motive, the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act curtailed the trade area of regulated markets, Stalin said. The authority of regulated markets under the state government is controlled through the law.

Pointing to the presence of regulated markets in the state, Stalin said the law's intent was to "spoil the objective and functioning" of such markets.

No state government was consulted on the matter, the Chief Minister said and faulted the Centre for unilaterally legislating in a field under the domain of state governments, adding it went against federalism. "That is why we have to reject these laws. The state's rights are affected, usurped due to it, the dignity of democratic institutions are spoiled," Stalin said.