Modi government announces no programmes for farmers: Medha Patkar
Bengaluru, November 23: Social activist Medha Patkar said that the Narendra Modi government has introduced not even a single major programme for the farmers in its four year administration.
Speaking at an endowment lecture on social activist Fr. Dr Ambrose Pinto at St. Joseph College in the city on Friday, she said that the voluntary organizations should strive hard to reach the farmers problems to the government. The effective implementation of the Dr Swaminathan report would ensure solutions to many of the problems. Since the farmers were not getting the scientific price for their crops, they were committing suicide. To avoid this trend, the government should take steps to announce scientific price for crops, she opined.
Even after 70 years of independence, the farmers were finding it difficult to adopt scientific farming methods in their fields due to which, they have failed to create market for their produces in international market. The political parties announce waiver of farm loans in their manifestos. But once they came to power, their promises made in the manifestos would be put into cold storage, she added.
Jails become stage
When the government’s moves against the Constitution were questioned, such persons were being branded as urban naxals and put them behind bars. But such jails are being turned into stages and they would contribute for strengthening the protest.
- Medha Patkar, Social Activist
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
