“The Centre has brought in the Bill without consulting the stakeholders. Farmers and state governments view should be heard before introducing any bill in the parliament,” AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran said on Saturday.

“The farmers are already hit by COVID pandemic and the Centre should hold talks with the farmers and the state governments. Only after clearing the doubts raised by the farmers, these Bills should be passed in the house,” Dhinakaran said.

Pointing out that TN has large tracts of agricultural land and any anti-farmer activity will have adverse effects in the delta region, Vettavalam Manikandan, president, Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam in a statement said that the TN farmers would join the farmers’ protests that have broken out in Punjab, Himachal and Maharashtra.

Farmers association across India have decided to meet on October 2 and TN farmers would join the All India Farmers Association in protesting against the anti-farmer Bills introduced by the BJP led centre, Manikandan said. 

Three farm-related Bills have been passed in the parliament and there is huge unrest among farmers in the country.

The bills that are once passed in Rajya Sabha will take away the revenue and tax income resources of state governments and this is a contrast of federal system of governance practised in India, SDPI national general secretary Mohammad Shafi said in a statement adding that the farmers fear that that the food corporation of India and central agencies will shut down the annual wheat and rice purchases from the states leaving the farmers to completely rely on traders.