Last week came across this report of a brave farmer who took on the might of DMK government’s freebie policy and pointed out why it was a wrong policy and what was actually the duty of the government towards betterment of the quality of life of its subjects.

 Upon digging, was told by my friend that this incident which happened on November 23 was reported in Tamil daily Dinamalar around late November-early December. It’s around mid December that this particular news item seems to have become a well shared and discussed topic over the Tamil blogosphere and mailing groups. Before proceeding further here is a brief translation of the report.

 A farmer Vijayakumar belonging to Kothamangalam village of Pudukottai dist., upon receiving the free tv, he not only returned it but gave an accompanying note. In it he went on to raise salient points. 

1. A TV is not a necessity and is only an entertainment tool. There is no need for a tv when in every aspect, life has become miserable
2. When the 88 departments of TN govt haven’t achieved self sufficiency especially the power department, crucial to lives of farmers where is the need for wasting money on free television sets, when the money could be spent resourcefully for better administrative purposes like developing power and other infrastructure needs of a backward dist. ( TN has been hit by poor power supply for over two years with regular power cuts. The power situation has been worrisome and unreliable)
3. He makes the point that its quality education, healthcare, assured power supply, creation of suitable environment for job opportunities that’s need of hour and not freebies. Interestingly he does not call for free power but assured power supply. He seems to be in the wrong state.
4. if these are provided by the government the people can themselves put in their effort and earn the TV and also their other necessities and achieve self sufficiency in their lives.
5. He brings out the dreaming Indian in him by asking the govt and its staff to perform their duties which would be enough to make India a superpower 

In the interview to the daily following this incident, he mentions that power cuts have made farming unsustainable forcing farmers to sell their land to real estate sharks and settle in cities for casual labour and hotel jobs. In what looks like a dig at nrega, he mentions that people have become lazy and uninterested in work and only worried about alcohol and content with the rupee 1 rice.

 With the daily keeping up the heat and calling freebies as bribe from money looted, the criticism across internet and sms, Karunanidhi took a potshot at the daily for writing against freebies and remarked freebies will remain as long as poor remain. The opposition leader who till then wasn’t gung ho on attacking freebies attacked the statement of Karunanidhi.

 As a citizen, one salutes the farmer who has hit the nail on head and forced the discussion on the subject. This free tv has been a farce and even those with tv have been allotted one and not many have bothered to return it due to the procedures and possible police case as returned tv finds way to other states.

 Jayalalitha had in 2006 tried to counter this freebie by instead proposing free computers to students. But she did not question the freebies as such and had her own set of innovative schemes to bribe people. Given the scale and ridiculous power situation would have been better if she had proposed more computers at schools or establishing computer centres in taluks/local libraries that will go a long way in securing the future of young generation. Vijayakanth on other hand started organizing job fairs for the young with whatever his might allowed. A shaken Karunanidhi immediately got DMK to launch job fairs. With Vijayakanth not able to sustain  his scheme against the powers that be, the scheme petered out on both sides over time. Yesterday though Karunanidhi opened a job fair and vocational training organized by Kanimozhi. One only hopes these are not eyewashes. But the disappointment from this episode was Vijayakanth refused to come out with manifestos or any plans claiming Karunanidhi would copy them and take credit and would implement his schemes upon coming to power thereby denying the people an opportunity to gauge him. He had initially forced the debate. Its sad that Jayalalitha had failed to sieze the opportunity then and is even now vacillating and not forceful. It was heartening to see the points made by the farmer more or less mirroring in Jayalalitha’s statement. 

Interacting with my friends who had spoken to  a few villagers recently threw up some interesting points. And what came out was no use of rice at rs1 if other necessary items cannot even be imagined by them. Some of them even wanted essential commodities prices maintenance act. This brings us to the UPA’s so called food security act. What use is wheat or rice at low price if prices of other essentials cannot be controlled ? 

Issue of freebies is being given less weight due to the fear of being seen as anti poor while in reality it would harm the poor in long run and keep them as poor.

Tamilnadu government has been able to sustain on the power of tasmac revenue and central funding of many visible infrastructure schemes. Its poor power situation is again because of depending on central power schemes which have failed to take off and not doing its part in power addition. With the central government looking to allocate less on schemes like jnnurm for better off states like Tamilnadu, the next government will find it hard-pressed to finance infra and social sector projects. The administrators need to understand that the criticism is for such wasteful schemes and not schemes like the insurance. This is precisely the point that the farmer makes. Now insurance scheme is limited to an annual income of 75000, the ambit could be widened and primary healthcare centres strengthened and expanded with the money spent on good for nothing self serving schemes. It’s an irony considering it was TN that was the forerunner for some innovative schemes like noon meal, the now much touted cycle for girl students, and for the girl child.

  One only hopes the clarity of thought and farsightedness of the farmer dawns on every citizen of TN as well as India and if that occurs, government will be forced to perform as these votes catching nautankis will be of no avail. But this wasn’t the first time such thoughts had been expressed. It had been expressed in 2006 too,  but these points raised by a farmer while refusing the freebie could  well  capture the imagination only if politicians stung by the freebies tap into it. The farmer has clearly sent out the message- this aint any self respect movement but one that destroys self respect. Rajaji would be proud of the farmer who raised his voice against schemes that are mere social justice eyewashes and don’t facilitate individual interest and individual enterprise.

P.S: 2 days after this post was written comes the response of govt. to the farmer. 10 lakh more tv’s sanctioned to add to  the  1.52 cr tv’s delivered already. And to rub salt in the wound comes the report of famers suicide in TN being pegged at  3737 between 05-09 recording a jump to 1060 in 09 from 512 in 08 by the National crime record bureau.  The state though inisits only 3 farmer suicides took place between 05-09 and 0 in 09. It is so insensitive that it totally denies the fact and not even try to wriggle out Sibal style by attributing suicides to other causes than agrarian distress. The NCRB report can be found here. After this think its time the people of state stand by the humble, brave farmer and reject freebies and the associated condescending attitude of those  who dish it out,  in a clear,overwhelming manner. Its not just about freebies anymore, its the belief that even a corruption scandal of unimaginable proportions can be overcome by biscuits.  Gujarat,Chhatishgarh, and Bihar have shown the way forward, its time people of TN join in the act and prevent the application of reverse gear. Your decision can have a cascading effect either way.