Expressing solidarity with the farmers protesting against the farm laws in New Delhi, the Life Insurance Corporation employees staged a demonstration in front of their offices in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts on Monday.
In the agitation organised in front of the LIC’s Divisional Office in Palayamkottai, LIC Employees’ Union office-bearers Muthukumarasamy, Madhupaul, Durairaj and others addressed.
The speakers said the farm laws would only help the corporate companies instead of saving farmers, the primary producers. Even as farmers were struggling to stay afloat in the midst of financial meltdown and the pandemic, the Union Government’s move had landed a final blow on the farming sector.
Besides wiping out the livelihood of the agriculturists, the new laws would make the farmers remain as labourers of the corporate.
“Since, farmers will be forced to sign contracts with these companies for selling their produce, the producers cannot fix the selling price. Instead, they will have to sell their produce at the price fixed by the buyers – the corporate firms –who will not even give the price fixed earlier citing a range of measly reasons. They may deny the assured price saying that the produce did not meet their standards or expectations. Over a period of time, small, marginal and even medium-level farmers will become farmhands,” Mr. Muthukumarasamy said.
