Chennai: The campaign for the Assembly elections is totally different in one aspect as it has not seen the mention of rice-related issues, which used to dominate the state elections since 1967, when DMK created history by bringing down the Congress government.
For the last five decades, DMK has faced ups and downs due to rice politics.
It has helped the party to win power in a few elections, but the same issue had resulted in routs for the party.
The DMK manifesto for the 2006 Assembly elections is still remembered for its promise of rice at Rs 1 per kilogram. It captured the imagination of people and played a crucial role in the party’s comeback to power.
Again, the 2011 Assembly elections were marked by promises of 20 kg of free rice through PDS by both AIADMK and DMK. The AIADMK which was voted to power implemented its poll promise on rice, earning the goodwill of voters.
Rice politics began as early as 1967 in Tamil Nadu and it is one of the factors on which the DMK rode to power, defeating a powerful Congress party led by legendary leader K. Kamaraj. DMK under the leadership of its leader C.N. Annadurai, started raising the rice issue along with the Hindi plank from 1965 with party leaders taking up the issue inside and outside the Assembly.
“Bakthavatchalam annachi, arisi vilai ennachi” (What happened to rice price, elder brother Bakthavatchalam) was one of the famous slogans of DMK at that time.
The then Chief Minister Bakthavatchalam was harshly crticised by DMK on the rice issue. Besides, the DMK made an election promise to provide three ‘padi’ (measure) (4.5 kg of rice) at Rs 1.
DMK was at the receiving end in 1977 when AIADMK founder MGR took up scarcity of rice during the DMK regime and dethroned the parent body.
After capturing power too, he played to rice politics effectively. When a cyclone hit Tamil Nadu in 1977 and caused havoc, MGR government gave 75 kg of rice free to the affected people, which boosted his image of champion of the poor.
During his second term in power, he held a fast against the Centre demanding sufficient allocation of rice to Tamil Nadu.
When DMK leader M. Karunanidhi returned from his 13-year long exile in 1989, the poor quality of rice in PDS shops was the focal point of opposition attacks.
They raised it in Parliament elections in the same year and routed the DMK, which did not win a single seat. The 2016 Assembly elections is not seeing any promise on the rice front which could mean that rice politics has reached a
saturation point and more promises on the subject are not necessary or viable.
