Chennai: After announcing Rs 2,000 monthly cash assistance for every ration cardholder and promising free bus travel for men as part of the first phase of poll promises, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami pushed the welfare race into a higher gear on Tuesday, promising to give Rs 10 lakh compensation for families of bull tamers who die during the sport.He also promised insurance coverage for all registered bull tamers. The announcement drew a loud applause at a jallikattu event flagged off by EPS at Salapalayam village in Namakkal district on Tuesday. The announcements contrast with EPS’s earlier statements criticising the DMk govt for its financial assistance programmes including the Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thogai under which more than 1.3 crore women are given Rs 1000 monthly. He questioned the feasiblity of the state govt to bear the financial burden. Senior AIADMK leaders, nevertheless, back the string of populist schemes announced by EPS, stating that they would implement the programmes with the support of their national ally, the BJP, which rules the Centre. The DMK too has been signalling its intent to step up the populist outreach. After making a slew of announcements from the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme, Rs 3000 as Pongal gift for ration card holders and free laptops for college students, chief minister M K Stalin said there was more “happy news” for women in the pipeline. TVK, actor Vijay’s two year-old party, has stepped into the race with promises of its own. Vijay said his vision was to ensure every household has access to a bike, a car, and a sustainable income. Political analysts say TVK’s arrival has made the welfare-driven competition more crowded and more aggressive. The early announcements by parties are an indication of the contents their manifestoes may contain, they say. “Tamil Nadu’s development has long been shaped by a blend of welfare delivery and strong industrial growth. Successive govts, regardless of ideology, have fulfilled the promises — from free colour televisions and laptops to housing schemes, subsidised canteens, and breakfast programmes,” a senior economist who is involved in state govt’s policy making said. “These schemes have uplifted the poor and marginalised, but certain promises — like free bus travel for men — reflect desperation and risk pushing the state towards financial stress,” said a senior academician. Political critic Priyan Srinivasan said populist schemes have been an integral part of Dravidian politics for the past three decades, beginning with Kalaignar’s free colour television scheme and Jaya’s free grinder mixer. However, he said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s poll promises, including a monthly dole of Rs 2,000 for women and Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of bull tamers who die due to injuries, were made more out of compulsion to counter Stalin govt’s Kalaignar Urimai Thogai scheme and the DMK’s promise of priority govt jobs in the animal husbandry dept for top bull tamers.Srinivasan added that EPS’s announcements have failed to evoke any significant public response.
