The DMK will, if voted to power in the April 13 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, oppose foreign direct investment in retail. In its poll manifesto released today, which basically continues the cascade of goodies that it promised in the manifestoes, the ruling party said its opposition to FDI is to protect the interests of “crores of small traders”.

It would also impress upon the Union Government to ban futures trading in commodities, holding the commodities derivatives market responsible for the current food shortage.

But the highlight of the manifesto is the goodies that it promises — free mixies and grinders to women, free laptops to students belonging to Scheduled Tribes/Castes and 35 kg of free rice to below-poverty-line families. It also promises free bus travel to senior citizens.

All this is in continuation of the freebies the party promised in its 2006 manifesto which was chiefly responsible for its wresting of power from the then ruling AIADMK.

The current manifesto also promises an insurance scheme for fishermen affected by natural calamities and 2,000 litres and 5,000 litres, respectively, of subsidised diesel and kerosene a month for mechanised and non-mechanised trawlers.

The DMK also believes in nationalising and inter-linking of rivers to solve inter-State water disputes and the manifesto says the party would strive towards it.

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