A true benevolent authoritarian enforces discipline for the greater good: Seeman

Seeman advocates for a benevolent authoritarianism and an agriculture-centered economy to ensure discipline and self-sufficiency in Tamil Nadu.

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman, in an interview with The Hindu in Chennai on Friday, shares his thoughts on his party’s Assembly election manifesto, his leadership style, and other aspects. Edited excerpts:

Your party’s manifesto talks about reorganising the economy around agriculture. Are you talking about shutting down industries and factories over time or seeking balance between industrial growth and agricultural growth?

I am not saying we should shut it down. But there are toxic industries that poison the land, water, and air. Those cannot be allowed to operate. If we want to provide jobs for everyone and build a stable economy, we must move towards an agriculture-centred economy.

We must achieve self-sufficiency in food production. Today, many countries have collapsed because they abandoned agriculture. Meanwhile, even essential food items such as onions are imported from countries like Egypt. What pride is there in exporting cars? I am not saying shut the factories. Let them exist. But I will also create government-led industries based on local resources. These will create jobs without huge salaries but with low living costs. Today, engineers are unemployed. Highly educated people apply for watchman jobs.

Why not work in agriculture-linked industries instead? Managing dairy logistics, production, processing — are these not jobs? Is information technology work the only one that matters? Why is it that only if a job is at an American company, it is considered ‘real work’? Is this not work?

NTK’s manifesto talks about decentralisation of power but at the same time talks about “benign authoritarianism”. Don’t you find it contradictory?