Farmers Movement Archive

Tamil Nadu: Farmers rejoice, rue loss of lives during protests

TRICHY/MADURAI: The farming community across delta and the southern districts rejoiced at the Prime Minister’s announcement to repeal the three contentious farm laws. Calling it a massive victory for their unrelenting protests in Delhi and the states including Tamil Nadu, farmers distributed sweets and burst crackers. However, leaders pointed out that many farmers would not have died during the protest had the Union government repealed the laws in the initial stage of the protest itself. All Farmers Organisations Coordination Committee president P R Pandian termed the revocation of the three laws a failure of PM Modi. “The on-going protests in Tamil Nadu will continue till the three laws are repealed in Parliament,” he said. While appreciating the PM, Cauvery Farmers Protection Association Thanjavur district secretary S Vimalnathan said elected representatives in the Union government should unconditionally apologise to the farmers “for demeaning the protests by calling us anti-nationals activated by foreign forces.” Tamil Nadu Farmers Association state general secretary P Shanmugam said the BJP government is responsible for the deaths of over 600 farmers involved in the protest. The PM’s announcement also brought an end the 39-day-long protests of farmers led by the state president of Desiya Thennindhiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam, PAyyakannu. RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangam (BKS) state spokesman N Veerasekaran suggested the Centre take the views of farmers to enact a new law on agriculture. In Madurai, farmers burst fireworks and distributed ladoos at Melur while DYFI distributed sweets at Kalavasal. Madurai district farmers association president S P Elangovan said this was only a partial victory for them as the government had not said anything about the MSP for their produce or privatisation of electricity, which too had been the major demands of the farmers. In a statement, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Dr N Jegatheesan said the implementation of the three laws would have eliminated the govt’s role. Agriculture produce purchases and storage in private hands would have led to farmers being dependent on the private sector due to unlimited storage. Goods would be hoarded and artificial famine would occur.

The Times of India

2021-11-20

Trichy