TN: Will decide future course of action on May 21, says farmer leader Ayyakannu

CHENNAI: Alleging that none of their demands like farm loan waiver have been met, farmers from Tamil Nadu, who drew attention to their plight by agitating in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, will return to the national capital on Sunday to decide their future course of action.

Farmer leader Ayyakannu said representatives of various farmers group from TN will travel to New Delhi on Sunday to hold talks with their counterparts from across the country to decide on the future course of action. The farmers have been demanding Rs 40,000-crore drought relief package, farm loan waiver and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the Union Government.

“No solutions have been offered for our problems despite us giving a timeline. We will meet the heads of farmers’ unions of all states on May 21 in Delhi and decide whether we should resort to protests at Jantar Mantar or form a national-level alliance to elevate the issue,” Mr Ayyakannu said on Friday.

The farmers’ had called off their protest after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami met them in New Delhi on April 23 and agreed to look into their demands, besides taking them up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While withdrawing their protest, the farmers had made it clear that they would not hesitate to come back to New Delhi to agitate again if their demands are not met.

The group of hardy farmers from the southern state had caught the attention of the nation with bizarre forms of protests to highlight their grievances, ranging from debt to drought and suicides to scarcity.

In the event the discussions with Palaniswami do not go as per their expectations, a section of farmers will begin their agitation in Tamil Nadu and another team would simultaneously work from Delhi as per the outcome of the meeting with farmers’ unions, Ayyakannu said.