CHENNAI: In another novel protest, Tamil Nadu farmers rallying in New Delhi to demand loan waiver and drought relief package on Thursday used slippers to beat themselves and shouted slogans criticising the Centre and the state for not addressing issues related to TN farmers.
About 80 farmers led by P. Ayyakannu shouted slogans against the state lawmakers, calling the salary revision for TN MLAs a shame. “Tamil Nadu farmers do not have food to eat or money to survive, but our MLAs chose to increase their own salaries. We have been left speechless by their shameless action,” farmers’ leader P. Ayyakannu told reporters.
The farmers who had suspended their 41-day long protest following government assurance in April are disappointed and feel let down by the state and Centre. And now our protests will continue in Jantar Mantar, the agitating farmers said.
The cultivators demand Rs 40,000-crore drought relief package, complete loan waiver, compensation for agriculture produce, crop insurance to individual farmers, and linking of rivers to address the water crisis in Tamil Nadu.
In March, the farmers grabbed nationwide attention by holding protests with human skulls and drank their own urine and a few stripped in front of Prime Minister’ Narendra Modi’s office.
It may be noted that TN assembly on Wednesday approved a hike in their salaries from Rs 55,000 to Rs 1.05 lakh per month, apart from an increase in the MLA Development Fund from Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore.
Meanwhile, farmers in delta districts complained that the insurance to farmers promised by private companies was awaiting settlements. “Farmers are pathetically waiting for their claim settlement. Claim details of Nagapattinam and Thanjavur district villages have been pending for months,” Arupathy P. Kalyanam, general secretary-Federation of Farmers Associations-Cauvery Delta Districts said.
