Members of various farmers organisations and cadres of different political parties were arrested when they tried to stage a sit-in protest outside Virudhunagar Collectorate on Monday.
The protesters, under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha coordination committee, gathered outside the Collectorate to show their solidarity with the farmers protesting in Delhi seeking repeal of three farm laws, as the police had blocked their way into the premises.
The protest was led by coordination committee president, Kaliraj. Tamil Nadu Farmers Association district secretary, V. Murugan, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam district president, N.A. Ramachandra Raja, were among the leaders of farmers who took part in the protest.
Mr. Ramachandra Raja said, “the Centre had not included minimum support price in the new legislation which the farming community has been demanding for. Besides, contract farming that has been extended to other crops will badly affect the farmers as it has failed in case of cane growers. Crores of rupees that need to be paid to the farmers by the sugar factories have not been paid for years and Government intervention has not been effective. If this is the case, now every farmer will face losses.”
Similarly removal of various crops from the list of essential commodities will only benefit the corporates to hoard foodgrains against the interest of farmers, he said.
Leaders from various political parties, K. Arjunan, S. Balasubramanian (Communist Party of India – Marxist), P. Lingam, T. Ramasamy and Azhagirisamy (CPI) and R.M. Shanmugasundaram, Sippiparai A. Ravichandran, (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) were among those who took part in the protest.
All of them were arrested and later let off. The protest will continue on Tuesday.
Published - December 14, 2020 07:42 pm IST
