Condemning the Madhya Pradesh government for shooting farmers who were protesting for genuine demands, a group of leaders representing various political parties and organisations staged a protest here on Wednesday.
They criticised the Central and State governments for not sympathetic to the grievances of farmers. The BJP-led Central Government was not careful in dealing with the issues the farmers were facing. In Tamil Nadu, farmers had been given a raw deal.
The police action resulting in the killing of farmers in Madhya Pradesh was the low point in their attitude towards farm crisis and farmers must unite to raise their voice and secure their demands, pointed out K. Balakrishnan, State president, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam of the CPI (M).
After lunching an assault on water resources, the Centre was bent on attacking the land resources in the form of implementing hydrocarbon projects in fertile farm lands at Neduvasal in Pudukkottai district, observed Mannargudi S. Ranganathan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association. Water was scarce now and soon land too would become so, he cautioned adding food security was more important than power security.
Referring to the geological studies carried out in the Krishna Godavari Basin post hyrdo carbon explorations, Mr. Ranganathan said that seawater incursions have turned fertile land in the region waste and unfit for agriculture. The same danger lurks in Tamil Nadu if the hydrocarbon projects were to be allowed, he said.
Among those who spoke at the meet include the State general secretary of the CPI affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam V. Duraimanikkam, DMK farmers’ wing secretary K.P. Ramalingam, president of the Confederation of Farmers Associations Deivasigamani, Tank and Pond Farmers Association president Viswanathan, representatives from the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Dravidar Kazhagam and other organisations.
