: Expressing strong dissent over the “anti-farmer policies” of the Union and State governments and the alleged failure in declaring effective welfare packages for the agriculture sector, activists of the Farmers’ Relief Forum (FRF) organised a ‘feast of protest’ with empty plantain leaves on the eve of Thiruvonam in front of the Collectorate here on Thursday.
Farmers who took part in the protest alleged that they were compelled to celebrate an Onam of starvation with the continuing apathy on the part of the power centres to consider their demands. “There are a slew of declared welfare programmes in the country now, but, none of them actually cater to the struggling segment other than feeding the sluggish bureaucratic formalities,” they criticised.
Inaugurating the symbolic programme, Baby Zacharia, working president of the farmers’ forum, said the government machinery in the country was proving to be a total failure in providing the actual benefits of declared welfare programmes to the farmers. “The huge fund so far allotted in the name of farmers and their welfare was only proving to be beneficial for a segment of government officers who were assigned to steer such schemes,” he alleged.
Addressing the meet, P. Alexander, district president of the forum, said the subsidies declared for the welfare of the community were nominal and the tedious procedures involved in it were actually discouraging them from applying for the schemes
‘Feast of protest’ with empty plantain leaves.
