Extending solidarity with farmers protesting in New Delhi, Tamizhaga Vivasaigal Sangam, Vellore, staged a demonstration on Monday, urging the Prime Minister to meet the agitators and look into their demands immediately.
Members of the farmers association along with Vellore Traders Association and a number of students’ voluntary organisations staged a protest in front of the Collectorate premises.
K. Loganathan, district president of Tamizhaga Vivasaigal Sangam, said the main aim of the demonstration was to extend support to the farmers who had been protesting continuously for 27 days.
“The farmers have been pushed to the extent that they resorted to a nude protest on Monday. The Prime Minister or a Union Minister should meet them and look into their demands immediately,” he said.
The farmers also demanded that drought relief of ₹ 25,000 per acre be given. The families of farmers, who had died, should be granted a relief of ₹15 lakh each, he added.
They wanted the government to take up linking of rivers. “Earlier, relief for drought-hit coconut trees was given. But the enumeration of affected trees was not conducted properly. We want the government to conduct a re-enumeration and grant relief to affected farmers,” Mr. Loganathan said.
The association urged the State government to grant the long-pending dues immediately. They also demanded the State government fix the procurement price for sugar cane at ₹4,000 per tonne and ₹2,500 per quintal for paddy.
It demanded a pension of ₹ 5,000 for farmers aged 60 years and above.
