All-party meet calls for bandh on April 25

Adopts 19 resolutions; delegation to meet Prime Minister in New Delhi to raise farmers’ issues

Show of strength: DMK leader M.K. Stalin with leaders from other opposition parties during the all-party meeting in Chennai on Sunday.

An all-party meeting organised by the DMK here on Sunday gave a call for a State-wide bandh on April 25 to highlight the problems of farmers, who were fighting in Delhi for the waiver of farm loans and constitution of the Cauvery Management Board. The protest is also to press the Centre and the State government to act on the demands of the farmers.

A total of 19 resolutions were adopted in the meeting which was attended by many political parties.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) did not attend the meeting, while the AIADMK and the BJP were not invited.

The meeting, held at Anna Arivalayam, decided to hold a public meeting on April 22 to explain the resolution adopted in the all- party meeting and the objective of the bandh.

Expressing disappointment over the failure of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet the protesting farmers, the meeting decided to lead an all-party delegation to Delhi to draw the Prime Minister’s attention to the problems of farmers.

Special House session

The meeting also urged the State government to hold a special session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly to discuss issues including farmers’ suicide, waiving of crop loans, increase in drought relief, adequate minimum support price for rice and sugarcane farmers, desilting of water bodies and the opposition to methane and hydrocarbon projects.

Recalling the observation of the Supreme Court indicting Tamil Nadu government for its failure to resolve the farm crisis, the meeting wanted the government to provide adequate compensation to the family members of the farmers who had committed suicide and permanent measures to save the families.

“Agriculture is facing a severe crisis in the Cauvery delta region and the farmers have apprehension about their future.

“They are not able to get crop insurance in time and are not able to repay the loans borrowed to meet the educational expenses of their children. The government should declare the Cauvery delta region as a special agricultural zone,” said one resolution adopted in the meeting.