New Delhi: Farmers from Tamil Nadu who have been sitting on protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since the last 28 days ran naked on road in protest near the Prime Minister’s Office when they were not allowed to meet the PM.
The farmers claim they were promised an appointment with PM Modi but they were not allowed to meet him. They were reportedly visiting to submit a memorandum to the PM but they were made to submit the document to another office.
The farmers have held a dramatic protest where they have held skulls of dead farmers in hands and dead snakes in their mouths. Several farmers shaved their heads and moustaches. Things went to an extent that a few days ago some farmers threatened to slit their throats as well if their demands were not met. Farmers on protest, hailing from Delta region in Tamil Nadu, have alleged state’s apathy towards their suffering and have made a list of demands to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
There is a five point demand put forward by the South Indian Rivers Linking Farmers Association for relief to ailing farmers.
1. Farmers are demanding ₹39,000 crore drought relief fund from the Centre for the state’s farmers. The farmers are protesting after the Cauvery basin was hit with worst drought in 150 years leading to a spate of farmer suicides.
2. Formation of a Cauvery Management Committee for linking rivers using Smart Waterways Project.
3. Increased returns for profits on agricultural produce is also one of the key demands of the farmers.
4. The farm loans waiver is also central to the demands with a large section of farmers unable to pay back loans even as small as ₹50,000.
5. There is also a demand for pensions for survival of old, ailing or now-disabled farmers who are not in condition to carry out farming practice anymore.
Watch Video: