TN farmers play dead, hold mock funeral at Jantar Mantar
DAY 14 Hit by drought, they are demanding loan waiver and lasting solution for water shortage
With the Tamil Nadu farmers’ protest at Jantar Mantar entering its 14th day on Sunday, protesters embraced some innovative methods to draw the attention of policy makers. A farmer dressed up as a corpse, while the others, dressed in green loin cloth or green petticoats, mourned his “death” and blew conches.
“The agricultural sector in India is dying a slow death, while people watch on. This is supposed to symbolise that,” explained P Ayyakannu, the leader of the protesting farmers.
“The plights of alive farmers have gone unnoticed. Maybe our dead bodies will be harder to ignore,” added Prem Kumar, another farmer.
The farmers have been in Delhi for over two weeks, demanding that their loans from nationalised banks be forgiven, fair and just prices be set for their produce and to come up with realistic solutions to the water scarcity in the state.
The issue of drying up of the Tamil Nadu leg of the river Kaveri has also been raised, and the farmers have proposed AC Kamaraj’s Smart Waterways Project as a viable solution.
Though the farmers have met seral politicians and members of the Tamil film fraternity, they are yet to receive any palpable relief. MDMK party general secretary Vaiyapuri Gopalsamy, also known as Vaiko, also visited the protest site on Sunday.
“We had met Arun Jaitley on Tuesday with regard to the forgiving of loans, and he had asked for two days time to consult with the RBI. However, we have not heard back from him since. Similarly we had met Uma Bharti too about the issue of water shortage,” said Ayyakannu.
The farmers claim that their loans from cooperative banks were written off, under Jayalalithaa’s directives. However, loans from nationalised banks require the Central government’s go-ahead.
The farmers have been reeling under the influences of what has been reportedly called the worst drought faced by the state in 140 years and the cyclone Vardah that hit the state in December 2016.
Many have been crushed under the weight of mounting debt, with Ayyakannu claiming that over 400 farmers have committed suicide in the state in the last six months.