Around 200 farmers from Tamil Nadu assembled at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Tuesday to voice their concerns over crop prices and the interlinking of rivers. The protesters carried skulls and bones believed to belong to farmers who had committed suicide as a result of the economic hardships they faced. They alleged that the central government’s promise to double agricultural income had not been fulfilled, and that crop prices had remained stagnant. Ayyakannu, the president of the National South Indian River Interlinking Farmers Association, spoke to India Today and expressed the protesters’ disappointment. He stated that during the 2019 elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced plans to double crop profits and implement river interlinking projects. However, these promises had not been realized, leaving the farmers in a state of despair. The protesters declared that if their demands were not met, they would travel to Varanasi, the Prime Minister’s constituency, and contest the Lok Sabha elections against him. Ayyakannu clarified that the protest was not politically motivated and that the farmers sought only the government’s assistance to alleviate their plight. The farmers had previously attempted to protest but were prevented by the police. However, they had subsequently obtained permission from the court to demonstrate their grievances. Ayyakannu emphasized that the farmers had the right to protest in a democratic country and condemned the police’s initial attempt to obstruct their peaceful gathering. The farmers from Tamil Nadu have held similar protests at Jantar Mantar in the past, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the agricultural community in their state.
Farmers from Tamil Nadu Protest in Delhi Over Crop Prices and River Interlinking
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