TIRUCHY: A commotion witnessed for a long time in front of Tiruvarur Collectorate premises on Friday when the police prevented entry of CPI cadres as a part of their region wide protest demanding to declare Delta drought-hit and seeking proper compensation to the farmers and farm labourers.
The CPI announced a region wide protest demanding the delta districts like Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai to declare drought hit region and announce a kuruvai loss compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre to the farmers and Rs 10,000 to the farm labourers.
As per the schedule, the protests were held across the region, and the CPI State Secretary M Veerapandian led the protest in Tiruvarur. The protesting members also demanded the state government to fulfill the promise of crop loan waiver as per the election manifesto and condemned the Karnataka government for attempting to build Mekedatu dam, which would turn the Cauvery Delta as a desert.
After raising slogans, the protesting members moved to the Collectorate for staging a siege protest but they were stopped by the police who established barricades to prevent their entry. However, the CPI cadres overpowered the police and moved further after forcibly removing the barricades, and this resulted in a scuffle between the police and the cadres, and tension gripped the scene.
Soon, the State Secretary Veerapandian and the Nagapattinam MP V Selvaraj intervened in the scene and pacified the cadres. Subsequently, a few members, including Veerapandian and Selvaraj, met the district Collector V Mohanachandran and submitted a petition with him. The Collector, who received the petition, assured to forward it to the state government.
Later, Veerapandian told the media persons that the Cauvery issue is related to national integrity and so the Karnataka government should act responsibly on the issue. “The district collector assured to fulfil the demands and we hope the issues would be solved soon; otherwise, the protests would be intensified”, Veerapandian said.
Stating that the farmers have been producing for the people of all walks of life and so it is essential that the government should stand by them and the TVK government should fulfil its promises given to the farmers. He also asked the Union government to release adequate funds for Tamil Nadu and ensure the Karnataka government follows the directions of the apex court on Cauvery water distribution.
He also pointed out that the CPI has been supporting the TVK government from outside just to save the state from the Governor. “We are not in the government but just supporting them. If the government gives good to the people, we will support; otherwise, we will continue to oppose and protest,” Veeerapandian stressed.
Similar protests were across the region, including Tiruchy and Thanjavur.