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Farmers lay siege to collectorate with dead rats
A section of farmers expressing their frustration had also attempted to eat rat meat in front of the collectorate seeking immediate announcements from the State government about compensation for farmers and farm labours besides waiving all the crop loans obtained by farmers.
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Thiruchirapalli
Reiterating their demand urging Tamil Nadu to be declared drought-hit and to provide adequate compensations, around 30 farmers belonging to Farming Association for Interlinking National-South Indian Rivers squatted before the collectorate with carcass of rats.Â
Claiming that farmers who have been feeding the entire country are forced to eat rat meat now due to their financial catastrophe, a couple of farmers attempted to eat raw meat of rat and gave up their attempts upon the advice of fellow farmers.Â
Meanwhile, a section of farmers who were annoyed over the delay in commencement of the grievance meeting tried to walk out of the conference hall. But officials pacified them and they attended the meeting.Â
Addressing the gathering, M P Chinnadurai, district president, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam stated that Tamil Nadu has been going through unprecedented drought with failed monsoons and depleting groundwater table. Farmers therefore sought the state to be declared as drought hit and wanted all loans to be waived. Only this would end death of farmers, he added.Â
Ayilai Sivasuriyan, district president of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam and Puliyur Nagarajan of Tamil Maanila Congress supported by about 50 farmers staged a sit-in protest in the grievance meeting hall seeking the State government to respond to their demands. Later as the district collector K S Palanisamy assured the protesting farmers that their demands would be forwarded to the State government, the farmers gave up their protest.
2 end lives over crop flop in southern districtsÂ
Failure of crops had forced two farmers in southern districts to commit suicide, on Friday. At Kammathupatti village near Pudhur in Thoothukudi district, Pounraj (58), a farmer, had carried out dry land farming in 13 acres. Due to monsoon failure all the crops failed. On Thursday evening he had gone to his agricultural land and had consumed pesticide. As he did not return home for long his family went to the land and were shocked to see him lying on the ground. He was taken to a private hospital in Madurai where he died on Friday morning. Â Periya Karuppan (77), from Kanniyampatti near Sedapatti in Madurai district, had carried out farming in 5 acres of land and had borrowed heavily for cultivating paddy, Kudhiraivali , maize and cotton. As the crops dried, fearing that he could not repay loans he consumed pesticide, on Thursday evening. He was taken to Usilampatti GH where he was referred to Madurai GRH. However he succumbed midnight. Sedapatti Police have booked a case and are investigating the death.
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