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Urgent hearing on farmers’ event plea today
The Madras High Court is set to hear a plea seeking to restrain the police from obstructing and preventing a farmers’ convention scheduled to be held at YMCA grounds to discuss the issue affecting farmers under the banner of ‘Uzhave Thalai’ (Farming is Supreme).
Chennai
The plea is scheduled to be taken up for hearing on an urgent basis by Justice M S Ramesh on Sunday. M Chandramohan part of Arappor Iyakkam, has submitted that in the current context of severe drought and unprecedented number of farmer suicides in Tamil Nadu, it was decided to hold a convention in Chennai so that urban people would also take active interest in addressing the crisis faced by our farmers.
Based on this, an event spread over several days at YMCA ground, Nandanam, was set to commence from March 31, 2017. But to the utter shock of the farmers, who wanted to participate in the event, a large police contingent was posted outside the YMCA ground, preventing them from entering the premises. He further noted that on being threatened of arrest, he along with others met several police officials at the Commissioner’s office.
Finally, the official from the grievance cell said the permission would be granted and he directed us to meet the Deputy Commissioner, Adyar Range. But the officer besides being rude, refused permission orally.
Pointing out that the police action was high handed and against the basic democratic fabric of our constitution, he claimed that barricading the entrance to the YMCA ground was creating untold hardships, as the farmers who have arrived here including women and young children have no shelter or place to stay in Chennai.
CPI to join farmers’ bandh on Monday
The farmers protest in Thanjavur demanding constitution of Cauvery Management Board and supporting the agitation of farmers in Delhi entered the fifth day on Saturday. A section of agitating farmers arrived at the Thanjavur Collectorate with mud all over the body. Various political leaders visited them expressing solidarity with their cause. CPI senior leader R Nallakannu who visited them said that Tamil Nadu got a favourable verdict on establishing the Cauvery Management Board after a fight of 27 years. But the Centre has been delaying the establishment of the board that would ensure the rights of the state on Cauvery water. The CPI leader said that his party would participate in the bandh announced by the farmers on April 3.
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