Pandemonium at Thanjavur farmers’ grievance day meet

Farmers, led by Kakkarai R Sukumaran, the state vice-president of the joint Movement of Farmers Association, who came to the meeting wearing earthen pots filled with sand around their necks, raised the issue of non-disbursal of drought relief, payment of crop insurance and waiver of farm loans. Later, they broke the pots outside the meeting hall as a mark of protest. 

Another group led by Sundara Vimalanathan, the secretary of Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, walked out of the meeting claiming that a few areas were not covered in the enumeration process.

Sami Natarajan, the district secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, who demanded the insurance amount also pointed out that frequent power cuts in the last few days had affected the supply of drinking water to several rural habitats.