Farmers withdraw strike on Union Minister’s word

Radhakrishnan convened a meeting with the representatives of farmers associations at Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam district and following his assurance the farmers postponed the strike declared on August 29.

The Union Minister, who was the special invitee at the meeting, requested the farmers to withdraw their strike.

He reiterated that the Centre would never insist on any project that affected the farmers and said that the Union government would always stand by the farmers and protect their livelihood. Radhakrishnan also sought the reasons for which the farmers have been opposing the ONGC projects.

Farmers explained the Minister how they were affected due to the projects introduced by the Centre. They also demanded the Minister to withdraw the announcement of Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region and declare the Delta districts as agricultural protective zone.

They said, already they have been affected due to drought conditions and the erecting of wells by the ONGC for extraction of oil and gas will turn their lands barren and so their livelihood would be a question.

Hearing their appeals, the Minister assured the farmers that he would represent their grievances to the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmedra Pradhan and the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh and get them a solution. Until then, the Minister urged the farmers not to stage any protest.

Accepting the assurance, the farmers, who have declared a statewide strike, postponed it.