Mob killing fallout: Farm works come to standstill in 10 villages

Locals say that the arrest of 42 persons from these villages and another 20 reportedly on the run to evade cops have led to villages wearing a deserted outlook with the women preferring not to venture outside. Even cattle were not getting the daily care, they said.

The affected villages are Kaliyam, where the killing took place, Thambukottanparai, Indiranagar, Tindivanam, Jampangipuram, Kamatchipuram, Athimoor, Ganesapuram, Thaniyar and Gandhinagar.

Agriculture Department officials say farmers in the area raise both irrigated and rainfed crops. Stating that this was the right time to raise pearl millet (Kambu) in anticipation of rains, a senior official, on condition of anonymity, said, “Sugarcane and paddy are also grown if the cultivators have enough water.” “If farmers opt for pearl millet they must start work immediately otherwise it will reflect on their returns,” he said.

Although department officials had planned to provide agriculture equipment worth Rs 5 lakh for farmers in the area, their prolonged absence has raised questions over the implementation of the scheme.

“We have seeds ready for disbursal but we have not received any requests from these villages,” the official added. Meanwhile, Tiruvannamalai district judge V Magizhendi, who visited Kaliyam, directed the police to restore normalcy as soon as possible.