Holding skulls, Tamil Nadu farmers protest against agriculture bills

Chennai

At a time when farmers across the country are protesting against the recently passed Agriculture Bills, farmers in Tamil Nadu's Trichy district protested in a unique way by tying their hands and holding human skulls outside the district collector's office.

The protest was organised by the National South Indian Rivers Link Agricultural Association.

"The farmers have tied themselves with long chains which symbolically represent the farmers' bill that has tied them. The human skulls state that they will become dead if the bill is implemented," Ayyakkannu, the president of the association said.

Visuals from the site showed protesters maintaining social distance and raising slogans against the bill.

According to the Centre, these Bills will help small and marginal farms by allowing them to sell produce outside mandis and sign agreements with large agri-business firms and will do away with stock-holding limits on key commodities.

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by Parliament recently by voice vote despite objection from opposition parties.

In Tambaram near Chennai, farmers and members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist also protested against the Bills.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister R Doraikkannu said the Bills will not impact the farmers in Tamil Nadu.