Our endless fight is to thwart external threats, say farmers

TIRUCHY: More concerned about the environmental problems, the adverse impact on their livelihood, and fear about the reduction in food production which would have an impact on the State in particular and the country in general, the farmers from the Cauvery Delta region have been standing tall and steering the protests opposing the projects Union government has been trying to enforce.

The Cauvery Delta in other words, termed the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu and one of the major food production regions, has 28 lakh acres of cultivable land and produces 33 lakh tonnes of paddy a year.

Apart from paddy, the region cultivates maize, cotton, and other millets, vegetables, bananas, and flowers.

However, from time to time, the region has been facing a threat from various central projects that affect agricultural activities in which more than 70 per cent of people feared their livelihood may be lost.

“While we have been struggling to conserve the groundwater, taking measures to check intrusion of seawater into aquifers and to stop conversion of the cultivable lands into housing-commercial plots, many central government projects which are absolutely against the agriculture activities in the region eye on these lands and hence we oppose these projects which pose a threat to us,” said PR Pandian, president Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association.

Though the recent withdrawal of the coal mining tender for Tamil Nadu has made the farmers high-spirited, their protests for any such project have a long history.

“While the 2017 campaign against hydrocarbon exploration at Neduvasal in Pudukottai district and Kadiramangalam in Thanjavur went on for months, the Vadaseri protests which we have planned to intensify had come to an end in a short term and this we owe to the quick response to the State government for passing the resolution in the Assembly floor. We will continue to fight against any such anti-farmer projects,” Pandian said.

Meanwhile, S Masilamani, the leader in Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam said, “We are at the tail-end of the Delta, yet we grow three crops a year here. Every farmer has one or more borewells in his field. We will never give up farming. If the Union government continues to implement any such project, we will oppose it and continue to protest until the government drops the plan,” Masilamani said.

While Arupathy P Kalyanam , General Secretary of Federation for Farmers Associations of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam districts recalled that they were not aware of projects exploring for hydrocarbons such as methane, and shale gas but later, they came to know that less than 1 per cent of the crude and less than 3 percent of the gas in the country is from delta areas.

“Why had they been working on such a meagre gain and thus we protested, “ Kalyanam said.

Kalyanam added that the primary source of income is from farming and so the farmers from the region and the prospect of their land being taken over for mining triggered apprehensions and they will never allow it at any cost for the good of the farmers for their livelihood and for the nations for food production.

Coal mining: Delta ryots seek official order on withdrawal

Farmers from the region who have welcomed the Union government's decision to withdraw the coal mining tender for Tamil Nadu demand to make it official by releasing an order.

According to Natarajan, State General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, the order directing the tender for establishing coal mines in as many as 101 places across the nation including three places in Thanjavur, Cuddalore, and Ariyalur districts but the unceasing protests had yielded fruit and the union ministry had recently withdrawn the announcement for Tamil Nadu.

“The announcement is not proper and we are not happy with it and so it is necessary to have an official declaration through the mines department until then, we will never believe it,” said Natarajan.

Jagadeesan, Delta Districts Coordinator, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam said, the Union government has been conspiring to make the Delta region a barren land by introducing such anti-agricultural programmes.

“The Delta districts are the major rice-producing region in the country and we are concerned about feeding the people. Hence, we will continue to fight against any project posing a threat to agriculture. Though we are elated to hear the information about the withdrawal of the tender, the Union government should ensure an official announcement through the proper channel,” Jagadeesan said.

Meanwhile, N Veerasekaran, spokesperson for Bharatiya Kisan Sangam (BKS) pointed out that the Delta Region has already been declared a Protected Special Agricultural zone, it is worrying that the union government has announced projects for exploration which is against the interest of the farmers from the region.

He said if the situation continues in the region, the entire region should beg for food.

“We are concerned about this and have decided to meet the Union Minister to avoid any such projects in the region for the good of the farmers as well as for the good of the nation,” said the BKS spokesperson.