Tiruchy, Oct 21:
Farmers representing around 40 associations have announced that they will resume their indefinite protest in Tiruchy from Thursday, October 22, demanding an unconditional crop loan waiver promised by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay during the Assembly election campaign.
The farmers had launched their indefinite protest on September 15, seeking a complete waiver of crop loans obtained from cooperative banks. Agriculture Minister R Vinoth, Cooperation Minister V Gandhiraj and HR&CE Minister S Ramesh held discussions with the protesters at the Tiruchy Collectorate on the same day and sought time to make an announcement. Representatives of various farmers’ associations subsequently met government representatives in Chennai on September 18, but the talks failed to produce a concrete decision. The government had sought 20 days to consider the demand.
The farmers said that even after 27 days, the government had not announced the waiver. They alleged that the by-elections had been cited as a reason for delaying the decision and insisted that the government fulfil its electoral commitment without further postponement. They have also demanded that waiver certificates be issued to eligible farmers, as had been done under previous schemes, and that cooperative banks be directed to return jewellery pledged against the loans. Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association and one of the protest coordinators, said the agitation would resume if the government failed to act immediately. The renewed protest could put pressure on the administration to clarify its position on the financial relief sought by farmers.