Chennai: The villagers of Parandur and surrounding areas, whose lands have been earmarked for Chennai’s second airport, have threatened to migrate to Andhra Pradesh, expressing their frustration over the lack of response from authorities to their nearly 700-day-long protest.
Since August 2022, when the Union government announced that the site comprising 13 villages, including Parandur and Eganapuram, was chosen for the greenfield airport, the predominantly farming communities have been in a continuous state of protest. Their opposition to the land acquisition has seen them engage in various forms of agitation, including sit-ins, protest marches, hunger strikes, hoisting black flags, and even boycotting elections. Each night, the villagers gather at Eganapuram for a silent protest, which has been a persistent display of their resistance for almost two years.
Despite the initial support from opposition parties, the villagers now find themselves largely abandoned, left to champion their cause alone. Meanwhile, the authorities, focused on completing the airport by 2028, have proceeded with land acquisition efforts. The original plan of acquiring 4,870 acres across 13 villages has been expanded to 5,746 acres encompassing 20 villages, further exacerbating the villagers’ plight.
Faced with dwindling hope and no viable alternatives, the disheartened residents of Parandur announced on Saturday their intention to relocate to Andhra Pradesh. “It is better to move out of Tamil Nadu rather than live as a slave here in our own land,” expressed the villagers, reflecting their deep sense of betrayal and desperation.
The villagers’ protests have been sustained and varied, aimed at drawing attention to their grievances and halting the airport project. However, their efforts have seemingly fallen on deaf ears, with no substantial intervention from political leaders or assurances from the government to address their concerns.
The determination of the authorities to see the airport project through by 2028 has led to an increase in the scope of land acquisition, causing further distress among the affected communities. The extension from 4,870 acres in 13 villages to 5,746 acres in 20 villages underscores the government’s commitment to the project, despite the local opposition.