NEW DELHI: Upset over the meagre amount of Rs 2,000 crores sanctioned by the central government, two protesters from Tiruchy, Tamil Nadu climbed a tree at Jantar Mantar as if to commit suicide.
"Since the last 13 days we are sitting on the hunger strike but no one is considering our plea. Central government is not taking any action and has only granted Rs 2,000 crore to the whole state. All the ministers are coming and saying we are considering. So until and unless our demands are met we won’t be leaving the national capital” said Ramesh who attempted to commit suicide. In a form of protest, the farmers also demonstrated death rituals practiced in the Tamil community when a person dies.
Earlier in the day, the Tamil Film Union joined the protest of the farmers. Actors Prakash Raj, Vishal, Abhi Saravan, Soundararaja and director Pandian Rajan joined to show solidarity to the farmers. The actors also promised to help and raise funds to help the famers pay the bank loans. Later all these actors met finance minister Arun Jaitely and submitted a memorandum.
“The banks are not even giving education loan to us, my education has been buried, what will we do, my parents are farmers, we don't have any other option other than killing ourselves” said 19 year old Akhilan who also attempted to commit suicide.
The farmers have planned to organize a big protest on March 27th . Delhi Tamils, students and other farmers unions such as Bhartiya Kisan Manch, which had organised a big rally in Delhi in 1980’s, from various states will join the protest.
It has been more than two weeks since farmers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar demanding a drought relief package of Rs 40,000 crore from the Centre for Tamil Nadu, farm loan waiver, setting up of the Cauvery Management Board and the unification of rivers among others.