THANJAVUR/TIRUVARUR: Farmers in Tamil Nadu's Cauvery delta, who were also against the farm laws, have risen in solidarity with those mowed down by the convoy of the Union Minister in Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh.
On Thursday, the farmers of Thanjavur district organised a protest at the Budalur four road junction against the killings. Earlier, on Wednesday evening, the farmers joined the mobile light vigil organised in solidarity with the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers by the Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK) in Thanjavur.
"The Cauvery delta farmers were outraged by the massacre of the farmers using cars by the Union Minister's convoy," says P S Masilamani, a farmer from Tiruvarur district and the state deputy secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association. "Farmers cutting across associations and political parties participated in a protest held in Tiruvarur on the next day of the massacre," he added.
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Masilamani who participated in the Delhi farmers' protest added farmers associations are planning a state level protest in either Thanjavur or Tiruvarur, the district headquarters in the Cauvery delta.
R Sukumaran, a farmer leader from Orathanadu area in Thanjavur district, who participated in a protest by the Congress said due to the peak harvest season, many farmers could not join the protests so far. Sukumaran, the vice-president of the Joint Movement of Farmers of Tamil Nadu, said on behalf of his organisation that a protest is planned in Thanjavur Railway Junction on Monday.
Sami Natarajan, a farmer from Thennamanadu area in Thanjavur and the state secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, who also earlier participated in the Delhi protests said the farmers in the delta districts are infuriated after seeing the footage of peacefully protesting farmers being mowed down by cars in the convoy of the Union Minister.
"The video was widely circulated among the farmers," he added. This led to spontaneous protests in various places across the delta districts including Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Pattukkottai, Tirubhuvanam and Peravurani. "The protests would continue till justice was rendered to the victims of the massacre," he added.