NEW DELHI: Around 50 farmers from the state of Tamil Nadu have for the second time commenced their 100 day sit in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday. Although this time around there is an addition to the demand list which is crop insurance scheme for individual farmers.
Earlier the farmers had descended to the national capital holding different forms of protests daily continuously for more than a month at Jantar Mantar demanding loan waiver of farmer’s loan and interlinking of rivers. The trigger behind the first phase of protests was long term drought situation in the state and a series of farmer suicides.
“This time we are determined and will stay here for 100 days. We have included crop insurance for individual farmers as huge amount of crop is lost during floods and other natural calamities. Government’s policies only include 37 percent insurance in villages that too unified insurance” said P. Ayykannu leading the protest.
The farmers, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday, were detained by the Delhi police after they tried to stage a demonstration near the prime minister's residence in support of their demands.They will join an indefinite protest after their counterparts, taking part in a 'Kisan Mukti Yatra', reach Jantar Mantar tomorrow.