NEW DELHI: After a 41 day long protest in the National capital, farmers from Tamil Nadu temporarily called of their protest on Sunday after assurance given by the state chief minister K. Palanisamy, who met the Prime minister later in the day and apprised him about the plight of protesting farmers and sought his intervention.
Meeting for brief period on the sidelines of the NITI Aayog governing council meeting, TN chief minister while raising the issue of the farmers also apprised PM on his government’s concerns over NEET and fishermen boats.
“The introduction of NEET is a direct infringement on the rights of the State and would cause grave injustice to the students of Tamil Nadu who are already covered by a fair and transparent admission policy laid down by the Government of Tamil Nadu, which has been working well” Palanisamy said in the council meeting. Secondly, the chief minister also asked Modi to discuss fishermen boats issue during his Sri Lanka visit.
The Chief Minister raised the issue of drought in the council meeting , “Tamil Nadu is suffering from one of the worst droughts in several decades, with a severe shortfall of 62 per cent in precipitation in the North East Monsoon season of 2016. It is important that the legitimate grievances of the farmers receive sympathetic consideration from the Government of India. Farmers in the State are in considerable distress and their representatives have voiced their grievances even in New Delhi” Palanisamy added.
The protest which was called off till May 25th witnessed bizarre demonstrations at Jantar Mantar grabbing the national headlines of the country. Tamils from every walk of life like students, politicians, celebrities and social workers all came and joined the farmers protest to show solidarity with them.
Scores of teachers and student from Delhi University joined the protest and Bhartiya Kisan Morcha also came to meet the farmers.
“If our demands are not fulfilled we will start our protest again after 25th May” said Ayyakanu leading the farmers' protest.
Farmers are 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.