TIRUVANNAMALAI: Over 2,000 women gathered at Melma and staged protest on Thursday - this time, however, it was in favour of executing the SIPCOT project in Tiruvannamalai district. However, residents and farmers who are protesting against SIPCOT claimed that the protesters did not belong to 11 villages around their area.
The protesters on Thursday also raised slogans in favour of land acquisition, “Nilathai edu, velai kodu.” Kavya, one of the protesters, said, “There are lot of graduates in Tiruvannamalai without jobs. SIPCOT will give jobs to many of them.”
Residents and farmers who are against the SIPCOT alleged that the protest on Thursday was organised by local DMK cadre and no farmer or workers’ association took part in it. “None of those women belong to our villages. This is drama enacted by DMK cadre against us,” one of the farmers affected by the project told TNIE. When TNIE spoke to an old woman who took part in Thursday’s protest, she said,
“I am from Kancheepuram. DMK cadre in Cheyyar called me for a party meeting in Melma. I don’t know what the SIPCOT issue is all about. They promised us Rs 200 and food for our participation.” Talking to TNIE, PR Pandian, president of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu, said, “No resident from the 11 villages around this area wants Melma SIPCOT project. The crowd which gathered on Thursday was brought from other places and paid for it. This is shameful.”
Withdraw cases against farmers, urges CPI
Chennai: The CPI has urged the state government to withdraw all cases filed against farmers who have been protesting against the SIPCOT project in Tiruvannamalai. CPI state secretary R Mutharasan criticised
government officials for inaction, alleging negligence in addressing farmers’ grievance since the protests began in July. Despite the government revoking Goondas Act against the protesting farmers, the
case against Arul, a key protest coordinator, is yet to be revoked. Mutharasan urged the government to release the farmers who have been detained and initiate discussions for a peaceful resolution.