Despite loan waiver and declaration of special zone, delta residents cite concerns
On the surface, it may be an Assembly election sans issues in the Cauvery delta region. Declaration of the delta region as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone (PSAZ) and the waiving of cooperative farm loans to the tune of ₹12,000 crore seem to have resolved long-pending issues of the farmers. But the simmering discontent over a “lack of progress” and the favouring of one section could play a role in the election.
“Even though the State government has created the Tamil Nadu Protected Agricultural Zone Authority, not a single meeting has been held so far, though it should meet at least twice a year,” said V. Sethuraman, a farmer from Mannargudi.
The undisturbed nest of a sparrow in the paddy field of J Ranganathan near Kumbakonam
TRICHY: A farmer hailing from a village near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur has earned the appreciation of people for leaving a portion of his paddy field unharvested after spotting the nest and eggs of a sparrow. He went on to strengthen the nest with supportive sticks and harvest the rest of the crops.
Watch: A farmer hailing from a village near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu leaves a portion of his paddy field unharveste… https://t.co/ST4lkqTyTo TOIChennai (@TOIChennai) 1613797351000
J Ranganathan alias Raghu, 40, had raised paddy on his three-acre land in Sathanur village. As the crops completed their 120-day cycle and were ready for harvest, Ranganathan used a harvester machine to reap the field. As he was moving along with the machine, he spotted a bird nest over the paddy crop at three feet height on a portion of his field. After alerting the harvester operator to stop, Ranganathan checked the nest
Irfan Jafri from Madhya Pradesh at a protest against the farm laws. | Photo courtesy: Irfan Jafri
Irfan Jafri is itching to get back to Delhi.
On November 26, when hundreds of farmers marched towards national capital in protest against three new agriculture laws, 50-year-old Jafri was among them. When the Delhi police shut down the city’s borders, he spent 17 days camping at the Singhu border between Haryana and Delhi with 200 other farmers from his village in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district.
“During that time, locals opened up their homes to us, Sikh groups gave us free langar food, and we had a chance to meet farmers from all over India,” said Jafri, a wheat, rice and soyabean farmer who heads a local agricultural organisation – Kisan Jagruti Sangathan – in his district.
Coimbatore: MP P R Natarajan, along with farmers, staged a protest in front of Bharathiar University on Tuesday, demanding the state government to provide enhanced compensation to the farmers whose land was acquired to set up the varsity in 1982. The MP warned that the farmers would enter the university premises with their cattle in January, if the government didn’t settle the issue.
“In 1982, the state had acquired about 950 acres of agricultural land from more than 400 farmers at Bommanampalayam, Kalveerampalayam, Navavoor and surrounding areas to construct the university by paying them Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per acre. “When the farmers sought an increase in the compensation amount, the government asked them to move the court. Subsequently, the farmers sought the intervention of the high court and the judgement came in their favour in 2005,” said VP Elangovan, state president of Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association.