Tamil Nadu   

CPI cadres, farmers arrested

— Photo: K. Ganesan.

Agitation: Farmers being arrested in Madurai on Tuesday.

THENI: Over 250 members, including 110 women of the Communists Party of India, were arrested when they attempted to block trains and buses at various places in the district on Tuesday.

They demanded minimum support price of Rs.1,000 for every quintal of paddy on a par with the price fixed by the Centre for wheat. Cadres in Theni congregated at the Theni Railway Station to block train.

The police prevented and arrested them.

Meanwhile, the cadres blocked traffic in prime towns and town panchayats pressing the same demand. Earlier, heavy police personnel were deployed at the station.

Over 400 farmers and farm hands were arrested at three places in the district when they tried to block road on Wednesday.

The district secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, A. Vijayamurugan, led the protest at Seithur. Agitations were also held at Virudhunagar and Watrap.

Cadres of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam blocked traffic at Tamukkam junction.

The district secretary of the association, K. Devaraj, led the protest in which the Madurai East MLA, N. Nanmaran, took part. The protestors were arrested.

Earlier, addressing the farmers, Mr. Devaraj said that their demand to increase the minimum support price was justified by the increasing input cost.

The cost of fertilizer, seeds, pesticide and wages for workers have gone up manifold over the years.

But the price of the produce has not gone up correspondingly.

“As a result, farmers are becoming loan defaulters and the cases of suicide had increased in the country,” he said.

Stating that cultivation of paddy was much more difficult than that of wheat, he insisted that the minimum support price for paddy should also be increased to Rs. 1000 a quintal.

The State Government on its part should give an incentive of Rs. 100 a quintal.

Mr. Devaraj also asked the Government to open direct procurement centres at all places to enable farmers to sell their produce at a reasonable price.

“Otherwise, we are forced for distress selling,” he said. He also accused that fertilizers were being hoarded by the sellers who were selling them at an exorbitant price. The Madurai district secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist), V. Annadurai (urban) and V. Sundaram (rural), the Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Thozhilalargal Sangam, district leader, P. Ravi, were among those who addressed the farmers.

Meanwhile, another group of farmers led by the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, Madurai district secretary, P. Kalidass, were arrested when they tried to proceed towards the Madurai Railway junction to stage a rail roko.

The district leader of Tamil Maanila Vivasaya Thozhilalargal Sangam N. Jyothiramalingam and the Communist Party of India district secretary, P. Sethuraman, proceeded from the Kattabomman Statue to the railway junction.

They demanded the Kerala Government to give up the proposal to construct a new dam in lieu of Periyar dam, Rs. 1,000 a quintal minimum support price for paddy, compensation for crops lost in recent rain, interest-free crop loan among other demands.

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