Tamil Nadu’s farmer’s plight remain unheard with a number of helpless farmers committing suicides. Tamil Nadu farmers protest wearing human skulls represent suicides by agricultural workers during 100 days of hunger strikes.
The problems faced by the farmers are as follows:
- 12 lakh acres of land suffer due to failed monsoons and drought;
- Inability to repay loans;
- Exorbitantly high interest rates charged by private money lenders;
- Debt traps, threats by exploitative leaders;
- Nationalized banks refusing end despite documents;
- 2 farmers taking their lives a day: Tamil Nadu’s Farmers Association;
- All this is symptomatic of a collapse of social safety net.
The Major demands of the Farmers are:
- Loan waivers;
- Drought relief packages (Relief sought to tune INR 20,000 crore);
- Better support price for products.
On February 22nd, Chief Minister E. Palaniswami sanctioned Rs.2247 crores as drought relief to more than 3.2 million farmers. Farmers met Uma Bharti, Minister of Water Resource of India who assured them that the interlinking of National rivers is under process. But the question which arises is, will this bring an end to the plight of the farmers?
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