Ryots take out statewide tractor rallies for legalising MSP

TIRUCHY: Members of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Association took out tractor rallies demanding legal assurance for Minimum Support Prices at various places across the Delta region on Thursday.

In order to press upon the Centre to fulfill their long-standing demands like legalising the MSP, waiver of crop loans and withdrawal of three new criminal laws, the association had decided to hold tractor rallies across the state on August 15. Accordingly, the well-attended rallies were held at various places, including Ponneri in Chennai, Coimbatore, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.

According to the protesting farmers, they have long been demanding to legalise the MSP for the agricultural produce and to fix the MSP as per MS Swaminathan recommendations, but the Centre continues to maintain silence on their demands. Similarly, the farmers have been demanding to waive crop loans for the past several years, but the demands go unheard.

In Thanjavur, the members commenced the rally from Tholgappiar square and went along Vandikara Street, Railady, Gandhiji Road, Anna Statue juncture, Raja Midasurar Government Hospital and reached the Cholan statue juncture. Around 20 tractors took part in the rally. Association state president R Thirupathi Vandaiyar presided over the rally.

Similarly, the rally held in Tiruvarur was led by district president M Subbaiah and secretary Kudavasal Saravanan. Similar rally was held in Nagapattinam where the farmers raised slogans before the commencement of the rally.