Farmers take to the streets across delta districts

In Thanjavur, members of the Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee, an umbrella organisation of political parties, farmers’ associations and civil society organisations led by P Maniyarasan, coordinator of the committee, launched a flash road blockade at the Irwin bridge across the Grand Anaicut canal. 

The protestors accused the Union government for betraying the Tamil Nadu people and the farmers. They urged BJP members from Tamil Nadu to quit the party if they are truly interested in the rights of Tamils over Cauvery water.

The protesters raised slogans against the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. They accused Palaniswami for not taking steps to safeguard the interests of Tamils in the Cauvery issue and demanded that the state government convey its opinion on the issue in strong terms to the Centre. 

They also pointed out that the failure of the Union government to constitute the CMB was a breach of the Constitution. Maniyarasan said, MPs and MLAs should resign and face fresh elections, condemning the betrayal of the Centre. He added that the offices of the Union government in the state should be closed if the Centre fails to set up the CMB. 

Due to the protest, traffic on the Gandhiji road was affected for more than an hour after the police arrested all protesters. 

In Tiruvarur, residents of Koodur village raised black flags in their houses and shops as a mark of protest against the Centre’s refusal to form the CMB. 

Similarly, in Nagapattinam, police arrested hundreds of farmers staging protest against the Union and state governments for not establishing the CMB. Prof T Jayaraman, coordinator, Anti-Methane Project, said the Union government was ignoring the decisions made in the all-party meeting arranged by the Tamil Nadu government, the resolution passed in the TN Legislative Assembly and protests of Tamil Nadu MPs for the past 17 days. This is an act ridiculing the people of Tamil Nadu, he said.