Farmers, unions stage protests in TN against farm laws

Over 300 people who attempted to protest on theThanjavur-Tiruchirappalli highway were detained by police.Farmers held tractor rallies in Tiruchirappalli insupport of the ryots.

Farmers and trade unions inTamil Nadu on Tuesday held protests against the Centre's newfarm laws as well as in support of the ryots opposing them inDelhi for the past two months.

Many protesters, who took out motorcycle rallies,carried the National flag and also placards with sloganscondemning the farm laws in many parts of the state althoughpolice had declined permission for the procession.

Such processions were held in Thanjavur, Coimbatore,Tiruchirappalli and Nagapattinam, among others.

Tense moments prevailed for sometime in Thanjavurwhen a group of farmers had a scuffle with the police forstopping them. Over 300 people who attempted to protest on theThanjavur-Tiruchirappalli highway were detained by police.

Farmers held tractor rallies in Tiruchirappalli insupport of the ryots. According to superintendent of police,Tiruchirappalli (in-charge), Senthil Kumar, no arrests weremade.

In Cuddalore too, farmers rode two-wheelers andstaged a protest.

At the Villupuram railway station, the CommunistParty of India took out a rally in support of the farmers,while a similar protest was held at Chepauk here.

''We wanted to ensure at least a tractor in everydistrict, as it is a farmer's symbol. The Delta districtssaw the participation of many tractors in our protest,'' AllIndia Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) statecoordinator K Balakrishnan said.

At Coimbatore, members of trade unions and politicalparties took out processions at various places in solidaritywith the farmers, seeking repeal of the new central farmlaws.

Seven major trade unions, including INTUC, AITUC andCITU, took out a motorcycle procession in the city, holdingthe tricolour and banners demanding withdrawal of the farmlaws, which, they alleged, will shift agriculture to the handsof corporate companies.

They also demanded withdrawal of the proposal fornew Labour laws, which they said would seriously affect theworkers and help big companies.

Another procession was taken out by All India KisanProtection Coordination Committee, headed by Tamil NaduFarmers Union, affiliated to CPI, carrying variousagricultural implements.

They raised slogans against the laws, police said.

In another procession by SDPI (Social Democratice Partyof India), some workers took out a procession-- 'funeral ofagriculture--symbolising the death of agriculture if the lawswere implemented.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)