THE Cauvery Delta districts of Tamil Nadu are considered as the “rice bowl” of the region. The rich soil of this area is known for its three-crop cycle a year producing many a variety of rice, the most famous being Samba Rice. Such a fertile delta land area is being turned into a desert, by allowing capitalist forces to extract hydro-carbon from this rich soil.  

In 2016, the central government introduced a new policy of extraction of hydro-carbon materials from the early findings of such reserve across the country. Extraction agencies were allowed to select their own fields for this purpose on the basis of a single window clearance. On August 1, 2018, the cabinet decided to extend this single window clearance to those projects that were in operation prior to 2016.

Meanwhile, in October 2015, the Jayalalithaa-led Tamil Nadu government had issued a permanent order banning the extraction of methane and other hydro-carbon materials from the sub-soil across the state though oil extraction agencies such as ONGC, Vedanta, etc., were very keen to expand their operation in Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa’s 2015 order came about following vociferous opposition to such projects from farmers of the Cauvery Delta districts and they heaved a sigh of relief when the state government permanently banned such activities.

However, sensing the fluid political situation that prevailed in Tamil Nadu following the death of Jayalalithaa, the extraction agencies, Vedanta and ONGC became hyperactive and sought the clearance for such projects in Tamil Nadu from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on March14, 2019 and April 5,2019 and got the clearance for the same silently in the midst of Lok Sabha elections cacophony. Keeping the public sector ONGC on the front, it was allotted an area of 731 sq km from Thyagavalli of Cuddalore district to Vaitheeswaran Koil of Nagapattinam district, while Vedanta was allotted an area of 1,794 sq km from Marakkanam to Kullanchavadi of Villupuram district and an area of 2,764 sq km from Parangipettai to Pushpavanam of Nagappattinam district totaling 4,558 sq km to undertake relevant tests and extract hydro-carbon from the allotted areas. The above decision was hidden from the public knowledge until the election results.

As these agencies began their activities by destroying the standing crops, the farmers of Cauvery Delta districts were up in arms. Immediately the Kisan Sabha of Tamil Nadu announced a two-wheeler awareness programme in the affected districts. As usual the state administration unleashed its police forces to stop the programme and permissions were denied to conduct even street-corner meetings in thoroughfares. However, the Kisan Sabha went ahead and successfully conducted this programme from June 5 to 10 and was able to mobilize a sizeable section of peasants in the area.

While speaking in a meeting held at Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu Kisan Sabha general secretary, P Shanmugam lambasted the state government for unleashing terror in the minds of the farmers as done earlier for Salem–Chennai eight-lane highway project. He reiterated the farmers have every right to express their views on any government project that effects them and the people at large. This is also a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution, he asserted. The delta districts are predominantly being the rice producing centre of the state, both the farmers and the people will always prefer rice over the extracted oil. Hence, it is the duty of the farmers of delta districts to unitedly fight against the mischief of the crony capitalists and safeguard the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu at any cost.

It may be recalled that even during the CPI(M) protest yatra against the forcible acquisition of lands for the proposed eight-lane highway from Salem to Chennai, the police showed their highhandedness and denied permission to hold such protest actions. Even in this case, the Supreme Court denied the prayer of the state government to stay the order of the Madras High Court which had quashed the order of the state government to acquire lands for the proposed highway project.

The Kisan Sabha formed a human chain for about 600 km from Villupuram to Ramanathapuram on June 12 from 5 pm to 6 pm wherein all sections of the people participated demanding the withdrawal of permission given to these public and private agencies to extract hydro carbon from the delta districts. With the exception of AIADMK and BJP, all political parties extended their support to the programme. Similarly, many other mass organisations too extended support without any barrier to drive out these land grabbers who are hell bent to destroy this rice bowl of thousands of years in the name of development.