THE Samyukta Kisan Morcha(SKM) state coordination committee meeting was held on December 7, 2021, at Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu. In the meeting, it was decided that the historic struggle and its success at the Delhi borders would be celebrated at Thiruvarur since that location is the central point for delta farmers in Tamil Nadu. The preparations for the victory rally began in full swing and all farmers unions involved themselves in the mission to make it a grand success despite torrential rainfall and floods in major parts of Tamil Nadu.

FARMERS’ PROTESTS ACROSS TAMIL NADU

The farmers’ unions put in their sustained efforts despite facing many challenges. In the district of Mayiladudurai farmers were fighting against the acquisition of agricultural lands for the expansion of the four-lane express highway. The peasants and tenants were not compensated as per the assurances given to them, hence they decided to intensify the movement by holding an indefinite struggle from December 21. The state AIKS general secretary, P Shanmugam along with other leaders, Durai Raj, Samy Natarajan, from the delta region, participated in the struggle.

The farmers’ unions successfully organised 300 peasants to participate in the struggle every day on a rotational basis to mount pressure on the state government to agree to its legitimate demands of compensation. The sustained movement had a cascading effect on the district revenue administration and hence the officials agreed to compensate the affected farmers and tenants. The AIKS and other protesting farmers agreed to call off the struggle temporarily in order to allow the district administration to complete the task of compensation.

In Madurai district, 4,000 sugarcane farmers, 2,000 sugarcane cutting workers and 1,000 truck and tractor drivers and sugar mill workers totalling about 13,000 were denied direct and indirect employment, due to the closure of Madurai National Co-operative Sugar Mill since 2019. The affected farmers and other stakeholders and their families decided to fight against the injustice and they jumped into the protests on December 14 in front of the Madurai Cooperative Sugar Mill gate. The protest was organised with 300 sugarcane growers every day on a rotational basis. The protest was presided over by N Pazhaniswamy, under the guidance of D Raveendran, all India president of the Sugarcane Farmers Association, P Shanmugam, CPI(M) district secretary K Rajendran, and other AIKS leaders.

Nearly 1,000 adivasis from the Salem district resorted to picketing the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Athur division to protest against the apathy shown by the district administration in issuing ST certificates to the legitimate adivasis. The Tamil Nadu Tribal Association leader, P Dillibabu - Ex MLA, presided over the agitation.

On December 25, AIKS and AIAWU state units observed the 51st anniversary of the Keezhvenmani massacre, where 44 dalit agricultural workers including 23 children and 16 women were brutally killed after their huts were set on fire by the upper caste landlords in 1968. The brutal incident was remembered by paying rich tributes to those who lost their precious lives during the massacre. A memorial was constructed in memory of those who were burnt alive and the day is observed every year.

Progressive people and working people across the state visit the memorial and pay their respects to those who sacrificed their lives. CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, G Ramakrishnan and CPI(M) state secretary and AIKS national vice-president, K Balakrishnan (Ex-MLA), CITU national vice-president, A Soundararajan (Ex-MLA), P Shanmugam, AIAWU state president, A Lazer (Ex-MLA), Nagaimali (MLA) and others addressed the well attended public meeting at Keezhvenmani.

The recent torrential rains due to the southwest and northeast monsoon and floods across the state have caused huge damage and destroyed crops to a great extent. The AIKS state unit demanded compensation for the crop damage. It was in the midst of these struggles and challenges that the repeal of farm laws victory rally was organised at Thiruvarur.

MASSIVE THIRUVARUR RALLY

Farmers across the state assembled on December 29 at Thiruvarur railway station with cultural and traditional music of Tamil soil like Nathaswaram, Parai and NayyandiMelam. After the huge rally, a public meeting was held at Temple Car Street (Theradi) of Thiruvarur town. It was well attended by more than 15,000 farmers representing 50 farmers unions.

The meeting was presided over by K V Ponnaiyan, a state working committee member of SKM. It was inaugurated by Ashok Dhawale, SKM leader and national president of AIKS. Dhawale spoke on the experiences at the Delhi borders and how the farmers through their historic struggle forced the Modi government to repeal the controversial anti-farmer, anti-people and pro-corporate farm laws. He also stressed the need for continuing the struggles to keep the momentum of the movement with the demand for a legal guarantee for MSP and procurement and various other demands at the state level.

Dhawale narrated the heinous crimes in the form of attacking the farmers with water cannons, teargas, lathi charges, fake cases and arrests by the Modi government at the centre. The worst kind of repression was a BJP union minister conspiring to kill farmers by mowing them down with his cars. Instead of being in jail on murder charges, Modi and Shah have still kept him in the union cabinet. But all these attempts made the farmers even more determined and they united all farmers to continue the historic battle with even greater discipline and unity.

The renowned American intellectual, Noam Chomsky, described the struggle of the farmers of India as “a beacon of hope in dark times” for all working people in the entire world who are fighting against neo-liberal policies. The unity of farmers across religion, caste, language and region was significant. The struggle at the Delhi borders inspired the working class and the people across the country and the world, and they came on to the streets to show their solidarity with the protesting farmers. The Modi government was trapped from all corners and finally had to announce that farm laws would be scrapped through Parliament.

AIKS (Ajoy Bhawan) general secretary, Atul Kumar Anjan, spoke on the occasion and greeted the Tamil Nadu SKM unit for organising such an impressive public rally. He said that there was a 22 per cent increase in paddy production but at the same time the price of fertilisers and pesticides had hugely increased, fattening the corporates even further. He also called for intensifying the nationwide struggle for MSP and other burning farmers’ demands.  

The rally was also addressed by P Shanmugam (AIKS), S Gunasekaran (Ex-MLA), V Amirthalingam (AIAWU), K V IlamKeeran, A Rangaswamy, Chandramohan, Kaliraj, Kaliyappan, women farmer leaders Ponnuthayi, Mary Lillibhai and others.

During the rally, Ashok Dhawale and Atul Kumar Anjan honoured Esther Mary, R Bharathi, Durairaj, Kalaivendan, Hari Prasadh and Gnana Raj who were jailed in false police cases related to farmers’ protests across the state by the previous AIADMK regime.