Waive off all agricultural loans: TN farmers vows to continue protest

The farmers of Tamil Nadu in Delhi are demanding that the Centre should waive off all loans.

New Delhi, April 5: A day after the Madras high court in Chennai came to the rescue of drought-hit farmers of Tamil Nadu, a group of protesting farmers from the state decided to continue with their agitation in Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Wednesday till all their demands are met.

In its order, the court directed the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government to waive off loans of all farmers in cooperative banks. Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government waived off loans of farmers who owned five-acre of land.

"Tamil Nadu farmers continue protest demanding drought relief fund at Jantar Mantar in Delhi," reported ANI on Wednesday.

While the 80-odd farmers, who are peacefully protesting at the national capital, have welcomed the Madras HC's latest order, however, they say this is a small victory. "Our loans from nationalised banks still remain. We will continue to fight and protest, until our demands are met," said South Indian Rivers Inter-Linking Farmers Association president P Ayyakannu, who is leading the protest.

"There are around 20 lakh farmers who had loans from such banks. 16 lakh had already benefitted under the scheme by the state government. The new order will benefit the other 4 lakh farmers too, who had also lost their crops in the drought," added Ayyakannu.

Since March 14, a group of 80-odd farmers from Tamil Nadu are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding financial relief as they have lost their crops and savings in the ongoing drought in the state. The peaceful agitation has brought a lot of attention as the farmers are protesting with skulls.

OneIndia News