Right from grade school, we were always taught that agriculture was the backbone of Indian economy — it was drilled into our brains through textbooks, lectures as well as daily news reports. Yet, the Government chooses to remain oblivious to the very roots of this proclaimed ‘backbone’. After the focus on farmer suicides subsided and the Government successfully maneuvered their way out of providing legitimate aid to ease the situation or meet the farmer’s demands, history is repeating itself. Tamil Nadu witnessed the worst drought in 140 years, which not only set back the farmer’s harvests but also further fuelled the Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Upset farmers have vented their agitation at the Government’s failure to keep to the promises made — drought relief through funds and loan waivers, as well as the formation of a Cauvery Management Committee. As of now, the farmers have been protesting on Jantar Mantar road for over a 100 days, carrying skeletal remains of farmers who had committed suicide as examples. The farmers didn’t just stop there though, they’ve gone on to shave their heads, whip themselves, drink their own urine, march naked, and even eat mice in an attempt to gain the government’s attention.
P Ayyakkannu, President of the National-South Indian Rivers Linking Farmers Association told NDTV, “Rain or sun, our agitation will not stop. Both state and central governments did not fulfill the promises they made to us. They had assured us that our mortgaged jewellery would not be sold. However, banks have started selling the jewellery. Now, they are going to sell our land as well.” The protests had initially come to an end when the government promised the above, but when they failed to live up to their expectations, the farmers knew they had to go back to protesting. P Ayyakkannu continued, “Due to water crisis and drought in the state, farmers are under a huge financial burden. We are almost destroyed. We don’t care if we die protesting here.”
The farmers are currently demanding a complete loan waiver and an interlinking of rivers to solve the water problem. Due to the government’s continued ignorance towards the situation, the farmers recently even tied a noose around their necks, to show how their lives seemed inconsequential to the ‘greater power’. We can only hope the government decides to keep to their word — they seem to forget that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
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