NE NEWS SERVICED
CHENNAI JUNE 5
Members of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, a farmers’ body affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), on Saturday burned copies of the three farm laws introduced by the Centre a year ago, demanding their repeal.
The protests were held across the State with the farmers assembling in small groups wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing owing to the pandemic.
Recalling the year-long protest by farmers across the country and their sacrifices during the New Delhi stir, the Sangams State general secretary P Shanmugam urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to take steps to pass a resolution against the farm laws in the Assembly.
Our Chief Minister wrote to the Union government recently seeking the withdrawal of the three farm laws for the welfare of the farming community. Stalin should pass a resolution against these legislations in the state Assembly soon, he said.
At Tambaram, near here, 15 people led by Shanmugam gathered to burn copies of the laws. They raised slogans denouncing the Centre for enacting the anti-farmer laws and burned copies of the legislation. Soon, policemen at the spot doused the flames with a bucket full of water. Our protest, coinciding on June 5, the day on which the BJP-led government at the Centre promulgated the ordinances in 2020, was peaceful, Shanmugam said.
Members of the association staged the agitation throughout the state keeping in mind the COVID safety norms. In certain districts such as Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam, the CPI and CPI (M) have extended support to us, Shanmugam said.
The farmers have been protesting against the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation), Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
