Members of various farmers organisations and political parties hoisted black flags atop houses and staged protests in the central districts on Wednesday, to express solidarity with the farmers agitating against the three new farm laws in New Delhi and to press the Union government to repeal the laws.
The protest was being staged in response to the call given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha, to observe May 26 as Black Day, marking six months of farmers’ protests in New Delhi.
At Mannargudi, P.R. Pandian, president,Coordination Committee of Tamil Nadu All Farmers Associations, staged a demonstration after hoisting a black flag atop his house. Lakhs of farmers were risking their lives to stage the protest against the farm laws, he pointed out and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to hold talks with them. The Centre should come forward to repeal the three laws, he demanded and welcomed Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s reported assurance that a resolution would be adopted in the Assembly against the three new farm laws.
Cadre of the Communist Party of India and members of various other organisations such as Tamil Maanila Vivasaya Thozhilalar Sangam hoisted black flags atop their houses at Budalar and elsewhere in Thanjavur, Tiruchi and other districts in the central region.
In Tiruchi, a group of farmers, led by P. Ayyakannu, president, Desiya Thennidiya Nadigal Innaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, staged a protest by squatting on the road on the Karur-Bypass Road. They raised slogans urging the Centre to repeal the three new farm laws. and also ensure remunerative prices for farm produce.
Coimbatore
Black flags were raised atop hundreds of houses across Coimbatore district on Wednesday as people here too, extended solidarity to the call by farmers who are protesting against the three disputed central agricultural laws.
Coimbatore MP P.R. Natarajan put up a black flag in front of his house. He held a poster which said that the observance of black day marked the completion of six months of protests by farmers against the agricultural laws on the borders of Delhi and seven years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. A black flag was also hoisted at the district committee office of the CPI (M) at Gandhipuram in Coimbatore.
Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Coimbatore, extended support to the black day observance as hundreds of its members raised black flags in front of their residences and establishments Ukkadam, Athupalam, Karumbukadai, Kuniyamuthur, Podanur, Sulur and Mettupalayam.
Black flags were put up at the houses in several villages of Aliyar and Anamalai regions.
V.S. Paramasivam, president of the Tamil Nadu Tribal Association, Coimbatore district, said that many tribal settlements in and around Anamalai extended solidarity to the black day observance.
A poster by the CITU extending support to the black day observance made various demands to the Central Government including withdrawal of the three farm laws, allocation of ₹7,500 as COVID-19 relief fund to families of labourers who do not belong to any trade union for three months and provision of rights to public sector undertakings to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines.
A section of farmers associations in Coimbatore district also supported the black day observance.
