Trichy: The farmers in different states across the country are protesting against the recently passed Agriculture Bills. Meanwhile farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy district protested in a unique style by tying their hands and holding human skulls outside the district collector’s office.
The protest was organised by the National South Indian Rivers Link Agricultural Association.
Ayyakkannu, the president of the association said, “The farmers have tied themselves with long chains which symbolically represent the farmers’ bill that has tied them. The human skulls state that they will become dead if the bill is implemented.” The protest is been carried keeping social distancing norms and other health measures in mind.
According to the Centre, these Bills will help small and marginal farms directly connect with large agri-business firms and will do away with stock-holding limits on key commodities. The middle man or intermediaries will be eliminated as the farmers will have liberty to sell the produce outside mandis.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by Parliament recently by voice vote despite objection from opposition parties.
Earlier, Harsimrat Badal resigned as union minister from Modi’s cabinet in protest of passed bill. According to Harsimrat, she held meetings with farmers and peasant organizations continuously for two months before the ordinance came. But when the bill was on the agenda of the Parliament, I understood that my party was not supporting the dialogue. The former minister also said that she had no concern with the statements of the opposition.