A long-running dispute involving sugarcane farmers and the now-defunct Thiru Arooran Sugar Mill escalated into a flash protest on the day Chief Minister MK Stalin visited the district, with police detaining protesting farmers and confining them inside a private wedding hall.
The Thiru Arooran Sugar Mill, located in Thirumandankudi near Papanasam in Thanjavur district, had been operational for several years before shutting down permanently in 2018. According to the farmers, the mill management failed to pay approximately ₹115 crore in dues owed to sugarcane cultivators between 2015 and 2018.
Farmers have also alleged that the mill management fraudulently secured loans worth around ₹300 crore from nationalized banks in their names. As a result, many farmers now face civil liabilities and are unable to access fresh credit from banks.
Following its closure, the Thiru Arooran Sugar Mill was later acquired by another company, which is currently operating the unit.
The affected farmers have been demanding that the Tamil Nadu government clear the pending ₹115 crore dues along with interest, repay the loans allegedly taken in their names, and take over the mill to run it under direct government control. Despite submitting repeated petitions, farmers state that no action has been taken so far.
They have been engaged in a continuous agitation for nearly 1,500 days over these demands.
Amid this backdrop, Chief Minister MK Stalin arrived at Thilakar Maidan in Thanjavur to participate in a public meeting in support of candidates contesting the Thanjavur district assembly constituencies.
In protest against the Chief Minister’s visit, the agitating sugarcane farmers staged a sudden demonstration near the Thanjavur Railway Station, leading to commotion in the area.
Police, however, preemptively detained the protesting farmers, bundled them into vans, and transported them to a private wedding hall, where they were locked inside. The action further escalated tension at the scene.
தஞ்சையில் முதல்வர் ஸ்டாலின் வருகைக்கு எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்து விவசாயிகள் திடீர் ஆர்ப்பாட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டதால் பரபரப்பு#Thanjavur | #MKStalin | #DMK | #Protest | #ElectionWithPT pic.twitter.com/daJZpTEOUq
— PttvOnlinenews (@PttvNewsX) April 11, 2026
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