The DMK government in Tamil Nadu took into custody and detained 20 farmers who had been opposing the surrender of their wetlands for the Melma SIPCOT industrial project near Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai. Hundreds of farmers have been actively resisting the proposed acquisition of approximately 3,000 acres of agricultural wetlands by SIPCOT for it to be leased to private industries.
According to a statement by Arappor Iyakkam, the police forcefully entered the farmers’ homes, arrested and remanded 20 of them to judicial custody based on an FIR filed in August 2023 in the wee hours of 4 November 2023.
Arappor Statement condemning the arrest and remand of Farmers opposing MELMA Sipcot
திருவண்ணாமலை மாவட்டம் மேல்மா சிப்காட் உருவாக்குவதற்காக தங்கள் விளைநிலங்களை கையகப்படுத்துவதை எதிர்த்து போராடி வரும் 20 விவசாயிகளை தமிழ்நாடு அரசு நவம்பர் 4 அன்று கைது செய்து சிறையில் அடைத்துள்ளது.… pic.twitter.com/tPGJ0ZWIkH— Arappor Iyakkam (@Arappor) November 10, 2023
The FIR was reportedly registered when the farmers were participating in a collective walk for a public hearing, during which the police intervened, charging them with unlawful assembly and other sections carrying a maximum penalty of five years.
Arappor Iyakkam head Jayaram Venkatesan also noted that the mainstream media is wrongly reporting the news saying that farmers were arrested when they were protesting on 4 November 2023. However, according to Jayaram, no protest happened on 4 November 2023. Apparently, the farmers were picked up police in the wee hours when they were sleeping based on an FIR filed in August.
Mainstream media, pls note. U r reporting wrongly. On Nov 4, no protest was done. Farmers were sleeping in their houses . They were picked up at night /early morning 2 am from their houses when they were sleeping in their houses and arrested on a FIR filed in August . August FIR…
— Jayaram Venkatesan (@JayaramArappor) November 16, 2023
The proposed land acquisition poses a threat to the farmers’ livelihoods, as they have been cultivating various crops like paddy, sugarcane, and groundnut on these lands for many years.
On 16 November 2023, The South First reported that the Tiruvannamalai District Collector and District Magistrate detained seven farmers from the district under the Goondas Act for peacefully protesting against the Melma SIPCOT industrial project. The seven farmers, who hail from various villages in Cheyyar and Uthangarai taluks, were part of the group of 20 farmers arrested on 4 November 2023, based on the FIR filed in August. They have been placed in central prisons in Tiruchy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Vellore, Cuddalore, and Palayamkottai.
Silence From Kollywood Artists & TN Media
While the entire Kollywood coterie came out in support of the farmer’s protest of 2020-21, not one of them has come out speaking for these farmers who have been arrested under stringent Goondas Act. Actors like Karthi (brother of actor Suriya) had tweeted in support of the protest.
Let’s not forget our farmers!#FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/m5sqnkf9HD
— Karthi (@Karthi_Offl) December 3, 2020
Even the media channels had gone overboard in their reportage portraying the Modi government as fascists and denouncing the Farm Laws.
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party State Secretary SG Suryah called out the duality of the media and Kollywood actors especially Karthi in his X post. He wrote,
“Media journalists and actors who put 24*7 Breaking News by remixing songs for the agricultural protest that took place somewhere. Karthi How disgraceful is it that fake militants like these refuse to open their mouths about the DMK government’s use of goondas on the farmers who waged a religious struggle for the first time in the history of India? Although the words are harsh, the only question is “Oh! Will the dog survive this fate?”
எங்கோ நடந்த விவசாய போராட்டத்துக்கு Remix பாடல்கள் போட்டு 24*7 Breaking News போட்ட ஊடக ஊடகவியலாளர்களும், நடிகர் @Karthi_Offl போன்ற போலி போராளிகளும் இன்று இந்திய வரலாற்றில் முதன்முதலாக அறப்போராட்டம் செய்த விவசாயிகள் மீது தி.மு.க அரசு குண்டாஸ் போட்டதை குறித்து வாய் திறக்க மறுப்பது… pic.twitter.com/bEFykj7daU
— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) November 17, 2023
Tamil Nadu BJP Head Annamalai had earlier lashed out at the DMK government condemning their action.
While we think the DMK Govt can't stoop any lower than its current state, they have proved us wrong by detaining farmers under the Goondas Act.
Farmers in Tiruvannamalai district in TN have been protesting peacefully for the last 125 days against the government’s decision to… pic.twitter.com/MktYKVO5uF
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) November 16, 2023
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