Date:06/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/06/stories/2009010655520300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Farmers arrested for attempting road roko

Staff Reporter

KULITHALAI: Police arrested 129 cadres including 52 women belonging to the Tamil Nadu Vivasyigal Sangam and All India Agricultural Labourers’ Association when they attempted to stage a road roko here on Monday to highlight their charter of demands.

The protestors demanded that the State government rescind the Revised Land Ceiling Act, making good the DMK’s poll promise of two acres each for landless poor and granting house site and land pattas to all those who had applied.

They also demanded that the sugar mills in the State should bear harvest and freight costs and also disburse Rs. 1,550 a tonne for the cane they buy from the growers. The State and Central governments should repair all the group houses damaged over the years, the protestors sought.

Led by the district treasurer of the Tamil Nadu Vivasyigal Sangam T. Elangovan, the cadres initially assembled at the bus stand and raised slogans. Then they walked towards the Taluk Office and staged a road roko there when the police intervened and picked up 129 persons.

Those arrested included district president of the Sangam M. Palaniyandi, district secretary of the Labourers’ Association S. Shanmugasundaram, Farmers’ Association secretary P. Ilakuvanan and office bearers of the CPI from Kulithalai, Krishnarayapuram and Thogamalai panchayat unions.