Poultry farmers on strike in Tiruppur submit petition to authorities along with family members

Poultry farmers who have been on strike for a month, seeking a revision of rearing rates by broiler units, took along their family members to the District Collectorate on Friday to submit a petition to District Collector Manish Narnaware, calling for immediate intervention by the government to resolve the issue.

They demanded immediate release of the founder of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Padhukappu Sangam Easan Murugasamy and nine others against whom the police had registered eight cases across the district. The police had acted on the complaint of the broiler companies stating that they were obstructing movement of chicks to the poultry farms.

In connection with one of the cases, Mr. Easan Murugasamy was produced in the Udumalpet Court on Monday.

According to the broiler farmers, the protest will continue until the State Government holds the sitting of tripartite committee involving representatives of the broiler companies, poultry farmers and the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department. Representatives of the association demanded the release of Mr. Easan Murugasamy at the farmers’ grievances redress meeting in Coimbatore also on Friday.

Espousing the cause of poultry farmers along with many others, Logeswari, a functionary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Padhukappu Sangam said the arrest of Mr. Easan Murugasamy amounted to repression of the rights of aggrieved farmers to stage peaceful protests highlighting their demands, and appealed for support from all other farmer welfare organisations.

Her demand for withdrawal of “foisted cases” and release of the arrested farmers was endorsed by most participants.