A steady stream of young Tamilians from across the country has been joining in the protest. In a recent such development, a young man named Pradeep Sivanandan quit his high-paying job at a multi-national company in Mumbai to join the protest.
Thirty one days on, the Tamilian farmers' protest in the Capital is going strong. The farmers, who have come from different parts of Tamil Nadu, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since March 14. They are demanding a farm loan waiver, a drought relief fund, and a Cauvery Management Board, among other things.
A steady stream of young Tamilians from across the country has been joining in the protest. In a recent such development, a young man named Pradeep Sivanandan quit his high-paying job at a multi-national company in Mumbai to join the protest. Sivanandan took the decision much against his mother's will, while keeping it a secret from his father, a senior HR advisor at an MNC.
"It is not our issue, were my mother's first words when I told her that I wanted to join the protest,"says Pradeep, 23, a Visual Communication graduate. "Farmers are our backbone. If they are protesting, it is my agenda too," he adds.
Tamil Nadu saw the worst drought of the last 140 years in 2016, with most farmers losing their crop. On top of it, Karnataka did not release Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water, making things worse for the farmers. The crop loss and the high interest on loans has led to several farmer deaths in the state. According to an estimate, between October and December last year, over 120 farmers lost their lives.
Meanwhile, sitting on the roadside in just a loincloth, Pradeep is furiously making live Facebook updates, urging his former colleagues to spread the information on social media. He joined the protest on the 25th day. In the last six days, he has become the'unofficial' language translator of the group.
Pradeep says that another protesting farmer, P Ramesh, who can be seen sitting on one end, became a father today. But he won't go back to his village to see his son until his grievances are heard. Ramesh and his 72-year-old father have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since the very first day. The Rs 21-lakh loan that they took in 2010 has now become Rs 48 lakh because of the interest. Ramesh owns a dried-up 5-acre piece of land.
Meanwhile, the Tamilians in the city have been providing food to the protesting farmers. Saravana Bhavan, a Tamil food chain, has been distributing food to over 100 farmers every day for the last eight days.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Pradeep Sivanandan")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}