By Matters India Reporter

Palai, Dec 16, 2019: Tens of thousands of farmers converged in Palai to protest the deepening crisis in the agrarian sector in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

The farmers came from 170 parishes of Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Idukki districts and first formed a protest wall at different locations and taking a pledge.

They highlighted the ‘apathy’ of successive governments towards the sector. The Pala diocese organized the December 13 program in a sign of growing frustration over the agrarian crisis.

The farmers finally assembled at Kurishupalli (wayside chapel) Junction in Palai town, holding placards and raising slogans. The majority of the farmers appeared in their traditional attire carrying shovels.

Their key demands include raising the minimum price of natural rubber, solving issues related to resurvey of plantations and households, and a permanent solution to wildlife attacks on plantations on forest fringes.

Bishop Joseph Kallarangattu of Palai, who chaired the meet, urged the governments to understand the concerns of the farmers and warned of escalating the protest.

“Governments should understand that the ire of farmers is the ire of the country. The farmers will be forced to have a serious thought on registering their protest while casting their mandate in civic, Assembly and Parliament elections if the Governments ignored their demands,” he said.

Bishop Kallarangatt said that Kerala’s Left Democratic Front government “should be ready to face setbacks” if it fails to take steps to solve the issues in the agriculture sector.

“The farmers will cast protest votes in the upcoming local body and assembly elections,” he warned.

The Palai prelate also said that the Church “won’t be silent until it achieves its goal.”

If needed, the agitation will be shifted to the Kerala secretariat, he warned and regretted that the federal government, which wrote off the debts of nine corporates, is not ready to waive off the debts of poor farmers.

“We should realize the helplessness of farmers,” he added.