Farmers from Tamil Nadu, who have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for nearly two months, ate human excreta on Sunday to attract the Centre’s attention, the Hindustan Times reported. They resorted to the desperate measure as they continue to demand drought relief funds and loan waivers, among other things.
It was the 57th day of their protest on Sunday.
“We collected the excreta in the morning [in plastic bags] and then ate it,” P Ayyakannu, chief of the Desiya Thenidhiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, told the newspaper.
The farmers collective has threatened to protest by eating human flesh on Monday and marching in the nude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office on Tuesday.
“According to Hindutva, people belonging to higher castes do not meet farmers,” Ayakannu told DNA. “I suppose this is the reason why our prime minister is not paying any attention to our protest and demands. Our country, which is a democracy, is beginning to become a dictatorship.”
Besides a Rs 40,000-crore fund to address the drought in Tamil Nadu, the farmers have demanded that their loans be waived and also asked for pensions for those farmers who do not work in fields anymore.
During their protests, the farmers from Tamil Nadu have shaved half their moustaches and heads, eaten off the road, held pieces of dead animals such as snakes in their mouths and displayed the skulls of debt-ridden farmers who committed suicide. They even drank their own urine in April to draw the central government’s attention.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!