Farmers dance with joy over Madras High Court ruling

Salem: Farmers of Salem district and adjoining areas erupted with joy, danced on their fields and streets, burst crackers and distributed sweets to relatives and friends as word reached here about the Madras High court's “historic” order on Monday cancelling the controversial eight-lane Salem-Chennai expressway project.

“At least now the ruling party (AIADMK) should realize that they should not be tormenting people in this fashion in the name of development projects taken up without the local people's consent,” said some of the affected farmers at Ramalingapuram village near Ayodhyapattinam near here, responding to the HC's order.

The farmers recalled despite their pleas and protests in several phases, the revenue department personnel went ahead with their land surveys, inserted 'border stones' to mark out stretches of land to be acquired for the project. “Our protests met with state violence and farmers were lathi-charged by police and arrests made,” some of the farmers representatives said. “At last, we had no option but to move the High court for redress to stop the project,” they said.

Stating that today's judgment was a huge relief to the farmers in protecting their precious farm lands and protecting their agriculture livelihood, the farmers vowed that they will never give consent for implementing such land-gobbling projects in the name of development. Their joy knew no bounds today that some of the youth in the affected villages removed the 'border stones' and hurled them away, since the High court has struck down the entire land acquisition process.

Hailing the High court verdict cancelling the controversial 'green corridor' project, State CPI(M) secretary, Mr K Balakrishnan said Tamil Nadu government should accept the court's verdict and openly announce that the project was being given up, adding, the state should not appeal against the verdict which has done good for the farming community.