Farmers stage a protest in Trichy by holding dead rats in their mouths.

(TOI pic by R Baskar)

TRICHY: A group 30 farmers staged a protest on Trichy district collectorate campus on Friday by holding dead rats in their mouths demanding that the state government declare Tamil Nadu as a drought-hit state.The farmers, owing allegiance to the Desiya Thennidiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam, said water crisis had affected paddy cultivation in the state, pushing them into poverty.The protesters held dead rats in their mouths to make the statement that they were forced to eat rat meat due to poverty.Later, the farmers rolled on the campus.The protesters were led by Desiya Thennidiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam president P Ayyakannu.They said their frustration over the inaction of the state government to react to the plight of the farmers in the state had forced them to stage such a protest.“More than 40 farmers died following the paddy crop failure in Delta districts. We made several appeals to the Trichy district administration to apprise the state government of our demand for compensation. Yet, there was no response,” said Ayyakannu.Police had to wait for two hours until the farmers dispersed and joined the agriculture grievance day meeting chaired by Trichy district collector Dr K S Palanisamy.Reacting to their protest, the district collector said the farmers’ petitions had already been forwarded to the state government.