Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced that his government would withdraw all pending criminal cases filed against farmers and teachers who staged peaceful protests during the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rule.
Making the suo motu statement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, Vijay described the earlier treatment of those defending their livelihoods as “inhumane” and framed the decision as a humanitarian and democratic measure aimed at protecting the right to protest and rebuilding trust between citizens and the administration.
Cases registered against farmers and teachers over livelihood, rights and welfare issues would be dropped irrespective of the legal provisions under which they were booked, he said.
“This government will stand by farmers and teachers and their just demands. This move will further strengthen democratic rights and reinforce trust between common people and the government.”
Vijay specifically highlighted farmers opposing the SIPCOT industrial estate project in Tiruvannamalai district, where some were detained under the stringent Goondas Act.
He also mentioned that the cases will be dropped against those in the prolonged agitation against the proposed Parandur greenfield airport in Kancheepuram who raised concerns over loss of fertile farmland, water bodies and traditional livelihoods.
The relief was extended to the teachers booked during those protests for their demands of salary hike, pension, better working conditions and duty hours and other issues.
The opposition DMK, meanwhile, questioned the intent and noted that the previous administration had itself withdrawn thousands of cases in other contexts, while some members sought similar relief for more recent protests.
The Parandur protests, led by farmers from Ekanapuram and surrounding villages, continued for more than three years. The residents opposed acquisition of thousands of acres of land spanning multiple villages for Chennai’s second airport, citing displacement risks, destruction of wetlands and water systems linked to Chennai’s flood resilience, and livelihood loss.
The police registered multiple cases, including more than 17 criminal cases against organisers, with specific instances including an FIR against 10 farmers under non-bailable sections after the election boycott, a case against 137 people under provisions relating to unlawful assembly and obstructing public servants, notices to over 150 individuals, and reports of around 15 civil cases for disrupting public order. The project was recently scrapped by the Vijay government.
In Tiruvannamalai, farmers from villages around Cheyyar protested against acquisition of about 3,000 acres of agricultural land for SIPCOT Phase-III expansion, arguing it threatened fertile farmland and livelihoods.
The police had arrested 20 farmers in November 2023 based on earlier FIRs, while seven individuals were booked under the Goondas Act. The DMK government later revoked the Goondas Act detention against most of them amid criticism, though the underlying cases remained pending for many.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) had earlier urged the government to drop these cases against the farmers and teachers as the protests were held peacefully and the individuals had the right to protest democratically.
Following the announcement, the CPI called for extending the withdrawal to cases against those who protested against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), while the PMK batted for the protesters against the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC).
Law Minister C.T.R Nirmal Kumar said the government would examine and consider these demands
(Edited by Tony Rai)