Tamil Nadu Farmer Clings Onto Land Despite Offers By Oil Rigging Firms

Pudukottai (TN): Despite lucrative offers for his land from oil and gas exploration and extraction firms, a 67-year-old farmer of nearby Neduvasal did not sell it, symbolising protests against the Hydrocarbon project there, where ryots fear it could harm farming and be a health hazard.

"Our lives are intertwined with our land. I don't want to give it up, come what may," G Subramanian said. Amid continuing protests against the project, he said that there was awareness among people that "land is not just stretches of mud, but something that throbs with life, sustains and nurtures life." Irrigating his eight acre land with water drawn from a 350 feet borewell he had sunk at a cost of about Rs 4.5 lakh, he said that oil firms kept increasing their offer and at one point said they would pay what he felt was reasonable. "I, however, told them that money does not matter and I will never sell my land."

It was, however, not an easy decision for Subramanian, given that he had taken huge loans to treat his wife, stricken with breast cancer and for other purposes, including household and farming. With a gentle breeze pervading the lush green fields, he explained the visits of surveyors and experts who had divined the presence of gas and oil reserves beneath his land. "They wanted only four acres out of my total eight acres. I somehow felt that I may not be able to continue farming in the remaining portion of my land if I were to sell the other half," he said.

Recalling that he was "pursued and persuaded," by the oil firms for over three years to part with his land, he said "now after the start of protests, they have not spoken to me." Sharing his emotional bond with his land,he said "we are a joint family. I, my wife,two sons,a daughter and the land." On February 15, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved award of contracts to the Highest Ranked Bidders in 31 contract areas of discovered small oil and gas fields, including Neduvasal, about 40 kilometers from here.

The project area is about 10.0 sq.km and exploratory drills had already been concluded. The project was awarded to a private firm by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. On February 27, seeking to allay fears of the protesters, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had said that strict environmental norms would be followed during the proposed oil and gas exploration and production at domestic small fields, including Neduvasal.

Political Support

DMK Working President M K Stalin and CPI leader D Raja today lent their support to the ongoing agitation against the hydrocarbon project at Neduvasal near here by joining the protesters and urging the centre to shelve it. "This is an issue concering the farmers. The Centre should declare that the project will not take off," Stalin said addressing the protesters. He said though the Tamil Nadu government had assured that it would not give its nod for the project, he wanted it to exert pressure over the Cenre and get the project halted.