NAMAKKAL: Farmers in Namakkal district on Monday held a “mock hanging” protest demanding that the govt scrap the move to set up a SIPCOT industrial park at N Pudupatty as it would affect about 485 acres of fertile farmland. They said it would also affect rivers, lakes and ponds in the area. Farmers held a “mock hanging” protest in front of district collectorate. They acted as if hanging themselves. K Balasubramanian, state general secretary of the Farmers’ Progressive Association, charged that the proposed project would benefit only an individual. Balasubramanian noted that farmers had already held more than 200 protests in the past four years and submitted more than 25,000 petitions to the govt against the project. “But no action has been taken so far,” he added.
