Accumulated grievances of the people of Tamil Nadu on the deepening agrarian crisis, the de-struction of agriculture, the small peasant economy and the huge unemployment problem have found their manifestation in the Cauvery issue, with people expressing outrage at the refusal of the Modi Government to constitute a Cauvery Management Board (CMB). On 12 April when PM Modi reached Chennai to inaugurate the Defence Expo, he was greeted by the loud chants of “Modi go back” by the people of Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister of this country had to try and keep off the roads of Tamil Nadu and was able to move around only under massive police arrangements. The people said that the Prime Minister and Government of Tamil Nadu were afraid of the people as they have betrayed the people of the state and harmed their interest.
The CPI (ML) and its mass organisations joined these protests wherever possible. CPI (ML) workers from affiliated unions including Pricol, a good number of Sriperumputhur Trainees, Youths, Students , Advocates and Rural poor joined in raising of the demand- Modi to go-back.
On April 12, AICCTU gave a call for shutting down the port in Tuticorin, in solidarity with the “Drive out Sterlite campaign”. As a result, the activities of the port came to a grinding halt with more than 5000 lorries refusing to do any transportation from the port or to the port. On that evening, a solidarity meeting was organised in which along with Drive out Sterlite cam-paigners, party comrades from Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Viruthunagar and Tirunelveli also participated. Container lorry workers and striking loadmen from 8 godowns of Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation participated in the protest. The State secretary of CPI(ML) , Com-rade S. Kumarasamy addressed the gathering.
