Amaravati farmers in upbeat mood at public meeting

Tirupati: The mood was upbeat at the sprawling venue where the Amaravati farmers held a public meeting to mark the conclusion of the 47 days of Padayatra covering about 500 kms - 'Nyayasthanam to Devasthanam' – from Amaravati to pilgrim city Tirupati via Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts.

Farmers from the various places in Chittoor district reached the venue well ahead of the commencement of the meeting while the leaders of various parties and activists also gathered in large numbers.

Giving festive touch to the meeting, the organisers put up plantain trees all along the entire road from Gajualamandyam Circle to Tiruchanur flyover, about 5 kms stretch.

Even at the meeting venue and its surroundings, they erected plantain trees and hanging arches with green mango leaves gave palpable festive look. The organisers made elaborate arrangements including drinking water, mobile toilets, compartments for attendees and flood light system. For parking the vehicles, the organisers made the entire surroundings of meeting venue plain removing bushes and thorns where the vehicles in which the farmers from far off places attended were occupied the entire area and many vehicle lined up on roadside on both sides of the meeting place.

The organisers made all these arrangements within 24 hours after getting permission from the court for mega meeting to express their anguish against the three capitals proposal by the YSRCP government. Affiliated organisations of political parties of youth wing, students wing and farmers associations raising slogans against the government came in rallies separately to the meeting venue adding tempo to the farmers' congregation.

The police department also cooperated to the farmers' meeting in clearing glitches like traffic problem as the meeting venue located just adjacent to the Renigunta-Chandragiri highway.

Speaking to The Hans India, the women farmers who came here along with the Padayatra narrated their hardships and hurdles put up by the police and ruling party henchmen at several places all along the way during walkathon.

"Despite the hurdles created by the government and ruling party henchmen, we reached temple city Tirupati from Amaravati overcoming all the hardships all along the way," the woman farmers said.

Even though police refused permission for the meeting and TTD also refused to provide darshan of Lord in Tirumala earlier, later they got permission for meeting from the court and TTD authority also relented from its stance and provided darshan to farmers.

Thanks to the support of people of all the districts, TTD authority for providing darshan and courts for giving permission for public meeting, they said and added that "We have succeeded in making every adverse situation favorable to us and hoping that we will also succeed in retaining Amaravati as capital with our unstinted determination and confidence."