Farmers and villagers of Melur who went on a 25-km long procession from Narasingampatti to Tallakulam gathered near Tamukkam in Madurai city on January 7, 2025
| Photo Credit: G. Moorthy

More than 10,000 farmers and villagers from Melur and nearby regions, on Tuesday (January 7, 2025) went on a 25-km long procession from Narasingampatti to Tallakulam in Madurai city demanding to scrap the tungsten mining project at Melur taluk in Madurai district.

Protestors, both men and women, started in cars, bikes tractors, buses and lorries and on foot the march from at a temple at Narasingampatti in the morning and reached the city in the afternoon.

Despite the police barricading the roads at some of the important junctions like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Othakadai, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, protesters managed to break the cordons and steadily marched towards their intended destination.

Farmers and villagers of Melur walked in procession from Narasingampatti on January 7, 2025
| Photo Credit:
G. Moorthy

However, many of the protesters were allegedly detained by police to prevent huge gatherings.

Condemning the arrest, protesters refused to disperse and went on shouting slogans demanding the release of those detained.