Killerhazard: made the entry first draft!

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made the entry first draft!

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{{Short description|Indian farmer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox person
| name = P Ayyakannu
| birth_name = Ponnusamy Ayyakannu
| birth_date = 1949
| birth_place = [[Musiri]], [[Tiruchirapalli District]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| occupation = [[Lawyer]], [[Farmer]]
| organization = Desiya Thenidhiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam
| children = 2
}}

'''Ponnusamy Ayyakannu'''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pioneer|first=The|title=Rajinikanth offers Rs1 cr to interlink rivers|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2017/india/rajinikanth-offers-rs1-cr-to-interlink-rivers.html|access-date=2021-01-13|website=The Pioneer|language=en}}</ref> is an activist, lawyer and farmer and the chief of the Desiya Thenidhiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tamil Nadu Farmers Start 'Indefinite Protest'|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-farmers-start-indefinite-protest-1710093|access-date=2021-01-13|website=NDTV.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Scroll Staff|title=Protesting Tamil Nadu farmers eat human excreta to draw Centre's attention|url=https://scroll.in/latest/850208/protesting-tamil-nadu-farmers-eat-human-excreta-to-draw-centres-attention|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Ayyakannu">{{cite news|title=Who is P.Ayyakannu ?|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/vCtZ0EvTd7FOrBFjbUKzHK/Who-is-P-Ayyakannu.html|accessdate=22 January 2018|publisher=www.livemint.com}}</ref> He led the [[2017 Tamil Nadu farmers' protest]] against the central government at [[New Delhi]], demanding the agricultural loan in cooperative banks to be waived.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cauvery dispute: Madras HC allows farmer leader to stage protest|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2018/apr/28/cauvery-dispute-madras-hc-allows-farmer-leader-to-stage-protest-1807604.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430131942/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2018/apr/28/cauvery-dispute-madras-hc-allows-farmer-leader-to-stage-protest-1807604.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 April 2018|access-date=2021-01-13|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Ayyakannu was born on 1949 in [[Musiri]], [[Tiruchirappalli district]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] in a family of nine children. He completed his primary education at Musiri Primary School, his higher education at the National High School in Trichy, his [[Pre-university course]] at Jamal Mohammad College, his degree at [[Bishop Heber College]], and completed his law studies at the [[Madras Law College]] during the 1970s. He then began work in agriculture and his profession as a lawyer after receiving his family's inheritance.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=யார் இந்த அய்யாக்கண்ணு?|language=ta|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/tamil/india-40236159|access-date=2021-01-13}}</ref> His wife and two sons are also advocates.<ref name="Ayyakannu" />

== Politics ==
Ayyakkannu contested for the [[Janata Party]] in the Musiri constituency in the 1977 election. He got 15,000 votes despite not winning the election.<ref name=":0" />

In March 2019, he announced that 111 farmers would contest against [[Narendra Modi]] in his [[Varanasi (Lok Sabha constituency)]] in protest against the failure of the BJP to deliver on its promises made to farmers during the 2014 election.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Scroll Staff|title=Lok Sabha elections: 111 Tamil Nadu farmers to contest against PM Modi in Varanasi|url=https://scroll.in/latest/917646/lok-sabha-elections-111-tamil-nadu-farmers-to-contest-against-pm-modi-in-varanasi|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref> On April 8, 2019, he announced that he is not going to contest after a meeting with [[Amit Shah]] and [[Piyush Goyal]] the previous day.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Federal|first=The|date=2019-04-08|title=Ayyakannu to not contest against Modi in Varanasi|url=https://thefederal.com/states/south/tamil-nadu/ayyakannu-to-not-contest-against-modi-in-varanasi/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=The Federal|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Activism ==
Initially, Ayyakannu was part of the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) affiliated [[Bharatiya Kisan Sangh]] and acted as its deputy general secretary of Tamil Nadu. He resumed his demonstrations against the central government when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. He later left the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and formed his own farmers organization called the Desiya Thenidhiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam (National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturalists Association).<ref name="Ayyakannu" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=ANI|date=2018-11-30|title=TN farmers threaten to walk naked to Parliament if demands go unanswered|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/tn-farmers-threaten-to-walk-naked-to-parliament-if-demands-go-unanswered-118113000207_1.html|access-date=2021-01-13}}</ref>

===2017 Tamil Nadu farmers protest in Delhi===
Tamil Nadu in 2016 suffered severe drought than in 100 years. Many farmers were unable to pay the loans back. Ayyakannu led Protesters in New Delhi and asked the government to abandon the loan they got from the cooperative banks.<ref name="Farmers protest">{{cite news|title=Tamil Nadu: Farmers' leader P Ayyakannu alleges BJP is threatening their lives - Bangalore Mirror -|url=http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/tamil-nadu-farmers-leader-p-ayyakannu-alleges-bjp-is-threatening-their-lives/articleshow/59739169.cms|accessdate=22 January 2018|work=Bangalore Mirror|publisher=bangaloremirror.indiantimes.com}}</ref> These protesters also demanded the establishment and proper functioning of Cauvery River water management, as the Karnataka Government wasn't releasing water for Tamil Nadu, as per the Supreme court order.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/ryots-wronged-take-protest-delhi|title = Ryots wronged, take protest to Delhi | India Water Portal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=விவசாயிகள் போராட்டத்தில் தமிழக விவசாயிகள் எங்கே? அய்யாக்கண்ணு என்ன செய்கிறார்?|language=ta|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/tamil/india-55158120|access-date=2021-01-13}}</ref>

==Conflict with the Bhartiya Janata Party==
[[H. Raja]] of the Bhartiya Janata Party spoke to the media that Ayyakannu is a fraud. He further tweeted that Ayyakannu was in connection with [[Afzal Guru]] for years. Raja's tweet was criticized by the [[Indian National Congress|Congress]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Congress, BJP spar over P Ayyakannu|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/congress-bjp-spar-over-ayyakannu/articleshow/58453611.cms|newspaper=The Times of India|date=1 May 2017|accessdate=1 July 2020}}</ref> Ayyakannu responded by speaking to the media that Raja might even call them Pakistani terrorists if they continue to protest.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-05-11|title=Tamil Nadu farmers warn of 'bigger demo'|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/110517/tamil-nadu-farmers-warn-of-bigger-demo.html|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en}}</ref> In July 2017, Ayyakannu told journalists that he and the protesters had received hundreds of calls from BJP workers from different districts, including [[Karur]] and [[Thanjavur]], threatening them that if they refused to give up their protest, they would be run over by a car or a lorry. He also accused H Raja as the one behind the threat calls. He said that a threat call was received from a person close to Raja and has filed a complaint with the Delhi police and Trichy police.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Emmanuel|first=Gladwin|date=Jul 24, 2017|title=Tamil Nadu: Farmers' leader P Ayyakannu alleges BJP is threatening their lives|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/tamil-nadu-farmers-leader-p-ayyakannu-alleges-bjp-is-threatening-their-lives/articleshow/59739169.cms|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Bangalore Mirror|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-07-25|title=Ayyakannu accuses BJP of threatening farmers|url=https://www.dtnext.in/News/TamilNadu/2017/07/25010131/1039617/Ayyakannu-accuses-BJP-of-threatening-farmers.vpf|access-date=2021-01-13|website=dtNext.in|language=en}}{{dead link|date=November 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In March 2018, the BJP Women's Wing district secretary allegedly slapped Ayyakannu after an argument while he was distributing pamphlets during his 100-day rally where the farmers distributed pamphlets which demanded loan waivers and pension for elderly farmers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-09|title=Scuffle breaks out between farmer leader P Ayyakannu, female BJP worker in TN temple|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/090318/scuffle-breaks-out-between-farmer-leader-p-ayyakannu-female-bjp-worke.html|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Farmer Leader Slapped By BJP Worker For Allegedly Using Abusive Language|url=https://www.ndtv.com/tamil-nadu-news/farmer-leader-slapped-by-bjp-worker-for-allegedly-using-abusive-language-1821771|access-date=2021-01-13|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:21st-century Indian farmers]]
[[Category:2017 Tamil Nadu farmers' protest]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

P. Ayyakannu - Revision history

Killerhazard: made the entry first draft!