The signatories, included educationist Dr Vasanthi Devi, PUCL general secretary V Suresh, human rights activist Henri Tiphagne, environmentalists Nityanand Jayaraman and G Sundarajan and Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan.

The activists said that the farmers have been protesting peacefully for over 100 days against the state government's move to acquire 3,000 acres of wetlands for setting up a SIPCOT. On the wee hours of November 4, the police barged into houses of protesting farmers and remanded 20 persons to judicial custody on an FIR filed in August for unlawful assembly and other sections. Pointing out that the arrest was made in violation of the Supreme Court and High Court orders, they said that local police have been threatening to arrest more farmers.