In an exemplary show of solidarity with the protesting farmers, the famed ¡®dabbawalas¡¯ and the city residents came out to help the tens of thousands of farmers, who walked for six days blazing the sun with blisters and injuries on their feet. The dabbawalas, Sikh and Muslim volunteers provided them food and water as they entered Mumbai yesterday.
The farmers walked upto the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai early this morning as a part of their 'long march' for raising demands, including implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme. Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said, "We thought about helping the farmers with food as they are our food-providers and have come from remote parts of the state."
According to Talekar, the Mumbai roti-bank, of which the dabbawalas are an integral part, deploys GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from eateries, hotels, public functions and households, so that it can be distributed to the poor and hungry people.
Members of Sikh and Muslim communities were seen giving food and water packets to the exhausted farmers who have come here to press for their demands.?
¡°Today early morning, large groups of civilians waiting at roads greeted the #FarmersMarchToMumbai with water, dates & biscuits, to which peasants reciprocated with loud slogans of Lal Salaam,¡± tweeted AIKS on Monday while posting a photo of some Muslim volunteers.
On Sunday, members of the Sikh community in Mumbai distributed food to farmers participating in the march.
The protesters were greeted warmly in the financial capital of the country. Muslim women showered flowers on the tired protesters. They cheered when suddenly a few women showered flowers on them from one of the foot overbridges at Nahur. Anganwadi Sevikas from Ramabai Nagar also welcomed farmers in Ghatkopar.
The slogans such as, ¡°Shetkari Tum Aage Badho, hum tumhare sath hai,¡± (farmers you march further, we are with you), ¡°the farmers should get loan waiver¡±, ¡°Kisan sabha zindabad¡±, ¡°Jamin amchya hakkachi, nahi konachya bapachi¡±, (We are the owners of the land and not somebody else) were chanted during the march.?
Most of the farmers were wearing red caps and carrying red flags in the long march that started on March 6 from Nashik to Mumbai, covering a distance of over 180 kilometres.
BCCL
Members of Sant Baba Thaker Singhji Sevak Jatha at Tagore Nagar Vikroli were waiting for the farmers in scorching heat. They served water and poha to the farmers.
City residents were seen offering ¡®Vada-pav¡¯, a popular street snack from Mumbai, other food items and water to farmers at night.