A Year After Kisan Long March, Why Over 50,000 Maharashtra Farmers Are Marching Again To Mumbai
Last year in March around 40000 farmers undertook a long march towards Mumbai to protest outside state legislature against government&rsquos cold response to the farm distress. This year close to 50000 farmers including tribals and landless agriculturists are protesting again. The farmers embarked on a 180-km march from Nashik to Mumbai to Protest &ldquobetrayal of peasants by the BJP governments at the state and centre.
Last year in March, around 40,000 farmers undertook a long march towards Mumbai to protest outside state legislature against government¡¯s cold response to the farm distress. The All India Kisan Sabha, the farmers¡¯ front of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), called the march.
This year, close to 50,000 farmers including tribals and landless agriculturists, are protesting again. The farmers embarked on a 180-km march from Nashik to Mumbai to protest ¡°betrayal" of peasants by the BJP governments at the state and centre.
The Kisan Long March-2 is expected to take more than nine days to complete.
Farmers from more than 23 districts across Maharashtra have joined the march which was flagged off from Nashik on Wednesday to mark the fourth death anniversary of Communist ideologue Govind Pansare.
BCCL/File
The talks with water resources minister Girlish Mahajan remained inconclusive on Wednesday night. Farmers want the acceptance of demands in writing.
What are their demands
Farmers want the government to give a blanket loan waiver. They also want waters of the west flowing rivers to be diverted towards Marathwada and north Maharashtra so that farmland in these regions come under irrigation.
"A year has passed, but the state government is yet to fulfil its promises. Hence, the long march is being taken out to protest the betrayal of farmers by the BJP-led state and central governments," AIKS member Ajit Navale said.
Other demands include implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and the transfer of forest land to those farmers who are cultivating on it.
BCCL/File
The AIKS has accused the government of not fulfilling assurances given to farmers last year after they marched between the two cities seeking a farm loan waiver, minimum support for price for farm produce, better irrigation facilities and provision of pension to agriculturists.
The farmers are also opposing the multi-billion dollar Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project wherein farmers have approached courts against land acquisition.