Scores of farmers marching towards Mumbai over several demands entered Thane district on Wednesday.
The protest is spearheaded by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and comprises thousands of farmers walking in the blistering heat with banners, placards, posters and raising slogans en route.
The protesters started their foot march from Dindori town in Nashik district, around 200km from Mumbai, on March 12. The march has crossed Kasara town in the Thane district located adjoining Mumbai and is likely to reach Mumbai on March 20.
Why Are Farmers Protesting?
Farmers are demanding immediate financial relief of Rs 600 per quintal to onion growers, uninterrupted electricity supply for 12 hours and a waiver of agriculture loans.
The AIKS has released its 17-point charter of demands which includes compensation for onion growers and MSP of Rs 2000/quintal from the next season, better prices for other crops like cotton, soybean, tur, green gram, milk, and related issues of ASHA workers, etc.
Prices of the kitchen staple have crashed in Maharashtra, resulting in farmers getting very little for their produce. Nashik district is a major hub of onion cultivation in the country.
Oppn Asks Maha Govt to Resolve Farmers’ Issues
Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray asked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis to go and meet protesting farmers. “It’s tragic that the farmers have to undertake such a march in the first place. The farmers are the bread-givers to the nation. Why can’t the government go there to meet and resolve their demands,” said Thackeray.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader pointed out how, when in 2019 the farmers had a similar ‘long march’, he had sent his son Aditya Thackeray and other senior leaders to meet the peasants, understand their problems besides helping to arrange food and water for them.
Thackeray recalled how at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, the farmers of the country had ensured that the nation got its food and now they deserve help during their crisis.
Nationalist Congress Party’s Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar also exhorted the state government to meet the agitating farmers and resolve their grievances.
Congress state President Nana Patole, NCP state President Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena-
UBT leaders like Bhaskar Jadhav and others have demanded that the government should give between Rs 500-Rs 700/quintal to the farmers reeling under a crisis owing to fallen prices.
The Maharashtra government has announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 300 per quintal to onion farmers severely affected by a steep fall in the prices of the commodity.
(With PTI, IANS inputs)
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment