Maharashtra’s farmers began a state-wide kalash yatra from Mahatma Jyotirao Phule’s house in Pune on October 27, 2021 to honour farmer martyrs who died in Lakhimpur Kheri recently.

In answer to farmers group Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) call for state-level Kalash Yatra or march carrying ashes of farmer martyrs, Maharashtra peasants charted an intricate circuit in the area. The procession will visit at least one district every day until November 18.

On Wednesday, around a thousand farmers started the procession after a joint meeting of farmer leaders at Hamal Bhawan in Pune.

On the final day, farmers will assemble at the Hutatma Chowk in Mumbai which commemorates the martyrdom of 106 workers and peasants of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. The yatra will pay homage to other monuments of historical figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar – the architect of the Indian constitution – and martyr Babu Genu, who laid down his life while protesting the import of British cloth in India. The yatra will end with a peasant Mahapanchayat at Azad Maidan.

“During this time, all All-India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee [AIKSCC] organisations will organise their own independent kalash yatras in their spheres of influence in Maharashtra. Hundreds of public meetings and press conferences will be held in all districts,” said State General Secretary Ajit Nawale in a press release.

The yatra also honours the 650 martyrs of the ongoing farmers struggle that will soon complete a year of protest at Delhi borders. Members reinforce SKM demands to immediately dismiss and arrest Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra for allegedly causing the murder of Lakhimpur Kheri farmers.

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Maharashtra’s farmers declared an asthi kalash (container carrying ashes of martyred farmers) yatra will take place across the state from October 27, 2021 to honour the 631 farmers who have died during the struggle.

With a view to further strengthen the farmers’ movement, state farmers have resolved to carry the kalash containing martyr ashes from Lakhimpur Kheri and visit every district. The procession will begin from Pune on Wednesday and conclude in Mumbai on November 18. According to state leaders, farmers will visit at least one district every day.

Along with reinforcing farmers’ demands regarding contentious farm laws, legalizying MSP and clauses affecting farmers, the yatra will also condemn the brutal killings of four farmers and a local journalist in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet made a simple protest against this incident. Union Minister Ajay Mishra has not been expelled from the Cabinet. He has not been arrested for 302 offenses,” said the SKM in a joint letter of various peasant organisations.

Farmers kalash yatras have begun in many states. In Uttar Pradesh, the yatra went through several districts of the western region like Muzaffarnagar and Meerut. Later, the ashes were immersed in Teerth Nagari Shukratal and River Ganga.

In Karnal, Haryana, farmers took the ashes to many villages and finally immersed them in the western Yamuna canal. Another procession takes the ashes to Uttarakhand.

“Our struggle for justice into the murder of innocent farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri incident continues and will only grow stronger,” said SKM.

Related:

Lucknow Mahapanchayat postponed to November 22
Ghazipur farmers clear roads, demand police do the same
Farmers remain resolute in face of repeated attacks
Is Nihang leader Baba Aman closely connected to Agriculture Minister Tomar?

The post Maharashtra farmers to honour martyrs appeared first on SabrangIndia.