However, amidst allegations of threats from the administration, police notices and unforgiving weather could not deter the spirits and courage of the farmers.

The first day’s march of thousands of farmers started on April 26, Wednesday, around 4 pm, covering a distance of about 12 kilometres from Akole market to Rameshwaram Temple (Dhandarphal, Tehsil Sangamner). The farmers spent the night there under the open sky.

After a night’s rest, the farmer set out on a foot march of about 10 kilometres from Rameshwaram Temple to Khatode Lawn at 7 am on April 27, the following day. But in the meantime, seeing their numbers, the government appealed to the farmers not to march ahead and started talks with their representatives. After this, the farmers stopped the march till further orders from their leaders.

Even after this long journey on the first day, there was no shortage in the spirits of the farmers.

All the farmers were talking, sitting in the fields on both sides of the road because the road was scorching even after 10 pm.

On the second day, it started raining suddenly at around 10 in the morning. Some farmers took shelter under the trees and somewhere in the temple and its auditorium while most ran towards their vehicles. The rain did not last long, and it became hot again.

While journalists (including this reporter) couldn’t bear the scorching sun and tried to find comfort in the air conditioners of their vehicles, farmers remained enthusiastic throughout, travelling for about 10 kilometres to Loni. They say that if their leaders direct them, they will complete the remaining journey of 40 kilometres in a day.

Before leaving Akole, the protesting farmers made a temporary stove by burning wood to cook food.

However, many groups of farmers brought gas stoves with them. Similarly, different village-level and taluka-level groups were formed at night, and food was prepared.

Sambhaji, who had come from Kolhapur and was preparing food for himself, said the idea was to make dal, rice and potato curry.

Sambhaji said that he and other farmers had brought ration and fuel.

“Everyone cooks and eats their food. All this happens peacefully with complete discipline.”

This is not the first such march for these tribal farmers of Maharashtra; they have already taken out three such marches.

After the previous marches, the government accepted their demands. However, farmers say that they get cheated by the government in the implementation of their demands.

Administration Failed to Deter Farmers

Regarding this long march from Akole to Loni in Ahmednagar district, the police issued a notice under section 149 and denied permission to the protesters. However, this did not affect the farmers.

Recently, 14 people died due to heatstroke during the Maharashtra Bhushan ceremony. Given this, the police refused permission for this march as a precautionary measure. But the biggest question is that even after heavy pressure from the police and the administration, why are the farmers ready to walk in this scorching heat?

On this, the state general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Ajit Navale, while talking to the media, said, “Police is not the enemy of the farmers. They are doing their work. Today the government is not worried about us farmers, whose lives are spent working in the sun. But they do not get the price of their crops. There is no value for the sweat of the farmers in the summer. But we are worried about them too. That’s why we will continue our struggle day and night. There is no seriousness in the meetings of officers and ministers. That’s why we are unanimously taking out this march.”

He added, “Keeping in mind the concerns arising from the high temperature, the organisers have made suitable arrangements for drinking water, shade, walking only in the morning and evening hours, etc.”

The effect of his appeal was also visible. Women and men are involved in this march, and almost all are walking carrying essential salmon bags on their heads or shoulders.

Journalist-activist P Sainath gave the opening speech at Akole. Later in the afternoon, Ashok Dhawale, Navale, CPI(M) State Secretary Uday Narkar and other top AIKS leaders joined the march.

Workers’ and Women’s Organisations Join the March

“This march is not just about farmers. It is about the unity of all the hardworking people working in rural society. All of them are our brothers and sisters and work for us. So their problem is also our problem,” Dhawale said.

Sangeeta, who came to join this march along with other colleagues from her village, was waiting for the march to start sitting under a mango tree.

“They get only Rs 1400 monthly honorarium after working six to eight hours which is not even Rs 50 daily. How will we be able to run our house with this? Even a kilo of sugar and tea leaves are not available for less than Rs 50, and the government is asking us to run our house with this,” Sangeeta said.

All the other mid-day meal workers who came with Sangeeta have also joined the march demanding a minimum salary of Rs 15,000. Most of the poor, landless and single women in this mid-day meal work are women responsible for running their families. In such a situation, it is a serious question of how they will survive with such a low honorarium.

Why are the Farmers Agitating?

Navale said, “We talk of vesting and ownership of forest land to farmers and farm labourers. We also demand remunerative prices for cotton, milk, soybean, arhar, gram and other products.”

Several farmers from Vidarbha reported that the prices of one of their main crops, cotton, have halved compared to last year.

Amol, a farmer with five acres of land, had cultivated cotton, which was ready in seven-eight months; he harvested about 10 quintals of cotton. The market price of his produce is Rs 70,000, while his production cost comes to about Rs 60,000. This does not include the wages for the month for him and three other members of his family. He claimed he could get only one cotton crop a year from his land.

“You tell me, how will the family survive with an annual income of Rs 15,000?” Amol asks.

This is a significant issue for cotton and soybean farmers of the entire region.

Along with them, tribal farmers who have been fighting for their forest land rights for many decades have joined this march. This question has been at the centre of many farmers’ movements in the past. Despite promises from the government, the farmers are yet to get ownership of their lands.

Umesh, a young farmer whose family has been cultivating forest land for several decades, alleges he is being harassed.

“The authorities destroy our crops; they even kill us. We are ready to walk on hot coals in this scorching heat to save our land.”

Mariam Dhawale, general secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), who participated in this march, said, “A large number of women are involved in this march of farmers, and if there is anyone who is the most oppressed, it is women. Be it the question of forest land or crop prices, not getting work in MGNREGA, all these are related to women. Forest officers forcefully enter their homes and misbehave with them. While the country’s Parliament has passed a law to give them rights on forest land, the government is not implementing it.”

Ready for Indefinite Strike if Demands Not Met: Farmers

Uday Narakar, state Vice President of AIKS, said, “After the Long March last month, the government accepted our demands and also formed a committee to implement them, but the chairman of that committee, Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, didn’t do anything, which shows the intention of the government. That’s why we had to take the path of struggle once again.”

He further says, “It is not only the forest land but also Devasthan land, Warkas land, Garan land, Revenue land, Inam land, Aripad land, Benami land which the farmers have cultivated for years, but the government is not ready to give them ownership rights. The government agrees with our demands but later attacks farmers.”

The farmer leaders insisted that if the farmers’ demands were not met, they would stage an indefinite sit-in near the office of Minister Patil in Loni, Maharashtra.

Last month, AIKS took out a long march from Nashik district towards Mumbai regarding farmers’ issues. In this, 14 major demands were raised, including subsidies to onion growers, land ownership in tribal districts, and loan waivers.

As the march took off, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior officials held discussions with AIKS delegations at Vidhan Bhawan, after which the onion subsidy was increased by Rs 50 to Rs 350.

They also announced the appointment of a joint committee of ministers, government officials and leaders of the AIKS regarding forest land. The Chief Minister also gave this statement in the Legislative Assembly.

After this, the movement was suspended. But AIKS leaders had said at that time that the movement was not over but postponed; if the government did not accept their demands, the movement would resume, and the same thing seems to be happening.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Maharashtra Kisan March: Police Notice and Harsh Weather Couldn’t Dampen Farmers’ Spirit appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The farmers have demanded an end to “police persecution” of people in Dhanivri, Palghar district, whose houses were demolished for constructing the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway without adequate compensation and were subsequently arrested. The farmers also want the two people who protested the construction of an oil refinery in Ratnagiri district to be released.

The farmers have alleged that the state government broke its promise that the police would not harass people for land acquisition and that an amicable decision would be reached. They have also demanded the transfer of land titles of temple trusts to tenants. Maharashtra has 6 lakh acres acquired under the Hyderabad Atiyat Inquiries Act, 1952. Other demands include fair and remunerative prices for milk, soybean, sugarcane and cotton farmers.

AIKS president Ashok Dhawale told Newsclick that the farmers were “compelled to resume the march because the state government has not responded to their demand for compensation for crops damaged by untimely rains and hailstorms”.

“The police have not stopped their brutal ways in dealing with protesters who have lost their livelihood. In the last two years, excessive and unseasonal rains destroyed crops in Maharashtra. The state government announced compensation for farmers but never provided it,” he said.

“Repeated assurances were given to vest forest, temple, Inaam, Waqf and pasture land for housing to peasants and agricultural workers, many of whom are tilling such lands for several generations. However, the police and forest department were misused to beat up poor peasants and drive them out of their land and houses,” Dhawale alleged.

Deepak Lipan, a cotton farmer based in Parbhani district, Marathwada, said that milk farmers had been “cheated on the pretext of fat volume by cooperative diaries and corporate milk producers”.

“If the cost of producing a litre of milk is Rs 25, we only get Rs 20. The same milk is sold at higher prices in cities. If a company is earning big profits, why cannot farmers get a fair return?” asks Lipan, all set to participate in the march.

“The prices of inputs like fodder and medicines for animals are increasing. However, milk prices are either stagnant or dropping. It’s complete loot. That’s why thousands of farmers have decided to march to Loni to make revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil listen to our demands,” he added.

Citing his example, Lipan said, “While prices of inputs like seeds, fertilisers, herbicides and labour have increased, cotton prices are stagnant. I sold cotton at Rs 7,000 per quintal in 2012 whereas one DAP fertiliser bag cost Rs 500. Today, cotton is sold at the same rate but DAP fertiliser costs Rs 1,700.”

His four acres yielded 30 quintals of cotton that was sold for Rs 2,10,000. “I spent about a lakh on labour, seeds, diesel, etc. What did I get? If I calculate the labour put in by me, my wife, mother and two children, it’s a complete loss. The children lose out on studies as well.”

When asked about the state government’s cold response to farmers’ problems, Lipan said that only a struggle, not silence,  would give results. “Farmers got a Rs 350 subsidy on onions after we fought for months. Therefore, we shall fight till the last drop of blood.”

Another farmer, Bhagwan Bhojane, told Newsclick that sugarcane farmers have been waiting for their payments even after five months of the crushing season. “Sugar mills never let the prices of sugarcane increase. The average price is Rs 2,300-Rs 2,600. However, the input costs are always higher and there is no protection against crop damage,” he said.

“I grew sugarcane on five acres. It is impossible to run my household on agriculture alone. My brothers work in MGNREGA and other construction sites to run their households,” he added.

Professor R Ramkumar, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai), who would participate in the march, said that “economics cannot be seen in isolation from ground realities. “Having theoretical understanding is certainly a very important part of academics but you cannot have a nuanced view of agriculture and problems of agrarian society if you miss farmers’ movements like this,” he told Newsclick.

“Extreme weather conditions, including untimely rains and price crashes, have badly hit farmers. The problem of extreme weather conditions could have been easily dealt with if the Centre and state governments had designed a comprehensive insurance scheme. Private companies aiming to get maximum premium and pay minimum compensation run such schemes,” Ramkumar rued.

He added that the El Niño phenomenon has resulted in both excess rains and droughts. “A good insurance scheme could have resolved the issues if all factors were calculated. Unfortunately, crop insurance programmes have excluded crores of farmers. For example, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana beneficiaries have consistently decreased. The fact that the government compensated farmers after their protest in Maharashtra is an admission of failure,” he said.

Cash crops are linked with international markets and can fall within days. “In this situation, the government should have ideally restricted imports and provided MSP. Secondly, input costs, like diesel, electricity, seeds and fertilisers, have increased whereas crop prices are largely stagnant. So, their farmers’ incomes have been squeezed,” Raamkumar explained.

Giving the example of milk farmers, Ramakumar said that milk prices crashed from Rs 35 per litre to Rs 17 per litre during the pandemic. “Farmers have been asking the government to ask large private diaries to increase the procurement prices or provide some help. But the government has failed on both fronts. Moreover, the milk sector is being corporatised with large companies taking over procurement, marketing and sales of milk products. So, farmers are not getting prices that they deserve.”

Ramakumar maintained that the demand to distribute six lakh acres among landless farmers for housing and agriculture is politically feasible. “Land reforms not only mean distribution of vast tracts of land from big landlords to peasants but also Bhoodan and Devasthan land, amounting to lakhs of hectares. However, the government is under pressure from landlords and corporate entities. Companies are eying this precious land for agro-industries for cheaper rates.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Maharashtra Farmers Set Off on Long March Again, to ‘Fight Till Last Drop of Blood’ appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in Maharashtra began the third Kisan Long March from Dindori in Nashik district to Mumbai on March 12, 2023, on a 15-point charter of demands. It was withdrawn at Vasind in Thane district six days later on March 18, after the state government conceded many of the major demands in writing and the Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, placed the agreement with the AIKS before the state assembly on March 17.

(See separate box for demands conceded by government.) 

Three Kisan Long Marches 

This was the third such Kisan Long March in Maharashtra led by the AIKS. The first and the most effective was the one from Nashik to Mumbai, which lasted full seven days from March 6-12, 2018. The second lasted only two days, from February 20-21, 2019 within Nashik tehsil, because three Ministers of the state government gave written assurances to the AIKS on the second day of the march. The third lasted six days from March 12-18, 2023, from Dindori to Vasind. 

While there was a preparatory time of at least three weeks for the first two marches, the third began with less than a week’s preparation, because of the circumstances under which it was undertaken. Onion prices for farmers had plummeted suddenly; an immediate response was necessary; and the state assembly was due to end in the third week of March. The shortage of time naturally reflected in the strength of the march. While the first Kisan Long March of 2018 began at Nashik with 25,000 peasants and culminated in Mumbai with 50,000 peasants, the third Kisan Long March began at Dindori with 10,000 peasants and culminated at Vasind with 15,000 peasants. However, it still raised all the crucial issues affecting farmers at an appropriate moment time and also received good media coverage. 

In all the three Long Marches, the lion’s share of the mobilisation was from among Adivasi farmers  from Nashik district, followed by Adivasi farmers from Thane-Palghar and Ahmednagar districts. There was also representation of non-Adivasi peasants from the above four districts, as also plus from several districts of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra regions, especially in the first two marches. In the third march, as mentioned above, time for preparation fell short. Adivasi peasant women and youth participated in large numbers in all three marches. 

Coming of the red storm  

By the night of March 12, 2023, the marchers from various tehsils of Nashik district, and from other districts of Maharashtra gathered at the Mhasrul Maidan just outside Nashik city. On the next morning, March 13, amidst great enthusiasm they marched into Nashik city. The march was replete with thousands of red caps, red placards, red flags, and red banners. Banner headlines in the Marathi newspapers hailed the coming of the “Laal Vaadal” (Red Storm). At the Dindori Chowk the marching farmers threw down onions, tomatoes, brinjals, potatoes and other vegetables on the road in anger at the falling prices of all these items. The media captured those memorable moments on camera. 

On March 13 and 14, the Kisan Long March walked along the Agra-Nashik-Mumbai National Highway through Nashik district and reached the scenic spot of Ghatandevi near Igatpuri at night. After walking the whole day in the scorching sun, it was inspiring to see how Adivasi farmers, women and men still had the energy to sing and dance energetic collective tribal dances into the wee hours of the morning. Their anger against the government and the system could be seen with every step of the joyous anger of the dance. 

On the morning of March 15, the Kisan Long March descended downwards along the famous serpentine Kasara Ghat, with high hills on one side and deep valleys on the other. The march by now had left Nashik district and entered the Thane district. Stunning photographs of the march were captured here by the electronic and print mainstream media and they soon reached all parts of the country. Sections of the social media did even better. By March 16, the marchers reached the Idgah Maidan at Vasind in Thane district, three days walk away from Mumbai.   

Negotiations with the state government

Due to the past experience of the widespread popular and political support that the 2018 Kisan Long March had received, the Shinde-Fadnavis state government was naturally, nervous. On the night of March 12 itself, a senior state Minister Dada Bhuse held a preliminary meeting with an AIKS delegation at Nashik. CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis declared that they, along with concerned Ministers, will meet an AIKS delegation on March 14 at 3 pm in the State Assembly premises. On March 14, a state-wide strike of hundreds of thousands of state government employees and teachers began, for the old pension scheme and other related demands. The state government suddenly postponed the March 14 meeting with the AIKS to the next day, March 15. 

The AIKS responded by marching on towards Mumbai, refusing to go for the March 15 talks, and demanding that now, state Ministers come to negotiate with the marchers. Eventually, two Ministers Dada Bhuse and Atul Save came to meet the marchers, held discussions and requested the AIKS leadership to come to the State Assembly premises on March 16 afternoon for full-fledged discussions with the CM, deputy CM, and other concerned Ministers and officials. While agreeing to go for the talks, the AIKS made it clear that the Kisan Long March will continue on its route to Mumbai until a satisfactory agreement has been reached. 

On March 16, at the invitation of the CM Shinde and Deputy CM of Maharashtra, Phadnavis, a 16-member AIKS delegation held a two and a half hour discussion with the state government in the state assembly premises in Mumbai. For this discussion six other concerned Ministers, the Chief Secretary, and several Secretaries of related departments were present. Among those in the AIKS delegation that met representatives of the state government were J P Gavit, ex-MLA, Dr Ashok Dhawale, Dr Ajit Nawale, Dr Uday Narkar, Vinod Nikole, MLA, Dr D L Karad, Umesh Deshmukh, Subhash Choudhary, Irfan Shaikh, Arjun Adey, Kiran Gahala, Mohan Jadhav, Ramesh Choudhary, Indrajit Gavit, Hiraman Gavit and Manjula Bangal. The talks ended on a positive note, with the government acceding to most of the 15-point Charter of Demands of the farmers.  

But the AIKS refused to withdraw the Kisan Long March and decided to continue their sit-in at Vasind, district Thane till such time as the Minutes of the decisions of this meeting were not placed on the table of the State Assembly and instructions about their implementation were not sent out to all district officials. In the face of such a resolute decision by the AIKS, the Chief Minister was forced on March 17 to announce all the decisions on the floor of the Legislative Assembly in a 15-minute address. On March 18, the AIKS received an official copy of the decisions and the Government also issued the same to all the district and lower authorities. In the wake of this significant victory, the third Kisan Long March was withdrawn on March 18, after six long days. 

A tragic incident occurred on the second last day of the March. A farmer who had walked in the march right from the beginning, Pundalik Ambadas Jadhav, age 58, Village Mavdi, Tehsil Dindori, Dist Nashik, died of illness in a government hospital at Shahapur in Thane district, where he had been admitted. This was a great shock. J P Gavit immediately demanded compensation from the state government. The CM had to announce Rs 5 lakh as ex gratia payment to the family of the peasant martyr.

Congratulations from the AIKS leadership 

The AIKS leadership congratulated the farmers of Maharashtra for the victorious third Kisan Long March. It concluded its statement by saying, “The AIKS-led Kisan Long March in 2018 had caught the imagination of the people and had instilled confidence in all democratic sections by forcing the then BJP-led State Government to accept almost all demands. In 2023, yet again the poor peasants, a large number of them Adivasis, with women leading from the front, have forced the SS-BJP to bow down and accept the demands. This victory will inspire militant struggles against the anti-people BJP Government and its pro-corporate policies. Coming just a fortnight before the Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally at Delhi, it will also inspire the working class and the peasantry to come out in bigger numbers in all forthcoming struggles.” 

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The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has in a powerful statement congratulated the farmers of Maharashtra for the victorious Kisan Long March. AIKS began a massive Kisan Long March from Nashik to Mumbai on March 12, 2023 on a 15-point charter of demands, the most prominent among which was remunerative price particularly for onions and also for cotton, soya-bean, tur (arhar), green gram, milk etc. 

The March which comprised a large number of Adivasi peasants, were also demanding the stringent implementation of the Forest Rights Act and other land rights related issues. Other demands related to loan waiver, electricity, crop insurance, increase in old-age pensions, scheme workers wages, etc.  

On March 16, Thursday last,  a 16-member AIKS delegation led by Dr Ashok Dhawale, J P Gavit, ex-MLA, Dr Ajit Nawale, Vinod Nikole, MLA, Dr Uday Narkar, Dr D L Karad, Umesh Deshmukh and others met the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Deputy CM and six other ministers with several top officials at the state assembly in Mumbai. The State Government was forced to accede to most of the 15-point charter of demands. Most importantly a subsidy of Rs. 350 per quintal for onion was agreed upon to be given. It was also agreed that loans of over 88,000 farmers who did not benefit from earlier loan waivers would be waived. A Committee for ensuring forest rights was also agreed upon with two representatives of the AIKS – J P Gavit, ex-MLA and Vinod Nikole, MLA, included in it. Old-age pension and honorarium of scheme workers was increased significantly.  

The AIKS had refused to withdraw the Kisan Long March and decided to sit-in at Vashind, District Thane till such time as the Minutes of the decisions of this meeting are not placed on the floor of the State Assembly and instructions about their implementation are not sent out to all district officials. In the face of such a resolute decision by the AIKS, the Chief Minister was forced on March 17, to announce all the decisions in the Legislative Assembly. The AIKS has thereafter received a copy of the decisions and the Government has also issued the same to the concerned authorities. In the wake of this significant victory, the Kisan Long March has been withdrawn on March 18.

The AIKS-led Kisan Long March in 2018 had caught the imagination of people and had instilled confidence in all democratic sections by forcing the then BJP-led State Government to accept almost all demands. In 2023, yet again the poor peasants, a large number of them Adivasis, with women leading from the front, have forced the SS-BJP to bow down and accept the demands. 

The statement issued by Dr Ashok Dhawale, president AIKS and Vijoo Krishnan, secretary also asserts that this victory in Maharashtra will inspire militant struggles against the anti-people BJP Government and its pro-corporate policies. Coming just a fortnight before the Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally at Delhi, it will also inspire the working class and the peasantry to come out in bigger numbers in all forthcoming struggles. 

Related:

With a 17-point demand charter, AIKS-led 10,000-strong Kisan Long March starts in Nashik

The post AIKS Congratulates Kisans of Maharashtra for the Victory of the Long March appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image Courtesy:mid-day.com

The ‘long march’ of farmers including Adivasis from all parts of Maharashtra has entered its sixth day 

Over 15,099 farmers including Adivasis started a long march to Mumbai on Monday from Nashik, covering a distance of 175 km to press for several demands, including compensation for the crops which were damaged due to unseasonal rainfall, fair price for their produce, farm loan waiver, electricity bills waiver and 12 hours of electricity supply, implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006) and ownership of the forest land they are cultivating.

Over 10,000 Farmers And Tribals From Maharashtra Are On A Long March From Nashik To Mumbai

17-point charter of demands

The long march, organised by, All India Kisan Sabha, is a an all India organisation pf farmers affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Last Sunday, March 12,  the AIKS released its 17-point charter of demands, including compensation for onion growers and MSP of Rs 2000/quintal from the following season, better prices for other crops like cotton, soybean, tur, green gram, milk, and related issues of ASHA workers, etc.

Forest Rights Act

Another crucial demand of the marching protesters, especially those from the tribal community, is the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006) and recognition of land rights (ownership) of the forest land they are cultivating.

As laud down in the Forest Rights Act, farmers, who have been cultivating forest lands before December 13, 2005, should get access and habitation rights on the land. It also provides ownership rights to other forest dwellers living in forests.

Despite the enactment of this law 17 tears ago, the implementation has been indifferent, largely because of the weaponisation of the forest department bureaucracy under the colonial (yet to be repealed Indian Forest Act of 1927).

Five years back, in 2018 and again 2019, too, the farmers and tribals took out long marches to press for similar demands. At the time a huge surge of support came in from Mumbai and other urban areas of the state.

Maharashtra government announces ex-gratia payment

The Maharashtra government on March 13 unilaterally announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 300 per quintal to onion farmers severely affected by a steep fall in commodity prices. This was not accepted by the farmers.

BCCL© Provided by Indiatimes

Compensation insufficient: farmers

However, the protesting farmers on the march are demanding an immediate financial relief of Rs 600 per quintal for onion growers.

Sharply criticising Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde’s offer of giving an ex-gratia of Rs 300/quintal for onion growers,  AIKS Maharashtra General Secretary Dr AjitNawale said it was too meagre and the amount should be hiked to at least Rs 600/quintal, failing which the agitation would intensify. “Unless the government talks to us, we may be compelled to block the Mumbai-Gujarat Highway, only then they will listen,” he said.

On Tuesday, after the government promised to hold talks with the protesting farmers, talks were called off after the employees of Maharashtra went on strike.

Ministers then met the AIKS leadership at Washim near Kasara on Thursday, March 16, assurances were given but these have still to be tabled in theassembly and formally accepted by the protesting farmers

Until then, the marchers ate waiting, ready to resume their march if the government assurances prove hollow.
 

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The post Maharashtra Farmers dig heels in as govt yet to table assurances in assembly appeared first on SabrangIndia.

While farmers across protest sites in India commemorated the 100 days of India’s recent farmer struggle, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) celebrated the third anniversary of the Kisan Long March of March 6, 2018 when over 40,000 farmers from Nashik to Mumbai came together to demand loan waiver for peasants, higher remunerative prices, drought relief and land rights under the Forest Rights Act for indigenous farmers.

The march was a result of continued struggles in Maharashtra for many years such as the coffin rally in 2016, the gherao of the Tribal Development Minister in 2016, and the whipcord rally in 2017. The organisation published an essay titled The Kisan Long March in Maharashtra to document the persevered struggle by farmers that resulted in one of the first unique, united protests by farmers.

According to AIKS President Ashok Dhawale, the march between March 6 and March 12, 2018 coincidentally occurred on the same anniversary as the beginning of the Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930. Now the same date is also celebrated by farmers across India to commemorate the long battle against the Centre’s anti-farmer-dubbed laws: the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

“March 6 also marks the completion of 100 days of the unprecedented struggle by lakhs of farmers at Delhi borders and all over India against the three hated farm laws brought in by the BJP-RSS regime led by Modi and Shah, and for a law to guarantee a fair MSP,” said Dhawale.

AIKS acknowledged the 250 and more farmers who have been martyred in this struggle. It saluted the participants of the ongoing struggle and those farmers in the Kisan Long March three years ago. The organisation vowed to take all efforts to bring the present farmers’ struggle to victory, said Dhawale.

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The post AIKS celebrates third anniversary of Kisan Long March appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Last year, after the Kisan Long March, the state government had made many promises. However, a year later, all promises still remain unfulfilled.

Courtesy: News Click

The post Kisan Long March 2.0: Govt failed to Curb the Farmers’ Enthusiasm appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
Mumbai: Kisan Long March is ready to set foot in Mumbai again after their 2018 demands were left unfulfilled by the Fadnavis led Maharashtra government.
 
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said it has mobilised nearly 80,000 farmers from different parts of Maharashtra who will begin marching towards Mumbai from Wednesday. They are expected to reach the city by February 27 and gather near Mantralaya, the state secretariat where the budget session of the assembly will be in progress.
 
The farmers will press for demands like farm loan waiver, minimum support price, irrigation facilities and provision of a pension to farmers.
 
According to media reports, the district administration in Nashik has refused permission to the AIKS to organise a farmers’ march and asked them to organise a demonstration. However, the AIKS reiterated on Tuesday that it intended to go forward with the farmers’ march.
 
AIKS also said in a statement that their general secretary Dr. Ajit Navale was facing harassment by police forces and the march was being halted in different regions by force. Reports suggested that the government has decided to crack down on farmers’ groups in different parts of the state which have been mobilising people for the march.
 
They said that farmers coming to Mumbai from the Thane Palghar route were stopped by the police at Jawhar, Dahanu, Kasa, Dhundhalwadi, Vikramgad and more areas. The people struggled against this crackdown but the vehicles were slowly allowed to move forward. AIKS alleged that district officials have filed police cases against those who have organised farmers’ conventions in Ahmednagar district.
 
The farmers collective said that the govt failed to fulfil any promises they made during their march to Mumbai in 2018.  

The post Police creating obstacles in second Kisan Long March: AIKS appeared first on SabrangIndia.

There are however signs of panic in the circles of power with cases being filed against kisan leaders like Dr Ajit Nawale and reports of arrests coming in from Dhule, ostensibly to stall the Long March 2.0. With talks remaining inconclusive amidst allegations of apathy against the Fadnavis government, the AIKS plans to begin the march in Nashik on 20th February, entering Mumbai on the 27th of February. But today, activists like Kishore Dhamale and Subhash Kakuste, leading a group of farmers under the banner of Satyashodhak Shetkari Sangathana who had left Dhule to join the Long March were arrested. Reacting to the arrests, Prasad Subramanium, member of the AIKS, speaking to Sabrang said, “The farmers wont get intimidated by forceful tactics of the government, the farmers are resolved to take the Long March forward”. Talking about the sense of betrayal among farmers he said, “After last year’s long march the government had formed a committee with members of the AIKS in it to address the farmers’ distress. It has been almost a year, the govt has not even called for a single meeting of the committee, even after repeated agitations including a jail bharo last year”. According to him,pictures, news and videos from the farmer’s march would be updated on twitter under the hashtag #kisanmarchesagain.

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The post Despite threat of Government crackdown, Maharashtra kisans prepare to march to Mumbai again appeared first on SabrangIndia.

They categorically mention that AIKS will organize an all India program on August 9, with the slogan, “BJP Hatao, Desh Bachao”.

The post The Battle is Not Over Yet, Say Kisan Leaders From Maharashtra appeared first on SabrangIndia.