Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government was "sensitive and positive" towards their demands.
Mumbai: Thousands of distressed farmers holding red flags marched into Mumbai yesterday and walked through the night to reach the Azad Maidan with an aim to be heard by the Maharashtra government. They began their 180-km march -- now being referred to as the "sea of red" for their banners, caps and swelling-by-the-day strength -- from Nashik on Tuesday. The 50,000-strong farmer contingent had planned to gherao the Vidhan Sabha today, but a delegation of farmers instead met the representatives of the state government. Amid praises for their peaceful protest, Poonam Mahajan BJP lawmaker from Mumbai, however, wondered why the farmers were holding the flag of Communists? Hope the long march isn't political, she said.
Here is a 10-point lowdown on the farmers' demand:
- Farmers have been demanding an unconditional loan waiver scheme after some of them failed to qualify for any financial relief under the Maharashtra government's initiative last year.
- The Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which spearheaded the march, wants the implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission that mandates farmers be paid one-and-a-half times the cost of production and the Minimum Support Price be fixed for their produce.
- The adivasis or tribal cultivators, who joined the march in huge numbers, want the land they have been tilling for years to be transferred to their names and implementation of the Forest Rights Act, which will benefit them.
- Inter-linking of rivers and to discontinue sharing of waters with Gujarat is among another concerns.
- The farmers want the state government to stop forceful acquisition of farm lands for development projects, such as the super highway and bullet trains.
- They want compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre to farmers hit by hailstorm and pink bollworm.
- As farmers across the state reportedly failed to benefit from the loan waiver scheme of the government, they decided to cover the 180 km distance between Nasik and Mumbai on foot to register their dissent. The scorching sun, blistered and cracked feet and sparse meals didn't deter the debt-ridden farmers.
- Even though the farmer had planned to begin their march towards the Vidhan Sabha after 11 am, they chose to walk at night so that the students appearing for their Board exams aren't affected and the traffic flowed smoothly.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals. "A ministerial committee has been formed to discuss the demands with protesters. We will take a decision to resolve their issues in a time-bound manner," he said.
- Poonam Mahajan aprreciated their long march and said the government in looking into them. "But the farmers had accepted that the farm loan waiver was implemented. I respect these farmers but what has bothered me the most is that these farmers are holding communist flags. I hope farmers aren't being used for political agendas," she said.
