Thousands on 'long march' to Mumbai to raise farmers' woes

NASHIK: Over 5,000 farmers, most of them from the tribal belt of Nashik district, were joined by others from Ahmednagar, Dhule and Palghar as they started their 'long march' to Mumbai on Monday. ASHA workers also joined the on-foot morcha that aims to draw the government's attention to various problems being faced by farmers and others.
The participants had gathered in Nashik under the banner of All-India Kisan Sabha. This is the third such agitation organised in Nashik since 2018. Though CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have invited the organisers for a dialogue at Mantralay on Tuesday, all the participants started their long walk to Mumbai from Mhasrul.
Ajit Navale, general secretary of the Maharashtra unit of All-India Kisan Sabha, alleged that the government does not intend to provide relief to farmers. "It is the same old story whenever onion prices crash. We have also been raising the issues of milk producers. But the government is only giving assurances. There has been no justice. The farmers will continue to put pressure on the government for justice. Our march is a step in that direction. We will reach Mumbai by March 20," said Navale.
Farmers are not getting power. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) is not being implemented in letter and spirit. The government needs to be reminded of the problems being faced by tribals," said D L Karad, the national-vice president of CITU.
"It has been 18 years since the Forest Rights Act was approved. Tribals who are tilling the land are yet to get the rights to the land. Despite written assurances, nothing has happened. Even the land records prepared under the FRA so far have anomalies," Karad added.
Meanwhile, Nashik district collector Gangatharan D had approached the organisers at the Nimani Bus stand with a request to call off the morcha. He had a word with the organisers and even arranged for a call between the organisers and district guardian minister Dada Bhuse. "We conveyed the government's message to them. A meeting has been organised at 3 pm on Tuesday and even guardian minister talked to them," the collector said.
But the organisers were determined to carry on with their march. They said a 15-member delegation will meet the CM and deputy CM on Tuesday, but the morcha will continue.
On Sunday evening, a five-hour marathon meeting between the morcha organisers and Bhuse, which ended at 1 am on Monday, failed to yield results.
Sachin Gavit, a farmer from Surgana, had been a part of the Long March in 2018. He was again here on Monday, ready for the long walk.
"We till 7 acres of forest land. After the first Long March, the papers moved fast, but we got only half-acre plot in the mane of my father and his four brothers. The delay in FRA implementation has brought me here again," said Gavit, who also has a science degree.
Till Monday night, the morcha had reached Wadiwarhe, about 15 km from Nashik city. The participants will be rest overnight.