The farmers’ agitation escalated on Friday, as the Kisan Kranti core committee that is spearheading the agitation called for a sans Mumbai Maharashtra bandh on June 5 and the ruling Shiv Sena extended its full support to the ongoing agitation, by reiterating its demand for the waiver of farm loans in the State.
The Kisan Kranti core committee members were at their aggressive best all through the day, as they rejected noted Gandhian Anna Hazare’s offer to hold talks with the Maharashtra Government on their behalf.
As the farmers’ strike entered second day, most parts of the State faced severe shortage of milk, while the prices of vegetables shot further in Mumbai and in major towns and cities elsewhere in the State. Reports continued to pour into the State Capital about the agitating farmers throwing milk and vegetables on the road at many places.
In a major development, the ruling Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray extended his party’s full support to the farmers’ agitation.
Holding the Devendra Fadnavis Government squarely responsible for farmers going on an agitation, Uddhav said “It is unfortunate that the farmers have taken to air their grievances. If the farmers have gone on an agitation, it bespeaks of the failure of those in power. It was the Shiv Sena that raised the issue of farm loan waiver first with the Government. The ongoing agitation is a matter of life and death for farmers. We fully support the farmers’ agitation. We are of the firm view that the State Government should announce loan waiver for farmers.”
With no sign of immediate resolution to the farmers’ agitation, the people in the urban areas will be put to considerable inconvenience in the coming days, because of the shortage of milk and vegetables and also abnormal rise in their prices in markets across the State.
Talking to media persons after their meeting at Puntamba in Ahmednagar district of western Maharashtra, the Kisan Kranti core committee members gave a call for ‘Maharashtra bandh,’ excluding Mumbai, on June 5 as part of their plan to intensify their ongoing agitation.
“Excepting essential services like fire brigade, medical shops and ambulances, all other services will grind to a halt on that day. During the bandh, there will not be any sale of milk, vegetables and essential commodities. We will also stop the operation of State-ru buses,” a senior Kisan Kranti core committee leader said. The agitating farmer leaders also threatened to close down all the Government offices in the State.
In a related development, Hazare’s efforts to reach out to the agitating farmers failed, with the Kisan Kranti core committee members turning down the veteran social activist’s offer to take up their issue with the CM and seek resolution to the ongoing strike.