This refers to the article, “Mumbai march and implications” (March 14) by Navneet Anand. Moments after the Communist Party of India(Marxist) lost the elections in Tripura, the farmer's march was already preparing to start from Nashik in Maharashtra, along with several other progressive organisations. About 40,000 farmers, who marched from Nashik to Mumbai, secured a handsome victory not just for themselves but for farmers across the country, with Maharashtra Chief Minister promising to meet their demands.
The key demands of the left-backed farmers included unconditional coverage of a loan-waiver scheme and the transfer of forest land to those who have been tilling it for decades. The farmers also wanted the price of their produce to be fixed at one-and-a-half times the cost of production. But loan-waivers are not the solution, what Maharashtra's farmers really need, among other things, is easier access to working capital, investment in other aspects of farming apart from irrigation — such as marketing and storage. Much of the produce of farmers perish as they reach the mandi due to lack of adequate storage facilities. Other problems include calculations of the minimum support price .