The spotlight turned on to the most severe agrarian crisis gripping Maharashtra on Sunday with over 35,000 distressed farmers reaching the State Capital to knock at the doors of the BJP-led alliance Government to seek immediate solution for a host of problems facing the farming community across the State.
The farmers, who have for the past six days been on a long-march from Nashik in north Maharashtra to Mumbai, made their way from Thane to Somaiya Grounds, north-central Mumbai, where they halted for the night. On Monday morning, the agitating farmers will head towards Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai where the Budget session of the State legislature is currently on.
Wearing red 'topis', carrying red flags, beating drums, cymbals and playing tarpa, the traditional blowing instrument of the tribals, the farmers made their colourful presence felt as they walked briskly along the Eastern Express highway, from where the authorities had diverted the south-bound vehicular traffic all through the day.
The 180-km protest march — termed as the “long March of farmers” — has been organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS), the peasants' wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). This is the second major morcha taken out to Mumbai after August 9 last year, when more five lakh Marathas had virtually laid siege to south Mumbai for nearly six hours to press for reservations and other demands.
The agitating farmers' perseverance could be gauged from the fact that they have been walking since Tuesday last when they left Nashik in north Maharashtra, braving the scorching Sun and the intense humidity. Several of the farmers were seen walking with swollen legs and torn slippers.
On Monday, the agitating farmers - who are planning to gherao the State legislature --will in all likelihood be stopped at Azad Maidan, from where a delegation of ABKS leaders will head to Vidhan Bhavan to meet the Chief Minister for talks.
State Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan met members of the delegation on the way and invited them for talks with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday. “The farmers have come from such far-off places. I welcome them to Mumbai. I have come to invite their members for talks with the Chief Minister. I am confident that the farmers can expect a positive outcome at tomorrow's meeting”.
Talking to media persons, farmers' leader Dr Ajit Nawale who has been leading the march, said: “The ABKS is solidly behind me. The ABKS delegation that will meet the Chief Minister tomorrow will comprise farmers' leaders from all over the State. Ajit Nawale is just another farmer. All the farmers irrespective cast, religion and political affiliations, who have joined this agitation, are important. The first phase of our agitation is to ensure that the State Government waives Rs 34,000 crore worth farm loans. In the second phase, we will fight for making farmers across Maharashtra fully debt-free.”
“Given the tremendous support our agitation has evoked from farmers across the State, I do not think that the State Government will ignore or dismiss us easily. Still, if the Fadnavis Government tries to dilly-dally on the issue of farm loan waiver or take the farmers for a ride, it will pay heavily for its act. The agitating farmers have been walking virtually barefoot for the past seven days. If the ruling BJP tries to short-change them, then the farmers will not spare either Fadnavis or his party,” Nawale said.
“We will not call off our agitation till we get written assurances from the Chief Minister that the committed to settle all our demands,” Nawale said.
“The agrarian crisis is very severe. During the last 25 years, more than four lakh farmers have committed suicide across India. The agrarian crisis and malnutrition are inter-linked. The farmers are feeling betrayed by the Maharashtra Government and the BJP-led NDA at the Centre,” Maharashtra ABKS president Dr Ashok Dhavale said.
Meanwhile, the ruling Shiv Sena and Opposition NCP have thrown their lot with the agitating farmers. Shiv Sena's youth wing leader Aditya Thackeray met the farmer leaders during the course of their long-march in the city on Sunday and assured them his party's support to the ABKS. “My father Uddhavsaheb has sent specially to meet and extend my party's support to you. We are openly supporting the agitating farmers. We are prepared to work with the farmers shoulder to shoulder to achieve their demands,” Aditya said.
Extending his party's support to the farmers' agitation, NCP president Sharad Pawar said: “The long-march organised by the farmers is of extreme importance. We have extended our whole-hearted support to their agitation. My party leaders like State party unit president Sunil Tatkare and leader of the Opposition in the State legislative Council Dhananjay Munde will participate in the long-march”.