Nashik: Farmers Stage ‘Kranti Maha Morcha’ At Chandwad Over Falling Onion Prices

Nashik: Hundreds of farmers, along with senior leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), participated in the “Shetkari Kranti Maha Morcha” held at Chandwad in Nashik district on Tuesday, demanding a fair minimum support price for onions and raising several other farmers’ issues.

The protest began around 9 am on the Mumbai-Agra Highway under the leadership of Rohit Pawar. Demonstrators blocked traffic on the highway and raised slogans demanding justice for onion growers. Some protesters allegedly attempted to deflate the tyres of vehicles passing through the route, leading to tension at the protest site.

Senior MVA leaders, including Ambadas Danve, Harshvardhan Sapkal, Shashikant Shinde, MPs Bhaskar Bhagare, Rajabhau Waje, Nilesh Lanke and Dr Shobha Bachhav also participated in the agitation.

Several leaders and protesters wore garlands made of onions as a symbolic protest against falling onion prices, while some joined the march sitting on bullock carts. Protesters demanded that the government ensure onion farmers receive at least ₹24 per kilogram for their produce.

As demonstrators attempted to intensify the blockade, police intervened and began detaining protesters. Police personnel forcibly escorted leaders including Rohit Pawar, Harshvardhan Sapkal and Ambadas Danve into police vans. Despite the detentions, protesters declared that the agitation would continue, creating tension at the protest site for some time.

Speaking during the protest, Rohit Pawar said, “The state government is ignoring farmers’ issues. This movement is being led by ordinary farmers, and we are only supporting them. The government had promised onion prices of ₹24 per kg, but farmers are currently getting only around ₹15. Prices rose slightly after pressure from the protest, but farmers are still not benefiting. NAFED will procure only 2 lakh tonnes of onions, while farmers spend huge amounts transporting produce from farms to markets. The bigger question is how farmers will survive in the coming years.”

Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged that the government was suppressing protests through police action. “This government is afraid of us and uses the police to suppress protests. The government is neither ready to discuss farmers’ demands nor willing to fulfil its promises. Instead, those raising questions and staging peaceful protests are being detained by the police,” he said.

Ambadas Danve said the main demand of the agitation was fair prices for onion farmers. “Our primary demand is that onion farmers should receive fair prices for their produce. The government announces prices, but actual procurement does not happen. Mere announcements are of no use,” he stated.