Thousands of farmers, who started their long march from Dindori in Nashik on Sunday towards Mumbai, are likely to call off their protest today (March 17) and return home.
The farmers, whose number was estimated to be 20,000, faced the scorching sun and marched towards the metropolis holding banners and red flags. They were led by the Akhil Bharat Kisan Sabha, which is a front organisation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
11-member delegation meet CM and DCM
On Thursday afternoon, an 11-member delegation of farmers met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Vidhan Bhavan where the budget session of the legislature is currently underway.
Shinde and Fadnavis assured the delegation that they would look into the demands positively. Shinde is expected to make a statement on the government’s response to the demands on the floor of the Assembly, after which the protest is expected to be called off.
12 demands of farmers
The farmers have 12 demands, including remuneration for onion crop as per the Swaminathan panel’s report, immediate compensation for the damage to crops caused by the recent unseasonal rains, cultivation of forest land and 12-hour electric power supply during the day. Leaders said farmers were facing an extremely grim situation and unless the state government intervened quickly there would be a massive agricultural crisis.
“The government has accepted all our demands. We are told that CM Shinde will himself make a statement in assembly on Friday. After the statement, we will call off the long march and return home,” CPI(M) MLA Vinod Nikole claimed.
Agriculture minister Abdul Sattar confirmed that after a long discussion of three hours, the state government has accepted all the demands of farmers. “We have assured them that the issues like giving forest land to cultivators will be taken up immediately. CM assured the delegation that other demands like fair price for farm produce and others will also be dealt with positively,” said Sattar.
The March has already reached Vasind in Thane district and was expected to reach Azad Maidan in the coming two days. But if the march is called off on Friday then farmers may not reach Azad Maidan.
