Pune: The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Sunday organised a 'Kali Diwali' (Black Diwali) protest at the Pune District Collector's office, where party workers and farmers marked the festival by preparing and eating chutney-bhakri. The protest was held against the state government's alleged failure to provide adequate drought relief, ensure drinking water security and compensate farmers for their losses.
The agitation began with farmers preparing food on a traditional stove at the protest site. The party alleged that although the government had declared drought in 265 talukas across Maharashtra, the promised financial assistance of ₹5,000 to farmers was inadequate and had not reached all eligible beneficiaries.
Advocate Arvind Tayade of the Pune unit of the VBA said party national president Prakash Ambedkar had repeatedly warned the government about the impending water crisis and urged it to reserve dam water for drinking purposes. However, the government had failed to take timely measures, he alleged.
Tayade said, “Ambedkar had warned the government even before the drought situation emerged and urged it to plan water distribution by reserving dam water for drinking purposes. However, the government failed to pay attention to these warnings. Even today, there is no visible planning to tackle the impending drinking water crisis.”
He also criticised the government's claims regarding tree plantation and raised concerns over the environmental impact of infrastructure projects. Referring to the earlier claim of planting 33,000 crore trees in Maharashtra, he alleged that the plantation drive had failed to produce visible results. He further alleged that thousands of trees would be cut for the Torrent project, questioning the state's environmental planning.
Blaming the government for the worsening drought situation, Tayade alleged that its policies had contributed to the crisis. He said, “The government has betrayed farmers. Their crops are not fetching remunerative prices, and many farmers are struggling to survive. This is a Diwali being celebrated on an empty stomach by farmers across Maharashtra.”
Questioning the ₹5,000 financial assistance announced for drought-affected farmers, Tayade said the amount was insufficient to compensate for their agricultural losses.
A farmer participating in the protest said, “There should be sufficient water in the fields for crops to grow. Water must reach farmers at the right time. Is ₹5,000 enough to deal with the losses caused by drought? This amount is simply not sufficient.”
Tayade warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to respond to the demands. He said that, under Prakash Ambedkar's leadership, farmers from across Maharashtra would participate in a larger protest during the upcoming legislative session and march towards Vidhan Bhavan and the Chief Minister's residence.
He added that farmers would also be mobilised to approach the residences of ministers, MLAs and MPs to press for adequate water supply and drought relief.
