A revolt against the BJP govt’s betrayal of the peasantry: Ashok Dhawale

Ashok Dhawale, president of the Communist Party of India - Marxist’s (CPI-M) farmer body, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, which has organised the march of the 30,000 farmers, has accused the Devendra Fadnavis-led state government of “betraying” them. Excerpts from an interview with DNA’s Dhaval Kulkarni:

What are the Kisan Sabha’s demands? 

This is a revolt against the betrayal of the peasantry by the BJP government. The anger is palpable as 30,000 people have walked for seven days from Nashik to Mumbai. Their faith in the government has been breached over the loan waivers. The total crop loans in Maharashtra are Rs 1.13 lakh crore and the state government agreed to write off over Rs 34,000 crore. However, it has disbursed just around Rs 13,700 crore. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act was approved in 2006 but tribals have been unable to get titles for lands they have been cultivating for generations. We are demanding the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission report to reimburse farmers for their cost of production plus another 50 per cent. Farmers and farm labourers above 60 years of age must be given a pension. 

What is the plan ahead? 

We will reach Vidhan Bhawan on Monday and not move till our demands are conceded. 

The government has claimed a cash crunch. How do you respond? 

The government is pro-corporate. The Central government must bear the burden as it has the resources. It was done by the VP Singh (1989) and Manmohan Singh (2008) governments when it came to farm loan waivers. However, the Narendra Modi government is not ready to do this and wants state governments to bear the burden.