Over 50,000 farmers' long march will reach Mumbai on Monday to press their various demands including implementations of Forest Right Act 2008, Dr Swaminathan commission report for fair prices to farmers and complete loan waiver among others.
Over 50,000 farmers' long march will reach Mumbai on Monday to press their various demands including implementations of Forest Right Act 2008, Dr Swaminathan commission report for fair prices to farmers and complete loan waiver among others.
The long march which started from Nashik on March 6, reached Shahapur area of Thane district on Thursday.
Upon reaching in Mumbai, the farmers will gherao around Vidhan Bhavan.
"Farmers have been betrayed by the BJP-led government. They in large numbers are marching towards Mumbai to press their demands. We will not break our gherao in Mumbai unless our demands are fulfilled,” said Ashok Dhavale, President of Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha.
Dhavale said that the Forest Right Act has been passed in the parliament in 2008, but this has not been properly implemented.
Dr. Ajit Navale, Secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha said that as per the Forest Right Act, if the farmer/tribal is cultivating any forest land for a long time, then the ownership of this cultivated forest should be given to that tribal permanently. So that they can avail various benefits such as loan and other government facilities."
Stating that the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the complete loan waiver earlier, Navale added, "But in notifications, he (Fadnavis) inserted various terms and conditions. As a result, very small sections of the farmers got the benefits of the farm loan waiver scheme. We want the complete loan waiver.”
“Farmers are going through very tough financial situations. They are very much distressed. On the other hand, the government has failed to address their demands, therefore, the farmers' suicides have been increased by many folds in Maharashtra,” said Dhavale.
He also said that the government should also start the pension scheme for the poor and old farmers who are unable to do the farming.
The 35-year-old Bhausaheb Gangode, a farmer from Nashik district 's Dindori who has participated in the long march said that the government has rejected his application for transferring the ownership of forest land in his name.
“We have been cultivating the land for a long time and as per the Forest Right Act 2008, the cultivating forest land ownership should be given to us. But government disqualified us on flimsy reason. Every day, we are walking 30 km and preparing our own food. We are fighting for our own rights. We want justice and without justice, we will not return back to our places. We do not want to go back with empty hands. It is the long struggle,” Gangode said.
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