Maharashtra farmers call off massive protests after Devendra Fadnavis agrees to their key demands: 10 updates

The Devendra Fadnavis-led government of Maharashtra on Monday agreed to the list of demands of the thousands of farmers who marched in Mumbai.

"We have accepted most of their demands and have given them a written letter," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a statement on Monday.

Over 30,000 farmers and tribals marched from Nashik to Mumbai covering 180-km in a bid to force the state government to accept their demands. The protest has now been called off after government agreed to the farmers' demands.

Here are the 10 updates on Maharashtra farmers calling off massive protests after Devendra Fadnavis agrees to their key demands​:

1. On March 6, over 30,000 farmers began walking from Nashik with the aim to cover 180 km on foot and stage a protest outside the Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai in a bid to force the state government to accept their demands. The Kisan Long March, organised by the Communist Party of India - Marxist’s farmers body All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), has been supported by Shiv Sena, MNS, CPI, AAP and the Swaraj Abhiyaan.

2. Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan on Monday said that the demand of rights of forest land for tribal and ration cards were main demands. “Farmers had another demand where definition of family and accepting the loan waiver claim for either wife or husband was in question and that is also sorted out,” Mahajan said.

3. "We are very happy. Our demands have been met. We will be getting back our land which is like mother to us," Suresh Jairam, Nashik farmer who was participating in farmers' protest, was quoted as saying by ANI.

4. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Poonam Mahajan on Monday claimed that the 'Kisan Long March' was propelled by urban Maoists.“Tribals in Maharashtra have been captured by urban Maoism. They (farmers) are holding the flag of Communists, and urban Maoists are misguiding them,” Mahajan said, according to News18."

5. Earlier on Sunday, Ashok Dhawale, president of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, said: "The protesting farmers' 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."

6. The farmers had also demanded a change in the plan to link rivers in Nashik, Thane and Palghar districts so as to ensure that tribal lands are not submerged and water from the scheme be made available to these areas and other drought-prone districts.

7. They also protested against the state government's land acquisition for projects such as high speed rail and super highways.

8. "We are demanding an increase in pension schemes for poor peasants and farm workers, compensation for losses due to pink bollworm and pest attacks and rehauling of the public distribution system," the march organisers had earlier said.

9. The protesting farmers walked in the night to Azad Maidan to ensure no inconvenience to students taking the HSC and SSC exams. "We do not want to create problems for students and the office goers. We don't mind suffering more but we don't want our students to suffer more," said Ashok Dhavale, national secretary of ABKS.

10. Earlier on Monday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said farmers have been facing problems not only in Maharashtra but all over India. "This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India," Gandhi said while talking to media on farmers protest.