Farmers march of right: Full of hope, patience and decency

Pleasantness and the spirit of trying-again stood out in the long march of farmers as they continued their journey for rights on Thursday morning. From almost nothing given to them despite an assurance over six months ago, patience and decency in their challenge to government stood out as slogans called for a fight if it did not relent soon.

When the city was barely up, farmers were woken up before 5 am so that inconvenience to the traffic was minimal. For a long time farmer representatives were persuaded to take a longer route so that city is not inconvenienced.

"Are our issues not important? Why others were allowed to have a long march during the day time?" Questions got them to have march but earlier in the day. DNA joined the farmers at Hindmata flyover in the walk that many organisers in Mumbai joined late as their leg were swollen from the long march of the previous day.

Devibai Kalaskar, 59 year old Jalgaon was one among who marched along despite not feeling well. She was among the many farmers who came mainly from north Maharashtra, Vidarbha region, and Marathwada among others. Most of the issues were of land rights, minimum support price and benefits that farmers get.

"I have sugar but the march was equally important because government was doing opposite of what it should be. They wanted some road to pass from part of the land. They have broken the house I had build. Government is supposed to build and give or break. They have also not given our land rights?," said Kalaskar who often asked around for water on the bridge.

Help this time was little as was in case of other long marches that were better planned. There as no water as easily being distributed at every few kilometers as was the case in the previous long marches. The tempo, however, did not die down. Slogans and drums kept the tempo and the movement alive.

It was the same when it reached the Azad Maidan where everyone was stationed and provided with food and water and some medical help from conscientious citizens. As the day progressed, farmers spoke about their rights and how it has been evaded for long years. The protest ended with another written assurance from government, this time of three months. Cheerful they left to return if the government failed them again.

DEMANDS

Acquiring land rights promised way back in 2005, minimum support price, and other benefits were the main agenda.

Gaurav Shamkule, Chandrapur 
We joined the protest because we want the 7/12 records to be in our name. We come from an area that is a backward region; there are adivasis who live and farm there. Forty years have passed since we started tilling the land, yet we don’t have ownership right. In some cases, the government has mentioned names of 40 people in one 7/12 extract.

Birmyar Rukji Wadvi, Nandurbar 
For over 20 years, our family has been tilling the same land. However, we are not yet to be accorded ownership rights of the land parcel. We have submitted the required documents, yet the government has not given any affirmation of the land officially belonging to us.

Bhaisigh Mashing Varad, Jalgaon
Around 150 people from our village have come here. We are all into farming. The government is planting trees in the land where we once used to sow seeds. We have been farming in the areas from before the cut off dates were announced by the government. We want the land in our names.

Gema & Pimbai Barela, Jalgaon 
Both of us work on the fields; we have been farming the same land since 2001. In 2005, the government came out with a rule stating those who till the land will be given rights to own it. However, the promise is yet to be materialised. The land we farm just about allows us to fill our own stomach. For any expense over and above it, we have to work in farms of other people.