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Kisan Long March | Armed with demands, farmers paint Mumbai red

As farmers storm into Mumbai to get their voices heard, experts talk about the state government’s failed promises that are fuelling the march

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Kisan Long March by Maharashtra Kisan Maha Sabha on its way from Nashik to Mumbai; Folk singers and artistes also marched along to keep the spirits of agitators up
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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 Sabha in Mumbai in a bid to force the state government to accept their demands. As the agitators neared Mumbai, the Kisan Long March, organised by the Communist Party of India - Marxist’s farmers body All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), has seen Shiv Sena, MNS, CPI, AAP and the Swaraj Abhiyaan come out in support of the movement.

However, the first resistance by Maharashtra’s farmers was staged in June 2017, when they did something unexpected by going on strike to get their demands heard like farm loan waivers and remunerative support pricing for their produce. As agriculturists hit the streets, spilling milk and throwing vegetables on the roads in protest, even BJP ministers admitted that the fury was the result of a combination of factors and structural weaknesses including depressed prices of farm produce, lack of freedom to access markets and technologies, market distortions, impact of demonetisation and lack of public investments in the primary sector. At the time, the BJP-led government had tried to underplay the impact and reach of the protest, which also saw violence by farmers, but was eventually forced to relent and announce loan waivers.

However, nine months later, the wheel seems to have turned a full circle as farmers have hit the streets yet again to protest the shoddy implementation of the loan waiver scheme.

Expert speak 

This is a revolt against the betrayal of the peasantry by the BJP government. The total crop loans in Maharashtra are Rs 1.13 lakh crore and the government agreed to write off over Rs 34,000 crore. However, it has disbursed just around Rs 13,700 crore. We are demanding the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission report to reimburse farmers for their cost of production plus another 50 per cent. Despite the government’s announcements, cotton farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha are yet to be compensated for pink bollworm infestations. Farmers and farm labourers above 60 years must be given pension.
—Ashok Dhawale, president, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha

After BJP coming to power, the farmers were completely neglected. In the past three years, not a single crop got fair prices to farmers. The prices of cotton, onion, wheat, etc have historically collapsed because of the central and state government’s anti-farmer policies. Besides, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lost control over his administration and the farmers and common man have had to come to the Mantrayala to seek justice. When their issues are not resolved at the Mantralaya either, they get frustrated and Dharma Patil-like suicides happen out of depression. The government’s apathy is solely responsible.
—Ashok Chavan, president, Maharashtra Congress

The government is not honest in its motives and the farmers are expressing their discontent in the proper manner. The BJP came to power because the Congress was committing a series of mistakes and making promises it did not fulfill. The issues being raised by the farmers groups are not new. Despite the Forests Rights Act being passed in 2006, tribals have not yet secured titles of forest land that they have been tilling for years. Demands like ration cards and supply of kerosene are also those which are easy to fulfill if the government has the political will.
—Vijay Jawandhia, farmer leader from Wardha in Vidarbha

The government is adept at cheating farmers. The government has changed but it is the case of old wine in a new bottle. The current government announced farm loan waivers of over Rs 34,000 crore but released just around Rs 13,000 crore. It takes loans for bullet trains but does not implement its promises to borrow from the open market to meet its commitments to farmers. The loan waiver was announced with several exclusion clauses. In the long term, farmers need access to markets and technologies.
—Wamanrao Chatap, former MLA of the Swatantra Bharat Paksha

A record number of farmer suicides have happened under the BJP government. Before coming to power, BJP made tall promises to all sections including farmers who were promised the implementation of Dr Swaminathan Commission report. Now the government is refusing to implement it. Moreover, the seeds and fertiliser prices have increased many fold which is putting additional financial burden on farmers. Due to low prices, farmers are not able to recover their expenses. It is very unfortunate that those who cultivate the food we eat are the ones who are striving for a decent life.
—Dhananjay Munde, Leader of Opposition, Legislative Council

This government has done work like no other regime since Independence. On loan waivers, most parties agreed that the money should go directly to the farmers and exclusions be made for those who paid income tax, were elected representatives or government employees, which the state government agreed to. The government has also opened a fresh window for farmers who were left out to apply for loan waivers in March. The Centre has withstood pressure to reduce import duties on agricultural commodities and edible oils. Earlier, India was used for dumping these goods.
—Pasha Patel, former BJP MLC and chairman, Maharashtra Commission for Agriculture and Prices

No government has been sincere towards the issues of farmers. The present government is no different. Instead of waiving loans up to Rs 1.5 lakh per farmer beneficiary, the state government should write off the entire loan packages of all the identified 79 lakh farmers. However, in no case should income tax payers, traders and government employees be covered in the ambit of the loan waiver scheme. It should benefit only genuine farmers and not those who have purchased farm lands to convert their black money into white.
—Amar Habib, Kisanputra Andolan

The government only believes in making ambitious announcements and false promises. The economic survey says that the farm sector growth has fallen and so have the quantum of crop loans. Since farmers have not been given the benefit of loan write offs, they have been unable to get fresh loans. Cotton production has fallen by 46 per cent due to the pink bollworm infestation caused by bogus BT seeds. The state government has been unable to bring these seed companies to book.
—Raju Shetti, farmer leader and Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangale

 

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