Farmers' march from Thane to CSMT finally gets CM's attention

Farmers walked from Thane to CSMT on Thursday just to ensure that the govt took cognisance of their demands. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Thousands of farmers, who walked from Thane to CST on Thursday, knocked on the doors of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has assured them that their demands would be addressed. At a meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan, Fadnavis connected the delegation with the officials in the affected districts and directed them to expedite allotment of land to the Adivasis.

Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan who negotiated with the activists on Wednesday night and took them to the Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday, said the meeting was cordial and most of the issues were common to Thursday's protesters, including the left-supported group and the RSS-backed tribals, who had agitated in the city previously. It was further decided to review the work done three months after Thursday's meeting.

The farmers sat in the hot sun at Azad Maidan until they got the CM's assurance. Pic/Atul Kamble

Many of those protesting on Thursday mainly demanded that their land be transferred in their names officially and get their 7/12 draft made, and the state government has asked the officials concerned to look into this issue. The protesters also demanded fair price on their agricultural produce, and demanded a complete loan waiver, along with drought compensation, and implementation of the Swaminathan committee directives.

Many tribals and farmers who protested at Azad Maidan complained about pain in their legs owing to the long walk. Gunwantabai Pawar, from Jalgaon, said, "My legs are aching now. But, our futures will be secure if the land is in our name." Another tribal, Raju Pawra, said, "There are at least 200 people from my village alone who have turned up to be a part of the protest so that the government can hear us. We struggle for a daily income and the government should help us."

Activist Pratibha Shinde, who led the march, said the delegation was satisfied after meeting Fadnavis. She said, "Most of the demands were met, and we asked for a written assurance, that the Chief Secretary was asked to prepare."

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