The farmers started their 180-km long march on March 6 from Nashik and aim to reach Nariman Point on Monday. Pics/Sameer Markande

On a sweltering Friday afternoon, over 25,000 protesters spilled on to Mumbai-Nashik Highway near Shahapur in Thane district, bringing vehicular traffic to a grinding halt. The protesters, all members of the CPI-M's All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) — the country's largest organisation representing farmers and labourers — have been covering 30 km daily, since they first set out on foot from Nashik on their 180-km-long journey to Mumbai, where they plan to gherao the Vidhan Sabha on Monday.