Maharashtra farmers' protest: More than 20,000 farmers and tribals from the northern part of Maharashtra, Ahmednagar, Vidarbha and other parts of the state are still marching towards Mumbai to push the fulfilment of their long-pending demands. The march which kicked off from Thane on Wednesday will culminate at Azad Maidan to put forth their demands including implementation of Swaminathan Committee Report, pending claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), setting up of MSP, farm loan waivers, drought compensation and other issues. According to reports, around 5,000 farmers began their march from Octroi Naka towards a BMC Ground in Chunnabhatti. After a small halt, it was joined by thousands of other protesters by Thursday morning. The march is likely to cause traffic jams in Mumbai.

Taking account of this massive protest, Mumbai police on Wednesday issued traffic guidelines for the commuters in the city. “Commuters starting journey from South Mumbai using JJ flyover, Lalbagh flyover and Parel flyover towards Dadar are advised to avoid & use Slip Roads till 10 AM. Farmer’s agitation scheduled today. Regular Traffic movement on Dr BA Road towards CST and on these flyovers,” Mumbai police informed commuters in its tweet.

Magsaysay award winner Dr Rajendra Singh, also known as Waterman of India, is among the marchers. Protestors will reach Azad Maidan in south Mumbai early on Thursday and will try to hold a demonstration near Vidhan Bhawan, where the state legislative session is underway, a leader of the march told news agency PTI.

These farmers, struggling to cope with the agrarian crisis, are demanding proper implementation of the loan waiver package announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maharashtra government in the state last year, land rights for farmers and compensation for farm labourers. “We have been consistently asking the state government to fulfil our long-standing demands but the response has been lukewarm. We are forced to launch this agitation,” Pratibha Shinde, general secretary of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, which is organising the protest told PTI.

Under the support of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, farmers from Nandurbar, Dhule, Parbhani, Jalgaon, Nasik, Amravati, Buldhana, Pune, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts of the state have joined the protest. Even Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Maharashtra has also extended support to the agitating farmers.