The Maharashtra Farmers struggle comes out victorious

The six-day march led by more than 30,000 farmers which started from Mulund on Saturday night ended on a positive note with Maharashtra government accepting almost all demands.

Farmers of All Indian Kisan Sabha (AIKS) march from Nashik to Mumbai to gherao Vidhan Bhawan on March 12, (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: The six-day march led by more than 30,000 farmers which started from Mulund on Saturday night ended on a positive note with Maharashtra government accepting almost all demands. The government was under pressure as Congress and Shiv Sena came out in support of the farmers. Farmers made some long-standing but familiar demands: Loan waivers, increase in MSP, implementation of Forest Rights Act and wider diffusion of effective property rights, improvements in irrigation.

Com. @SitaramYechury addressing the #FarmersMarchToMumbai pic.twitter.com/qc6hTdlOXb

— AIKS (@KisanSabha) 12 March 2018

What has been agreed upon 1. The right of farmers, tribals to till forest land 2. Extension farm loan waiver to those who had borrowed between 2001 and 2008. 3. MSP for farm produce in line with Swaminathan formula 4. Nar-Par, Daman Ganga, and Girnar river-linking projects 5. 31 water conversations projects in state’s tribal north 6. Financial aid to tribal with serious health problems Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "We have agreed to set up a committee to hand over forest land used for farming, to tribals and farmers."

"A meeting was held with representatives of farmers and Adivasis at Vidhan Bhawan today. We have agreed to set up a committee to allow agricultural land to tribals provided they submit a proof of pre-2005 land cultivation. We have accepted almost all their demands," he added. The farmers have agreed to withdraw the protest and the Central Railway has decided to run a special train for their return, from Mumbai to Bhusawal. Volunteers of Shiv Sena South and Sikh community arrived at the Azad Maidan to provide support to all the farmers gathered there. Farmers were given food, drink, medical care.

Sikh community in Mumbai distributes food to farmers participating in the march. #KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/AqAGoluCu9

— AIKS (@KisanSabha) 11 March 2018

There was a wave of triumph in Azad Maidan when farmer’s leaders were reading out the assurances given by the government to them ‘in writing’. The assurances would be tabled on the floor of the state legislature on Tuesday. “I have taken part in several protests but this is the first time that we have got something on paper,” Ramu Bhoye, a 40-year-old farmer from Hatti village in Surgana, Nashik district, told Indian Express.

JJ flyover, 05:00 AM. #KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/9S1hNlwD91

— AIKS (@KisanSabha) 12 March 2018