Explorer

Mumbai: Thousands of farmers march to Azad Maidan for land rights, drought relief

The morcha traversed through Dadar and the JJ flyover before reaching the Maidan, adjacent to the Mumbai municipal corporation headquarters.

Mumbai: Thousands of farmers demanding compensation for drought and transfer of forest rights to tribals Thursday reached Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, eight months after a similar protest was held at the venue. The farmers and tribals who began the two-day march from Thane to Mumbai on Wednesday had halted for the night at the Somaiyya Ground in Mumbai's Sion area, from where they began marching to Azad Maidan Thursday morning. The morcha traversed through Dadar and the JJ flyover before reaching the Maidan, adjacent to the Mumbai municipal corporation headquarters. Magsaysay award winner Dr Rajendra Singh, also known as Waterman of India, was among the marchers. He blamed the government for drought, which he termed as "man-made". Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has invited the morcha leaders for talks Thursday afternoon at the Vidhan Bhawan, where the winter session of the state legislature in underway, a leader of the march said. The participants are mostly from Thane, Bhusawal and Marathwada regions, he said. The farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, which suggested that farmers must have assured access and control over resources such as land and water. They are also demanding an increase in the minimum support price and a judicial system to ensure its implementation. The farmers, struggling to cope with the agrarian crisis, are demanding proper implementation of the loan waiver package announced by the BJP-led 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," said Pratibha Shinde, general secretary of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, which is organising the protest. In March, thousands of farmers, led by the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha, took out a 180-km long march from Nashik to Mumbai in March to press for their demands. That protest saw a sea of red, formed by farmers in red caps, converge in Mumbai from across Maharashtra.
View More
Advertisement

IPL Auction 2025

Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Virat Kohli
₹21 CR
Josh Hazlewood
₹12.50 CR
Phil Salt
₹11.50 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rishabh Pant
₹27 CR
Nicholas Pooran
₹21 CR
Ravi Bishnoi
₹11 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Jasprit Bumrah
₹18 CR
Suryakumar Yadav
₹16.35 CR
Hardik Pandya
₹16.35 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Heinrich Klaasen
₹23 CR
Pat Cummins
₹18 CR
Abhishek Sharma
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad
₹18 CR
Ravindra Jadeja
₹18 CR
Matheesha Pathirana
₹13 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Shreyas Iyer
₹26.75 CR
Arshdeep Singh
₹18 CR
Yuzvendra Chahal
₹18 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Sanju Samson
₹18 CR
Yashaswi Jaiswal
₹18 CR
Riyan Parag
₹14 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Venkatesh Iyer
₹23.75 CR
Rinku Singh
₹13 CR
Varun Chakaravarthy
₹12 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Rashid Khan
₹18 CR
Shubman Gill
₹16.50 CR
Jos Buttler
₹15.75 CR
View all
Most Expensive Players In The Squad
Axar Patel
₹16.50 CR
KL Rahul
₹14 CR
Kuldeep Yadav
₹13.25 CR
View all
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

Priyanka Gandhi Joins Brother Rahul In Lok Sabha, Takes Oath As Wayanad MP Holding Constitution
Priyanka Gandhi Joins Brother Rahul In Lok Sabha, Takes Oath As Wayanad MP Holding Constitution
Cyclone Fengal Landfall Likely On Saturday, Orange Alert In Tamil Nadu And Andhra Pradesh
Cyclone Fengal Landfall Likely On Saturday, Orange Alert In Tamil Nadu And Andhra
Priyanka Joins Gandhis: Which Other Families Are In Parliament Together?
Priyanka Joins Gandhis: Which Other Families Are In Parliament Together?
Maharashtra CM To Be From BJP, Two Deputies, Oath-Taking Likely On Dec 2 — What We Know So Far
Maharashtra CM To Be From BJP, Two Deputies, Oath-Taking Likely On Dec 2 — What We Know So Far
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

Breaking News: Controversy Erupts Over Claim of Temple Inside Ajmer Dargah in RajasthanBreaking News: ED Team Attacked in Delhi's Bijwasan Area | ABP NewsSambhal Mosque Clash: Tightened Security Ahead of Namaz Following Violence | ABP NewsShocking Video from Sambhal Mosque Clash Day Will Leave You Stunned | ABP News

Photo Gallery

Embed widget