Over 50,000 farmers on Wednesday commenced a 180-km march from Nashik to Mumbai for the second time in the last 12 months to protest against what they termed as the "treachery" of farmers by the ruling governments in the state and centre.
The march is organised by Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M)'s All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).
Farmers from 23 districts across Maharashtra have joined the march, to mark the fourth death anniversary of Communist ideologue Govind Pansare. It will end at Mumbai on February 27.
AIKS has accused the Devendra Fadnavis-led state government of not fulfilling the promises it made to farmers after their last movement in March 2018. Immediate relief in view of the drought-like situation, issues of irrigation, land rights, minimum support price and a crop insurance scheme are some the demands made by the farmers.
Also read- Kisan Long March: Farmers Across Maharashtra To March Towards Mumbai Again
Meanwhile, organisers of the Kisan Long March-2 accused the government of trying to "crush" the peaceful march through force. According to AIKS spokesperson PS Prasad- for several hours, police kept detaining groups of farmers coming to join the procession without assigning any reason and cases are being lodged against their office-bearers.
Police, however, denied the allegation stating that they were just taking their names and addresses for formality.
35,000 farmers had marched to Mumbai last year in March and called it off only after government ‘accepted’ their demands which they now claim that their demands had fallen on deaf ears and aren’t fulfilled.
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