Thousands of slogan-shouting, and banner/poster-carrying farmers took to the streets all over Maharashtra on Friday to protest against “the anti-farmers” law recently passed by the Parliament and vowed to fight them with all vigour.
The agitation has been supported by the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the All India Kisan Sabha, the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, major farmers’ organisations, various national and state level trade unions and student unions.
Spearheaded by AIKS President Ashok Dhawale from Palghar, in Mumbai, the protests were led by Mahendra Ugade, by Sunil Kharpat in Thane, by Subhash Dake in Beed, by Govind Ardad in Jalna, by Sudam Thakre in Nandurbar, and by Arjun Ade in Nanded.
In Kolhapur, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana President Raju Shetti urged farmers in the state and all over the country to protest the laws with full vigour, and led an agitation in which a bonfire was made of the copies of the law.
“These laws are detrimental to the very survival of the farming community. The government has pushed through these laws undemocratically and it was a black day when it was passed in Parliament. We will not tolerate the injustice meted out to the farmers,” he said.
State SSS President Sandeep Jagtap led farmers in Nashik where they protested by burning an effigy of the centre and shouted slogans condemning the government.
Similar protests were carried out in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Pune, Kolhapur, Nashik, Nandurbar, Jalna, Beed, Aurangabad, Nanded, Yavatmal, Buldhana with thousands of farmers taking part in the agitation and marching to offices of the local Collectors or tehsildars.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, farmers’ leaders addressed small rallies of protesters and explained the contentious issues in the revised farm laws which could be detrimental to the agro-communities and consumers while benefitting corporate houses.
