Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers take out tractor rally from Sangli to Kolhapur

Kolhapur: Thousands of farmers on hundreds of tractors participated in the “tractor morcha” organised by the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, demanding the repeal of the farm laws passed by Parliament. The six-hour morcha, led by the outfit’s president Raju Shetti, passed through several towns and villages where farmers and local leaders greeted the protestors. At many places, the local farmers and residents provided food and water to the protestors, though most protestors were carrying their own food and water. Shetti was also felicitated. The morcha started at the Krantisinha Nana Patil statue in Vishrambaug in Sangli city and ended at the Shahu Maharaj statue at Dasara Chowk in Kolhapur city — covering around 50 km. There were other small protests against the agriculture laws that were held earlier. This, however, was the biggest one in the region so far. Raju Shetti, a former MP and the president of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, said: “Most farmers are aware of the disadvantages of the farm laws. The Modi government got the laws passed in Parliament on sheer majority and nobody from the farmers’ community was consulted. The government is not responding despite the farmers protesting at Delhi border for the past two months. We will get the laws repealed.” Many young farmers and children of farmers joined the protest along the way. Sandhesh Mohite, a youth from Rukadi who joined the protest, said, “Our fight is to get justice for our parents’ hard work. They toil hard day and night. We believe the farm laws will take away the right to minimum support price from the farmers and they will be left at the mercy of big private investors.”

The Times of India

2021-01-26

Aurangabad