Farmers Movement Archive

Political parties, farmers stage protest across Maharashtra, demand scrapping of farm laws

Various farmers and workers organisations in the state participated in Bharat Bandh responding to the call given by Samyukt Kisan Morcha to condemn the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s ‘anti-farmer policies’ and to push for the demand of scrapping the ‘black’ farm laws. Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) actively participated in the protest, while Shiv Sena announced its support.The protests were held in many districts, while in some cities, the protesters resorted to road blockades as part of their agitation. All India Kisan Sabha and other farmers organisations held protests in Solapur, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Thane, Palghar and parts of western, northern Maharashtra and Vidarbha. Congress and NCP leaders participated in the agitations in various districts. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole led a bike rally in Akola, while its Mumbai unit staged a protest at Sion Circle.Mumbai Youth Congress led by Zeeshan Siddique held a tractor rally at Bandra. NCP’s state unit chief Jayant Patil, state minority welfare minister Nawab Malik participated in the protest rallies in Aurangabad and Mumbai.Ashok Dhawale, president of All India Kisan Sabha said that the protests were held in at least 30 districts of the state. “Not only farmers but students, labourers, workers, politicians supported and participated in the bandh protest in the state. Leaders from all parties had actively participated. Sentiments of the people from all walks of life are strong against the central government. We gave memorandums to district collectors and tehsildars at district and tehsil levels about our demands.”Nawab Malik said, “NCP has actively supported the bandh by participating in the protest in all the districts. We have supported the demand of scrapping the laws. The Modi government is acting adamant on the farmers’ demand.”Patole said that the Modi regime has left all the classes of the society in the lurch. “The policies of the central government are not only against the farmers but also the workers, labourers, poor and the unemployed. Barring a couple of industrialists, the entire country is suffering because of the wrong policies of the government,” he said.

Hindustan Times

27-09-2021

Mumbai