Farmers Movement Archive

Robust response to bandh in rural Maharashtra

The shutdown called by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee against the Centre’s new farm laws received a robust response in Maharashtra’s rural hinterland on Tuesday, with shops downing shutters and bus services suspended. The protests, spearheaded by outfits like Raju Shetti’s Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) and the Left-affiliated All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), with support of the ruling coalition parties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, saw agitators burn copies of the new laws, stage roadblocks and raise slogans against the Union government. Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) remained shut in most places across the State. “The shutdown has received an overwhelming response in the rural areas, where the agrarian population is concentrated. Today’s bandh has made a mockery of the Centre’s claims that the protests are only limited to a couple of States…it has demonstrated that the agitation has thesupport of the majority of farmers and commoners across the country,” said the SSS chief. Dr. Ajit Nawale, State Secretary, AIKS, appealed to the Centre to take cognizance of tremendous support for the farmers by all sections of society, including labour outfits and traders’ associations. Anti-graft activist Anna Hazare, too, endorsed the agitation by going on a day-long fast in his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district. In contrast to rural areas, the shutdown received mixed response in the urban pockets where transport was largely unaffected. Even so, protests by the ruling parties were held across cities. Supriya Sule, the NCP’s Lok Sabha MP from Baramati (in Pune district) exhorted the Centre to engage in dialogue with farmers. Locals not hit Mumbai and neighbouring areas also witnessed mixed response to the bandh. The bandh however did not affect suburban local trains and BEST buses. Parts of Mumbai, such as Dharavi and Mankhurd however, witnessed an agitation by a group of Sikh protesters. They held a protest near Mankhurd after police allegedly stopped them from going to Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Shiv Sena had appealed to the people to voluntarily support the bandh. While extending support, NCP state president and Irrigation minister Jayant Patil wore a black band as a mark of protest. The Mumbai NCP presdient Nawab Malik held a rally in support of the bandh, while State Congress president and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat held a demonstration outside party headquarters in south Mumbai. The Aam Adami Party also held a protest at Azad Maidan where sons and daughters of farmers arrived in bullock carts. In neighbouring Navi Mumbai, the Vashi APMC was closed in support of the bandh. (With inputs from Alok Deshpande)

The Hindu

2020-12-09

Pune