Maharashtra farmers to hold mass protest in state on Thursday to show ‘solidarity’ with those protesting in Delhi

Farmers in every district of Maharashtra have decided to march to their respective tehsil offices on Thursday to show solidarity with the farmers protesting in Delhi

Farmers in every district of Maharashtra have decided to march to their respective tehsil offices on Thursday to show solidarity with the farmers protesting in Delhi against the Centre’s farm bills.

Farmers gathered at Singhu border during their protest against farm laws in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI)

The decision was taken on Tuesday morning in a meeting of the Maharashtra cadre of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the umbrella organisation of over 500 farmer organisations across the country. More than 80 organisations representing farmers, farm labourers, tribals and labour class organisations across the state will participate in the peaceful protest around 11am and submit letters to tehsildars and collectors across Maharashtra.

In an online meeting with AIKS, an alliance of 48 organisations, trade unions of labourers and bank employees – Jan Andolananchi Sangharsha Samiti – participated to chalk out an action plan for Thursday’s protest organised on December 3.

Ajit Navale, Maharashtra general secretary of AIKS, said, “On Tuesday morning, seven organisations representing farmers conducted a meeting and decided to hold the peaceful protest march on December 3. This meeting was followed by another online meeting, in which 80 organisations representing farmers, labourers and tribals of Maharashtra decided to join the protest march.” Farmers in the state had also participated in the nation-wide protest call by AIKS on November 25 and 26. Protestors had resorted to roadblocks and sit-in protests in 21 districts of the state, including Palghar, Thane, Nashik and Ahmednagar.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s minister of state for labour Bacchu Kadu tweeted on Tuesday, “If the central government does not initiate satisfactory dialogue with farmers protesting in Delhi by December 3, then the farmers of Maharashtra will organise a mass protest called ‘Chalo Delhi’ and travel to the national capital on two-wheelers and four-wheelers.”

Vishwas Utagi, convener of Jan Andolananchi Sangharsha Samiti, said, “We are trying to build a support system for what is going on in Delhi. For the first time in Maharashtra, so many mass organisations have come together to build up mass pressure on the government. On December 3, members of Jan Andolananchi Sangharsha Samiti will submit letters to tehsildars in all 400 tehsils, and to collectors in all 36 districts in the state, in support of the farmers’ protests.”

Presently, AIKS has asked farmers not to hold any sit-in protests in the state, due to the Covid-19 outbreak.