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Maharashtra speaker present as protesting farmers hoist tricolour in Mumbai
Farmers' leaders described it as a successful agitation and said they were able to send a message that state farmers are united against the farm laws.
Attended by farmers across the state, their march culminated in Mumbai with the hoisting of tricolour at the city’s Azad maidan. The Maharashtra assembly speaker Nana Patole helped 73-year-old farmer Yamunabai in unfurling the national flag.
Soon after, the farmers sloganeered against the laws and started to leave Mumbai. Farmers' leaders described it as a successful agitation and said they were able to send a message that state farmers are united against the farm laws.
“The Mumbai agitation sent a message to the agitating farmers at Delhi borders that we are firmly behind them and will not relent till these regressive farm laws are withdrawn,” said Ajit Navale, convenor, Samyukt Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM) which organised this protest. “We will soon announce the next phase of agitation which will continue till these laws are not withdrawn,” he added.
He said farmers were disappointed that Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh
Koshyari did not meet them and their march was stopped midway to Raj Bhavan, the residence of the Governor. “We tore our memorandum signalling our protest,” said Navale.
NCP chief and former union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat addressed the meeting on Monday condemning the central government for introducing the farm laws which they accused only enslaved the farmers.
Prashant Sonavane, 56, who travelled for 12 hours from Buldhana, owns a 2 acre land in which he cultivates cotton crop. “Our agitation was successful as farmers across the state came together against these laws which will only snatch away our land and offer them to multinational companies on a platter,” said Sonavane.
Similarly Yeshwant Malke, 50, regretted that Koshyari did not meet them. “It seems that the Governor was not ready to help us in this genuine demand. However our agitation in Mumbai helped to spread awareness about our struggle and we are going back satisfied,” said Malke.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting at different borders of Delhi since late November last year against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
