Farmers to hold Mumbai convention to highlight their plights

Farmers’ meet on Nov 12; Pawar, Yechury to attend

After organising the Kisan Long March from Nashik to Mumbai in March, to push their demands before the state, farmers’ organisation – All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) – will hold a convention in the city on November 12 to attract the attention on the non-compliance of the assurances by the government. Key political leaders including Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechuri and Ashok Chavan, among others, will attend the convention before the commencement of the winter session of the state legislature on November 19.

Farmers took part in a march from Nashik to Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai in March 2018 to protest the government’s inaction. (HT Photo)

The AIKS has been spear-heading the convention to highlight the plight faced by the farmers. The organisation shot to fame when 30,000 famers walked down 200 kilometres during the long march.

The organisation has invited all political party leaders, except those from the ruling parties –the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena.

The leaders attending the convention will also address the gathering of farmers across the state. They will point to the shortcomings of the government as well as suggest appropriate remedies.

Ajit Nawale, state secretary of AIKS, said, “We want the opposition leaders to come together on one platform and give suggestions to the farmers. This is a non-political programme, where only farmers’ issues will be addressed.”

He added that the ruling parties have been anti-farmers in their approach, as was evident by their actions.

In March, farmers had undertaken a 200-kilometre-long march to press for their demands, including transfer of the land they have been cultivating for generations, implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report and widening the scope of the farm loan waiver scheme announced by the state last year. The agitation was withdrawn after assurances from the government.

Navale said many assurances remained on paper.

“Only a few demands were met while the others were ignored,” he added.