Opposition parties in Maharashtra start ‘Sangharsh Yatra’ for farm loan waiver

Seven parties in the opposition have started a protest march to stand with the families of debt-ridden farmers who committed suicide in Maharashtra

Published on: Mar 29, 2017, 11:50:31 IST

Hindustan Times | By Faisal Malik, Mumbai

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Taking on the BJP-led state government over the demand of loan waiver for distressed farmers, the Opposition, comprising seven political parties, started a seven-day Sangharsh Yatra (Struggle March) on Wednesday. The Yatra started from Chandrapur district and will conclude at Panvel near Mumbai on April 4.

The leaders from all the seven parties, including legislators, will cover 1,500km as part of the yatra. It will pass through Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra, which has the highest number of farmer suicides. (HT)

The Opposition parties — Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Samajwadi Party (SP), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Republican Party (Kawade) and United Janata Dal — have collaborated for the first time to give the movement some impetus.

A convoy of vehicles started from Chandrapur to reach Padasgaon village, where the leaders will meet the family of Bandu Karkade, a debt-ridden farmer who committed suicide. The convoy will then start for Yavatmal district after meetings with farmers.

All senior leaders from the state unit of the Congress and NCP, along with senior leaders from other parties have joined the Yatra. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar are also likely to take part in it.

The leaders from all the seven parties, including legislators, will cover 1,500km as part of the yatra. It will pass through Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra, which has the highest number of farmer suicides.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Faisal Malik
Faisal Malik is a senior journalist with over two and a half decades of experience covering Maharashtra’s politics, governance and public policy with a deep understanding of the state’s political landscape. He is a Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times and has been associated with its Mumbai edition for more than a decade. Based in Mumbai, Faisal currently covers three major political parties in Maharashtra — Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Over the years, he has extensively reported on major political developments, combining investigative insights with in-depth field reporting. His coverage has spanned a wide range of issues, from drought, farmer suicides, major development projects and grassroots challenges to major electoral battles, including three Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections — 2014, 2019 and 2024. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Dainik Bhaskar’. An avid tea enthusiast, he enjoys reading history, Urdu literature and classical poetry. When away from the newsroom, he writes Urdu poetry inspired by human emotions, life's experiences, meaningful reflections and relationships. An amateur photographer, Faisal is passionate about capturing moments that often go unnoticed by the naked eye.Read More