Maharashtra Kisan Sabha to join 'chakka jam' on February 6

The farmers at Azad Maidan on Sunday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

The Maharashtra unit of the All India Kisan Sabha will block roads across the state on February 6 in response to a nationwide ‘chakka jam' on the day. The pan-India protest call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha is an attempt to pressure the Centre to repeal the new farm laws.

AIKS president Dr Ashok Dhawale, who led a massive farmers' march from Nashik to Mumbai on Republic Day, said they will hit national and state highways between 12 noon and 3 pm.

"The February 6 agitation is primarily against the repression of the government such as snapping electricity and internet and putting up barricades on borders around the capital and to support the journalists targeted by the Centre for reporting on the farmer's protests. Lastly, the chakka jam is also to condemn the Union Budget which is anti-farmer and pro-corporate." The plan for Mumbai is still being chalked out, he said.

Dr Ajit Navale, AIKS' secretary-general of Maharashtra, said efforts are being made to rope in "like-minded organisations".

He said, "We urge farmers and workers to take an active part in this movement." He condemned the deployment of an army of cops and "inhuman" methods to suppress the protest at the doors of

‘Anti-women Budget'

Calling the Union Budget ‘anti-women', All India Democratic Women's Association said the new labour codes and "anti-farmer" laws will push women and their families to the mercy of corporates.

The association's general secretary Mariam Dhawale slammed what she called the slashing of funds for Mission Shakti and other social assistance schemes, including widow pensions. "The revised estimate (based on expenditure) for the National Social Assistance Scheme was Rs 42,617.22 crore in 2020-2021. This has been reduced to R9,200 crore in 2021-2022. This implies that the government does not intend to support the most vulnerable sections of society."