Nationwide farmers' campaign already in motion in Maharashtra

Farmers march on Manor-Wada road to protest against the farm bills, at Wada, on Dec 3. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Maharashtra unit of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Sunday said they have already made a head start on the nationwide campaign recently announced by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) against the new farm laws.

The SKM - the joint front of farmer unions - has decided to "intensify and deepen the movement" by holding several rallies, sit-ins and conferences from January 6 to January 10 against the central government's "propaganda".

Maha makes a head start

The AIKS's Maharashtra unit has already held several meetings and rallies, said its national president Dr Ashok Dhawale while speaking to mid-day over the phone from Tikri protest site on the Delhi border, on Sunday.

Dr Dhawale, who is also a working group member of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AICSCC), said, "The plan of action announced by the SKM has already been put into motion in Maharashtra."

"We have already launched a state-wide campaign to mobilise the farmers. Since January 1, we have held several meetings, dharnas and demonstrations across several districts, including Palghar, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Solapur."

"These meetings are being organised to awaken the masses and to counter the entire propaganda by the BJP-RSS, which have pulled out all the stops to prove that these farm laws are pro-farmer. So, it is now important to get to the ground level and talk to farmers and their families, and convince them that this is truly not the case."

Dr Dhawale said that they will hold large demonstrations in Maharashtra on January 18 - when the SKM is observing the Mahila Kisan Day. "We also plan to march to Raj Bhavan on January 23. We will be speaking to other farmers' organisations in the state and will chalk out a plan," he added.

Jan 26 parades in state

On Republic Day, Dr Dhawale said, they are planning parades in Mumbai and all district centres in the state. These parades would, in all likeliness, take place after the government's Republic Day parade, he added.

"Maharashtra has a very important role to play in the coming weeks," said Dhawale, who, along with close to 2,000 farmers from Maharashtra, have joined others protesting at Delhi's border right now.

"We travelled for five days to reach here and we are holding up just fine, even though the weather today has taken a turn with all the lightning and rain," he added.