Only COVID-19 pandemic stopped us from marching to Delhi: Farmers

Farmers come out in droves to march through Wada in Palghar against Farmers Bill

The state chapter of a national farmers' organisation along with a women's organisation on Thursday marched against the Farm Acts recently enacted by the Centre, in Wada, Palghar. The protests come at a time when farmers from Punjab and Haryana, holding a dharna at the gates of the capital, entered a second round of talks with the Centre. Large-scale rasta rokos took place in various districts and the farming community expressed solidarity with their counterparts.

Activists said women will also lose out due to further digitisation and mechanisation

Acting on the All India Kisan Sangharsh Committee's (AIKSCC) state chapter's call to intensify the agitation against the 'Kaala Kanoon', the Maharashtra unit of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), along with representatives of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), launched a statewide agitation on December 3.

Women at the march in Wada taluka, Palghar on Thursday

At Wada taluka in Palghar, 500 women members of the AIDWA and AIKS members marched from the latter's office to the tehsildar's office. They chanted slogans like 'Hitler-Vitler nahi chala toh Modi-Vodi bhi nahi chalega', 'Mahilaon ke achchhe din kahaan gaye'.

Mariam Dhawale, all India general secretary, AIDWA, explained that the farm bills will adversely affect the farming community, especially women. "Around 74 per cent of the rural female workforce is employed in agriculture. Of these, only 12.8 per cent are landowners. Hence, a majority of the women in agriculture are 'unseen labour'. Whenever someone thinks of a farmer, they think of a man, a woman is not considered a farmer. But it is the women who face most problems, such as land compensation for widows of farmers."

Dhawale said that the farm Acts provide for the corporate sector or individual investors to directly contact landowners and farmers. "This increases the problems of women farmers because the land is not in their name. They will be excluded from the so-called benefits. Also, many women will lose out on work due to mechanisation and digitisation, which has already increased landlessness and unemployment in the rural sector," Dhawale added.

Dhawale also clarified that the protests in Delhi comprise only of farmers from Punjab and Haryana. That the movement is not a pan-India struggle is the central government's attempt to distort facts, she said. "Farmers from Punjab and Haryana are nearest to Delhi, which is why they have been able to assemble. If there were no COVID, we too would have in Delhi, there would have been lakhs of us from across the country. But it is difficult to mobilise amid the pandemic," Dhawale said.

"No one will brave water cannons and the freezing cold and travel hundreds of kilometres if they are 'misled'. They are convinced that their lives are in danger, which is why they are coming," Dhawale said. Prachi Hatiwlekar, Maharashtra state secretary, AIDWA, said: "The common people are at the receiving end of the Centre's heavy-handedness. The protest is by all farmers, irrespective of the state they come from."

Listing the farming community's demands, Hatiwlekar said, "We want the Centre to not exclude essentials like grain, pulses, oilseeds, etc from essential commodities as it will cause their prices to shoot up and burden women who have to manage households."

Agitation in Shahapur
Dr Ashok Dhawale, working group member, AIKSCC and the national president of AIKS, who led the agitation in Shahapur tehsil, said, "It is important to understand the dynamics of the farmers' protests. How can the ruling government say this is not a pan-India movement? The AIKSCC, 500 farmers' organisations and representatives from across the country formed the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) which is leading the struggle."

74%
Proportion of the rural female workforce engaged in agriculture

500
Approx. no. of women who participated in the march

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!