Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally in Delhi will get a boost after farmers' march

The march from Nashik-Mumbai was called off at Vasind in Thane after successful talks with Maharashtra government

The forthcoming Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally at Delhi will get a major boost after the successful Nashik-Mumbai farmers' long march, according to All India Kisan Sabha (AKIS).

The week-long march from Nashik-Mumbai, which was called off at Vasind in Thane after successful talks with the Maharashtra government has come as a major achievement for the farmers' leaders.

"The AIKS-led farmers' long march in 2018 had caught the imagination of people and had instilled confidence in all democratic sections by forcing the then BJP-Shiv Sena government (headed by Devendra Fadnavis) to accept almost all demands. In 2023, yet again the poor peasants, a large number of them Adivasis, with women leading from the front, have forced the Shiv Sena-BJP (headed by Eknath Shinde) to bow down and accept the demands,” AKIS President Dr Ashok Dhawale and General Secretary Vijoo Krishnan said.

Also Read | Maharashtra farmers call off march after talks with government

"This victory will inspire militant struggles against the anti-people BJP Government and its pro-corporate policies. Coming just a fortnight before the Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally at Delhi, it will also inspire the working class and the peasantry to come out in bigger numbers in all forthcoming struggles,” they said in a statement.

Talking about last week’s march, they said: “The farmers started with a 15-point charter of demands, the most prominent among which was the remunerative price, particularly for onions and also for cotton, soya-bean, tur (arhar), green gram, milk etc. The march which comprised a large number of Adivasi peasants was also demanding the stringent implementation of the Forest Rights Act and other land rights-related issues. Other demands related to loan waiver, electricity, crop insurance, increase in old-age pensions, scheme workers wages etc,” they said.

On the outcome, the AKIS leadership said: “Most importantly a subsidy of Rs. 350 per quintal for onion will be given. It was also agreed that loans of over 88,000 farmers who did not benefit from earlier loan waivers would be waived. A committee for ensuring forest rights was also agreed upon with two representatives of the AIKS – former MLA J P Gavit and MLA Vinod Nikole included in it. Old-age pension and honorarium of scheme workers were increased significantly.”