Thousands of Adivasis, farmers, students and workers who had started their second long march from Nashik to Mumbai withdrew the agitation late on Thursday after holding talks with Maharashtra cabinet ministers Girish Mahajan and Jayprakash Rawal, The New Indian Express reported.
The 180-km protest march to Mumbai is being organised by the All India Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The Sabha had called the protest saying the Maharashtra government led by Devendra Fadnavis has not fulfilled its promises to farmers after a similar demonstration in March 2018. The farmers’ demands include immediate relief in view of the drought-like situation, land rights, minimum support price for crops, better water resources and a crop insurance scheme.
CPI(M) MLA from Surgana in Nashik district, JP Gawit, announced the withdrawal around 11 pm. “In wake of delay in implementation of the promises made by the government, a decision has been taken to set up a committee for reviewing the implementation of promises which would meet at intervals of once in two months and give recommendations on implementation of promises,” he said.
Mahajan, the state irrigation minister, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would soon make a formal announcement regarding the promises made to the All India Kisan Sabha and speak about various measures taken by the government regarding their demands.
Farmers from 23 districts across Maharashtra had joined the march, which was flagged off from Nashik on Wednesday to mark the fourth death anniversary of Communist ideologue Govind Pansare.
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