News Analysis India

Tag: AIKS

  • Farm Laws: 50,000 Maharashtra farmers will march towards Raj Bhavan on Monday

    By Express News Service
    More than 50,000 farmers from various regions of Maharashtra will march towards the Raj Bhavan and submit its charter of demands to Governor Bhagat Singh Kosyari on January 25, Monday.

    Repealing the three laws, guaranteeing remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP), procurement of farm crops as per MSP only, repealing all four labour laws and withdrawal of the Energy Bill are some of the demands included in the charter.

    ALSO READ | KRRS threatens roadblocks if permission denied for Bengaluru tractor rally on Republic Day

    “To support the ongoing protest in Delhi against farm laws, vehicle rallies are being carried out in several states. In Maharashtra, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) had started its march for Mumbai. From Nashik alone, 20,000 farmers had joined the march and we are expecting 50,000 farmers will reach in Mumbai on January 25 from other parts of the state. Then, we will march towards Raj Bhavan and hand over a charter of demands to the governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari,” said Ashok Dhawale, president of AIKS.

    The various farmer organisations are participating in the protest under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). The aim of this agitation is to intensify the farmers’ struggle in the capital cities across all states demanding repealing of the farm laws. The farmers also walked down seven kilometres up to Kasara Ghat and then by the vehicle they reached to Mumbai. The farmers offered food and other refreshments on their way by various social organisations.

    ALSO READ | Uttarakhand village bans entry for members, leaders of ‘anti-farmer’ BJP 

    The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders will participate in this farmers protest and address the mega farmers rally at Azad Maidan on January 25, Monday.

    Ajit Nawale, secretary of All India Kisan Sabha said that “The three farm laws of the centre are anti-farmer, anti-people and pro-corporate. The farmers at Delhi border have been protesting from last several days to repeal them. We want to show the solidarity with these farmers,” Nawale said adding the protest will culminate with a flag hoisting on January 26, Republic Day.

  • Thousands of farmers to reach Mumbai for January 25 rally against farm laws

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Thousands of farmers have left from various parts of Maharashtra to participate in a rally at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Monday against the Centre’s three new farm laws.

    The All India Kisan Sabha’s (AIKS) Maharashtra unit in a statement said around 15,000 farmers set out for the state capital from Nashik on Saturday in several tempos and other vehicles.

    On Monday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and some other prominent leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state will address the rally, the release said.

    The state Congress unit, which is an ally of the MVA, has already extended its support to the protest.

    Farmers from various places gathered in Nashik and left from there on Saturday.

    Many peasants also joined them on the way, the AIKS said. They halted at Ghatandevi near Igatpuri hill town for overnight stay.

    ALSO READ: Protesting farmers assure ‘Kisan Gantantra Parade’ will be peaceful

    On Sunday morning, a number of peasants marched down the Kasara Ghat to head for Mumbai, while many left in vehicles.

    “The rally is being held to support and expand the two-month-long farmers’ struggle in Delhi for a repeal of the three farm laws and for a central law to guarantee a remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement all over the country,” the statement said.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a pro-farmer body, has given a nationwide call for a struggle from January 23 to 26, including rallies to Raj Bhavans (governor houses) in states.

    Accordingly, over 100 organisations came together and formed the Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM), Maharashtra, in a meeting held in Mumbai on January 12.

    The SSKM has called for a joint sit-inat the Azad Maidan in Mumbai from January 24 to 26.

    On January 25, there will be a public meeting at 11 am, the release said.

    ALSO READ | Farmers’ Republic Day tractor parade: Tableaux to depict protest against farm laws

    Besides NCP chief Pawar, state Congress president and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat, and Shiv Sena leader and state tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray will also address the rally, it said.

    Later, the protesters will march to the Raj Bhavan and submit a memorandum to Governor B S Koshyari.

    The main demands of the protesters include repeal of the three “anti-farmer” laws, and a central law guaranteeing remunernative MSP and procurement, the release said.

    The protesters have also decided to hoist the national flag at the Azad Maidan on the occasion of the Republic day on January 26, and take a pledge to make the struggle of peasants and workers successful, it added.

    Enacted in September last year, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of Delhi, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws.

    Multiple rounds of talks between the government and farmer unions have failed to break the impasse so far, while the Supreme Court has appointed a panel for resolution of the issue.