Mumbai: A protest march by 30,000 farmers against the failure of the BJP-led government to address agrarian distress entered Mumbai on Saturday. The march, led by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) – a peasants front of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was launched from Nashik on Tuesday.
Complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are the major demands of the AIKS. These farmers want an immediate implementation of MS Swaminathan committee’s recommendations, which ensures fair remuneration.
The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink-worm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.
#WATCH: Visuals from Mumbai's Azad Maidan where members of All India Kisan Sabha have gathered to protest. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/3GgN6UMVPB
— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018
No road closure or diversions due to Farmers’ morcha now, says Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).