Kisan March From Nashik To Mumbai: Govt Invites Delegation For Talks Today

After a massive march of 50,000 people in Palghar, another long march of around 55,000 farmers and Adivasis set out from Nashik to Mumbai. The march began on January 25 and entered Mumbai on January 27, aiming to reach the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha.

Both the Palghar march and the ongoing Nashik–Mumbai march have been organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The protesters are demanding effective implementation of the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act (FRA), restoration of MGNREGA in place of the VB-G-RAM-G scheme, withdrawal of smart meters that have led to exorbitant electricity bills, among other demands.

The state government has invited a delegation for talks on Tuesday (January 27) at the Mantralaya in Mumbai. The delegation will meet the Chief Minister and other concerned ministers. Delegation includes Dr Ashok Dhawale, J.P. Gavit (former MLA), Dr Ajit Nawale, Vinod Nikole (MLA), Umesh Deshmukh, Subhash Choudhari, Indrajit Gavit, Kiran Gahala, Sunil Malusare, Bhika Rathod, Devidas Wagh, Ramdas Pawar, Radka Kalangda, Chandrakant Ghorkhana, Eknath Mengal and others.

“The state government, nervous about the widespread publicity the march is receiving in both mainstream and social media, has invited a delegation for talks today at Mantralaya (the state secretariat) in Mumbai. The discussions will be held with the Chief Minister and other concerned ministers,” says Ajit Nawale, leader of the All India Kisan Sabha and the CPI(M).

The march is being led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and All India Kisan Sabha national president Dr Ashok Dhawale, along with CPI(M) leaders Dr Ajit Nawale, J.P. Gavit, Dr D. L. Karad, Indrajeet Gavit, Umesh Deshmukh, and others.

On January 26, farmers, peasants and tribals celebrated the Republic Day while marching with tricolour flags. The contribution of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to the framing of the Constitution was remembered. Marching farmers paid homage to the martyrs of the freedom struggle and struggles of the working class. Leaders such as Ashok Dhawale, Dr Ajit Nawale highlighted the need to defend the fundamental Constitutional values of sovereignty, democracy, secularism and socialism. 

Their demands have been old, for which the same farmers, tribals carried out a long march in 2018. 

“It was the same Devendra Fadnavis government back then, when we marched in 2018. The Fadnavis government assured us with a written letter that our demands would be fulfilled. It's been 7-8 years now,  but our demands are not met. Today if the government gives us a concrete plan about fulfilling our demands, the organising committee will take a decision about the continuation of the march,” says CPI(M) MLA Vinod Nikole. 

CM Fadnavis also assured effective implementation of ownership of the forest land titles, grazing lands (Gayraan), but it remains on paper, Nikole adds.

Along with the effective implementation of FRA and PESA, farmers have demanded fulfilment of irrigation projects under the proposed government schemes. Filling thousands of vacant posts in Zilla Parishad schools is another key demand. Farmers and tribals are protesting the corporate-friendly policies of the BJP-led union and state governments, such as the smart meter scheme, dismantling MGNREGA and rural employment, land grabs for the development projects through government–corporate coalition and the imposition of the four labour codes. Tribal women across Nashik overwhelmingly participated in the long march.