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The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) will organise a 3-day march to the office of the Maharashtra Minister of Revenue, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra from April 26 to 28 for allegedly "not resolving the basic issues of the farmers, workers and agricultural labourers," the sabha said in a release.
According to the release, "The march will be taken out to the Loni office of the Revenue and Dairy Development Minister of Maharashtra, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. If the demands are not met, an indefinite Mahapadav will be conducted at Loni". The AIKS is being supported by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and other like-minded mass organisations, as per the release. The farmers union complained that in the last two years, excessive and unseasonal rains destroyed the crops in large parts of the state and the state government declared to provide compensation for the loss of crops but no compensation is provided. "Assurances were given again and again for vested forest land, temple land, reward land, waqf land, pasture land and land for housing to peasants and agricultural workers, many of whom are actually tilling that land for several generations. But instead of vesting land in their names, the police and forest department were misused to beat up poor peasants and drive them out of their meagre land and houses. Lands are being forcibly acquired for highways, corridors, ports and airports, with very little compensation", as per the release. AIKS accused the state government of not addressing the issues of the agriculture sectors and dairy sectors and said, in the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, milk peasants sold their milk for just Rs 17 per litre. After the pandemic when the dairy sector is recovering from its effects, the government has begun moves to import milk and dairy products, thus once again affecting their future. Prices of cotton, soyabean, tur, gram and other crops have collapsed. The farmers organization said that the problems of unorganised workers like Anganwadi, Asha, Mid-day meal scheme, construction workers, and domestic workers, are becoming grim, with no help at all from the governments. (ANI)
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