This march is to expand the struggle: Protesting farmers reach Mumbai's Azad Maidan

Acting on the Samyukta Kisan Morcharsquos SKM nationwide call for a demonstration between January 23 and 26 around 15000 farmers from 21 districts in Maharashtra under the banner of the All India Kisan Sabha AIKS took out a vehicular jatha march from Nashik to Mumbai They left on Saturday and reached Azad Maidan on Sunday eveningThe farmers start the vehicular jatha from Nashik for MumbaiThere they were greeted by numerous civil rights and workersrsquo groups All of them will be part of a threeday protest against the recently passed farm bills and labour laws After leaving Nashik the vehicle march halted at Ghatandevi near Igatpuri for the night where the farmers slept on the ground near a temple At 9 AM on Sunday thousands of farmers including women from the AIDWA as well as numerous student organisations assembled at Ghatandevi and marched down the 7 km stretch of Kasara Ghat after which they resumed their vehicle jatha towards Azad MaidanThe farmers near CSMT on Sunday PicAshish RajeSpeaking to midday AIKS President Dr Ashok Dhawale who is leading the Kasara Ghat march said ldquoThis march is being held to support and expand the historic two monthlong farmersrsquo struggle in Delhi for the repeal of the three farm laws and for a central law to guarantee a remunerative MSP and procurement all over the country It is a joint struggle from today since the farmers of the AIKS who constitute the largest contingent will be joined by numerous social organisations and workers groups in Mumbai to take part in the struggle against the Centrersquos agricultural legislation which will completely destroy the common farmerrsquos livelihoodrdquoThe farmers marched through the Kasara GhatThe threeday protest at Azad Maidan from Sunday has been organised by over a hundred organisations affiliated to the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee AIKSCC Trade Unions Joint Action Committee Struggle Committee of Mass Movements Nation for Farmers and Hum Bharat Ke Log All of them formed the Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha SSKM MaharashtraToday a public meeting will be addressed by top leaders in the Maha Vikas Aghadi including Sharad Pawar Balasaheb Thorat Aaditya Thackeray and AIKS national general secretary Hannan Mollah and other leaders On Tuesday ie Republic Day an almost 50000 strong rally will march to Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governormdasha practice being undertaken by protesting farmers across the country The agitation will conclude on January 26 Republic Day with the hoisting of the national flag the singing of the national anthem and a ldquopledge to make the current struggle of farmers and workers victorious at all costsrdquoThe demands of the SSKM are ldquoRepeal the three Farm laws enact a central law guaranteeing remunerative MSP and procurement withdraw the Electricity Amendment Bill Repeal the four labour codes vest all forest lands temple lands pasture lands etc in the names of the tillers and resume the implementation of the Mahatma Phule Loan Waiver Scheme for farmers which had been suspended due to the COVID pandemicrdquoFeroz Mithiborwala a member of Hum Bharat Ke Log said ldquoFarmers and workers have been coordinating since as early as September because both the labour laws and farm laws will adversely affect their livelihood the first will weaken the working class while the other bills are simply outrageousrdquoHe further said that there was a bit of a ldquovictoryrdquo since permission had been granted for tractors to march into Delhi on Republic Day ldquoThis tractor march is a show of strength by the farmers that says they cannot be bypassed so easilyhellipwhich is why on Republic Day we are taking back our country from the AdaniAmbaniModi government This is one of the strongest battles against crony capitalism on the world stage and the people of India cannot afford to lose itrdquoBCS supportldquoThe Bombay Catholic Sabharsquos Vikhroli Unit in association with all units in Mumbai in solidarity with the farmers and Fr Stan Swamy as well as other social activists who are in prison will hold placards and banners on Republic Day between 915 am and 11 am at Vikhroli Eastrdquo said BCS Vikhroli Chairman Mario RodrigueslsquoAdequate securityrsquoThe police have deployed adequate security near Azad Maidan on Sunday including nine platoons of SRPF The farmers will be gheraoing the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday ldquoWe have deployed adequate security and extra manpower has been provided to local police stations in the form of 100 officers and constables We will be monitoring the entire protest with the help of dronesrdquo said DCP S Chaitanya Mumbai police spokesperson Faizan KhanJan 23When the vehicular march beganJan 26When threeday protest ends