AIKS Maharashtra Farmers’ Vehicle Jatha from Nashik to Delhi gets Massive People’s Support in Chandwad, Malegaon, Dhule and Shirpur on Second Day, Enters Madhya Pradesh on Third Day

The AIKS Maharashtra-led Farmers’ Vehicle Jatha to Delhi that began from Nashik on December 21 received unprecedented response and massive receptions from thousands of people in the cities of Chandwad, Malegaon, Dhule and Shirpur, and also in scores of villages along the route on December 22.

In Malegaon, which had seen the bomb blasts engineered by Pragya Singh Thakur and Prasad Purohit in 2006, and in Dhule, which had seen communal riots engineered by the RSS-BJP in 2008 and again in 2013, thousands of people came on to the streets to welcome the AIKS Jatha. They belonged to all religions, castes and classes. It was a spontaneous outburst of people’s support for the ongoing nationwide farmers’ struggle, which was also seen earlier in the Bharat Bandh on December 8.

There were large public meetings at Malegaon and Shirpur attended by thousands of people. Everywhere along the Jatha route, there was tremendous anger against the Modi-Shah-led BJP central government and its corrupt nexus with the Ambani-Adani-led Indian and foreign corporate lobby. This nexus was the real source of the three Farm Acts, the four Labour Codes and the Electricity Amendment Bill. The anger of the people was further intensified by the complete callousness with which the BJP regime was dealing with the historic struggle of lakhs of farmers led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) sitting for the last 28 days in the biting cold around Delhi, a struggle that has already claimed 33 kisan martyrs.

One of the highlights of this AIKS Jatha for the last two days in Maharashtra was the full support extended to it by all the non-BJP political parties. They included all three parties in the ruling Mahavikas Aghadi – Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – and also SP, JD(S), BSP, RPI, BVA and of course the three Left parties – CPI(M), CPI and PWP. Their leaders welcomed the AIKS Jatha at several places and also made arrangements for its food, water and stay. Several other social organisations and NGOs also extended support.

Many activists of CITU Nashik, led by National Vice President Dr D L Karad, accompanied the Jatha up to the Maharashtra border. CITU State Secretary and CPI(M) MLA from Dahanu, Vinod Nikole, and leading comrades like DYFI State General Secretary Preethy Sekhar and SFI State Vice President Kavita Vare were with the Jatha till the Maharashtra border last night.

The AIKS Jatha entered Madhya Pradesh today December 23 morning and was enthusiastically welcomed at the border by hundreds of activists of the NAPM and Narmada Bachao Andolan, led by Medha Patkar. It will cross through MP the whole day today and will reach Kota in Rajasthan tonight, where it will be welcomed and taken care of by the AIKS unit led by Duli Chand.

There are around 1000 peasants in the AIKS Maharashtra Jatha now, with over 50 vehicles heading towards Delhi.

The Jatha to Delhi is being led by AIKS National President Dr Ashok Dhawale, former State President J P Gavit, ex-MLA, State President Kisan Gujar, State General Secretary Dr Ajit Nawale, state office bearers Sunil Malusare, Irfan Shaikh, Umesh Deshmukh, Arjun Adey, Dr Uday Narkar, Uddhav Poul, Shankar Sidam, and by several state and district council members of the AIKS.