Maharashtra farmers’ march: 30,000 farmers reach Mumbai border, plan to ‘gherao’ State Assembly on Monday
The massive farmers’ march in Maharashtra that started out from Nashik on Tuesday, finally reached Mumbai on Saturday as thousands of protesters camped outside the octroi naka yard near Mulund toll naka. The crowd, whose numbers swell to 35,000, slowly proceeded towards KJ Somaiya ground in central Mumbai. The agitating farmers are expected to stage demonstrations outside the Maharashtra assembly in the city on Monday. Mumbai police has already issued traffic advisories for tomorrow as the the march is expected to clog busy roads in the city. 30,000 farmers marching to Mumbai reach Bhiwandi, to ‘gherao’ Vidhan Bhawan on Monday
Wearing red caps and waving flags and sickles, nearly 30,000 farmers have marched from Nashik to Bhiwandi in the last few days, and are close to finishing an exhaustive 180 km walk to Mumbai, in a bid to protest against the stat government’s apparent apathy towards their plight. Among other things, the farmers are demanding a complete waiver of loans, implementation of M.S. Swaminathan Commission recommendations (which ensures fair remuneration), waiver of power bills and transfer of forest lands.
