‘Maharashtra govt trying to disrupt farmers’ long march by arresting AIKS leaders’ | The Indian Express
The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which is planning to undertake a second “long march” of farmers from Nashik to Mumbai beginning February 20 to press for their demands, has claimed that the state government is trying to disrupt the march by arresting its leaders.
“In Ahmednagar, a large farmers’ convention was held on February 13 to prepare for the march and a memorandum was submitted to the district collector. Nowhere was there any breach of peace. All necessary police permissions were taken. But just for organising this convention, police cases have been lodged against AIKS state general secretary Dr Ajit Nawale and attempts are on to arrest him. It is crystal clear who is behind these steps,” the AIKS said in a statement on Saturday.
In March last year, around 40,000 farmers had undertaken a march towards Mumbai to protest outside the state Legislature against the government’s response to the distress in the farm sector.
The “long march” had been called by Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the CPI(M). The protesting farmers were subsequently given an assurance in writing by the state government that their demands would be accepted.
These demands included clearing pending appeals in connection to applications for titles to forest land.
“A year has passed, but the government has not executed its promises. There is dissent among the farmers,” the AIKS had said in a statement on February 5 when it announced the second march, which would reach Mumbai on February 27 to coincide with the Legislative Assembly’s Budget Session.
On February 13, the AIKS had held a farmers’ convention in Ahmednagar to prepare for the march. It had also taken a march to the collector office to submit a memorandum, following which a case was filed against the organisers, including Dr Ajit Nawale.
“The AIKS condemns this act of the government as an attempt to crush a democratic and peaceful satyagraha struggle. The AIKS warns that such repressive attempts of the government will not succeed in stopping the long march. The government should realise that farmers’ issues can be solved by accepting their just demands and by implementing them,” the AIKS statement said.
