AIKS-Led 10,000-Strong Kisan Long March Begins from Nashik on Onion Price and 17-Point Demand Charter

The AIKS in Maharashtra began a 10,000-strong Kisan Long March from Nashik to Mumbai on March 13, 2023 on a 17-point charter of demands, the most prominent among which was remunerative price particularly for onions, and also for cotton, soyabean, tur, green gram, milk, and hirda. The March demanded Rs 2000 per quintal for onions, and an immediate subsidy of Rs 600 per quintal, along with changes in export policies.

Other major demands were: Complete loan waiver to the peasantry; Waiving of pending electricity bills and 12 hour daily supply of power; Compensation by the government and by insurance companies for the damage sustained by peasants due to unseasonal rains and other natural calamities; Vesting of all forest land, pasture, temple, inam, waqf, and benami land in the names of the cultivators; Increase the PM Housing Scheme subsidy from Rs 1.40 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, conduct a fresh survey and include the applicants’ names in the ‘D’ list; Give compensation in cases of necessary land acquisition as per the Kerala formula; Increase old age and special pension amount up to Rs 4000 per month; Restore the old pension scheme for govt employees who have joined after 2005; Give 100 per cent grant to partially aided schools; Fill all vacancies in govt posts; Regularise all contract workers and scheme workers as govt employees; and Remove bogus Adivasis in govt posts and replace them by genuine Adivasis.

By yesterday night the marchers had gathered outside Nashik city. Today amidst great enthusiasm they marched into the city, and at the Dindori Chowk they threw away onions, tomatoes, brinjals, potatoes and other vegetables on the road in anger and frustration.

Today the Long March was led by AIKS leaders J P Gavit, ex-MLA, Dr Ashok Dhawale, Dr Ajit Nawale, Umesh Deshmukh, Dr Uday Narkar, Adv Ajay Burande, Subhash Choudhary, Savliram Pawar, Irfan Shaikh, Mohan Jadhav, Ramesh Choudhari, Bhika Rathod, Chandrakant Ghorkhana, Radka Kalangda, Chandu Dhangda, CITU leader Dr D L Karad, AIDWA leader Mariam Dhawale, and DYFI leader Indrajit Gavit.

Last night there was a preliminary meeting of an AIKS delegation with a senior state Minister Dada Bhuse. News has just come in that the CM Eknath Shinde and the Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, along with concerned Ministers and officials, will meet an AIKS delegation tomorrow March 14 at 3 pm in the State Assembly premises. The State Assembly is currently in session. Meanwhile, the AIKS has made it clear that the Kisan Long March will continue on its route to Mumbai until a satisfactory agreement is reached.