AIKS Condemns State Govt Repression on Milk Farmers’ Struggle in Maharashtra

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) condemns the repression launched by the Maharashtra State government against the just struggle of milk farmers for their long-standing and legitimate demands.

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by Shri Raju Shetty, MP, has given a call for stopping the supply of milk to Mumbai from July 16. The AIKS in Maharashtra and the Milk Producers Struggle Committee, who have been leading a struggle on the same issue for the last three months, held a press conference at Nashik yesterday to announce their active support to the struggle. This was also one of the issues raised by the AIKS in the Kisan Long March.

The legitimate demands of the struggle are implementation of remunerative price for milk at the declared MSP of Rs 27 per litre instead of Rs 17 per litre that milk producing farmers are getting now, failing which the state government should pay the difference directly to the milk producers under the ‘Bhavantar’ scheme.

Instead of acceding to the legitimate demands of the milk farmers, the state government has begun repression on activists of all organisations in this struggle, including the AIKS.

Notices have been sent by the police to AIKS activists including state general secretary Dr Ajit Nawale. Some activists in Sangamner and other places have been detained and are in police lock-ups.

The AIKS demands that the state government must stop this repression forthwith and must immediately concede and implement the demands of the milk farmers who are suffering severe losses for the last several months.

Dr Ashok Dhawale, President
Hannan Mollah, General Secretary