Farmers’ meet on Nov 12; Pawar, Yechury to attend
All India Kisan Sabha to focus on plight of farmers, govt’s weak response
MUMBAI: After organising the Kisan Long March from Nashik to Mumbai in March, to push their demands before the state, farmers’ organisation – All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) – will hold a convention in the city on November 12 to attract the attention on the non-compliance of the assurances by the government.
Key political leaders including Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechuri and Ashok Chavan, among others, will attend the convention before the commencement of the winter session of the state legislature on November 19.
The AIKS has been spearheading the convention to highlight the plight faced by the farmers. The organisation shot to fame when more than 30,000 famers had walked for 200 kilometres during the long march.
The organisation has invited all political party leaders, except those from the ruling parties –the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena.
The leaders attending the convention will also address the gathering of farmers across the state. They will point to the shortcomings of the government as well as suggest appropriate remedies.
Ajit Nawale, state secretary of AIKS, said, “We want the opposition leaders to come together on one platform and give suggestions to the farmers. This is a non-political programme, where only farmers’ issues will be addressed.”
He added that the ruling parties have been anti-farmers in their approach, as was evident by their actions.
“There was no point in calling the ruling parties as they have done nothing concrete for the farmers,” he added.
In March, farmers across the state had undertaken a 200-kilometre-long march to press for their demands before the Devendra Fadnavis government. Some of these demands included transfer of the land in their names, which they had been cultivating since generations, implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report and widening the scope of the farm loan waiver scheme announced by the state last year.
The agitation was withdrawn after assurances from the government. However, Navale said that many assurances remained on paper.
“Only a few demands were met, while the state ignored most of them,” he added.