Come Independence Day and children of farmers from across Maharashtra are all set to observe a day-long hunger strike at various cities to mark their protest against the ‘anti-farmer’ laws and seek th
Come Independence Day and children of farmers from across Maharashtra are all set to observe a day-long hunger strike at various cities to mark their protest against the ‘anti-farmer’ laws and seek their repeal.
“We have decided to hold ‘atmaklesh andolan’ at Azad Maidan on August 15, to demand that farmers be freed from the clutches of the legislations which have enslaved them. Even after 69 years of independence, farmers have not been given their rights. They have been meted out cruel treatment by both the current and the former governments,” said president of Bhumiputra Sangharsh Vahini, Abhijeet Patil Falke.
“The government has cheated farmers and failed to resolve any of the issues they have to deal with,” said Falke, a Pune-based IT entrepreneur.
Children of farmers from across the state are set to join the agitation on I-Day in large numbers, he said. The agitation would not end on the Independence Day and plans are on to continue it. Besides this, a big rally of farmers would be organised in Pune on October 2.
Supporting the agitation, veteran leader Amar Habib stated that the government failed to repeal three legislations — Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, Essential Commodities Act and Land Acquisition Act. He further said that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier assured of revoking various acts following a review, till date, nothing had been done. It is the government’s lackadaisical approach in this regard that resulted in the deaths of so many farmers, he added.
In all, 27 organisations from Maharashtra will be lending their support to the agitating farmers on August 15, said Vahini leaders.
