Farmers and tribal groups march on Mumbai to press land and irrigation demands

Thousands of farmers and tribal residents continued a long march towards Mumbai on Tuesday to press for land rights, irrigation facilities and other long-pending demands, even as the Maharashtra government invited a delegation of the protesters for discussions later in the day.

The march, led by the CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), began on Sunday after an agitation outside the Dindori tehsil office in Nashik district failed to yield firm assurances from the administration.

Protest leaders said they then decided to take their demands directly to the state government by walking to the capital.

Carrying red flags, the protesters have made arrangements for food, fuel and other essential supplies for the duration of the march. Over the past two days, they covered nearly 60 kilometres and on Tuesday morning began descending the Kasara Ghat, entering neighbouring Thane district.

Former MLA J P Gavit said growing mobilisation and sustained media attention compelled the state government to invite protest representatives for talks at the Mantralaya in Mumbai. The delegation is expected to include Gavit, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and AIKS national president Ashok Dhawale, Kisan Sabha national joint secretary Ajit Navale and MLA Vinod Nikole.

According to organisers, a large number of tribal farmers from Peth, Surgana, Kalwan and Trimbakeshwar talukas are participating in the march to highlight unresolved issues related to land ownership, forest rights and irrigation.

The regions are drought-prone, and farmers have long demanded the construction of large check dams on west-flowing rivers and their tributaries to secure water for agriculture.

Among the key demands are the regularisation of cultivation on encroached land up to four hectares, issuance of land records, review of rejected forest rights claims and procurement of agricultural produce from forest landholders at minimum support prices.

The protest disrupted traffic over the past two days in parts of Dindori, where demonstrators staged a sit-in, forcing authorities to divert vehicles along alternate routes.

Gavit said a meeting with Nashik Collector Ayush Prasad had already taken place, during which it was agreed that local issues would be addressed at the district level, while broader policy demands would be discussed with the state government in Mumbai.

With PTI inputs