Thousands of farmers march to Mumbai to protest new agriculture laws

Mumbai, January 24

Thousands of farmers have left for Mumbai from Maharashtra’s Nashik district for a rally to demand repealing of the Centre’s three new farm laws.

The rally organised by Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha will be held in Mumbai on January 25, a statement issued by the organisation said on Saturday.

The rally will be addressed by former Union agriculture minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray.

A delegation will also present a memorandum to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the release said.

The farmers owe allegiance to over a 100 organisations under the umbrella of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which has given a nationwide call for similar agitations between January 23-26, including taking out rallies to Raj Bhavans in all states.

From Sunday, thousands of farmers will stage a 3-day ‘sit-in’ protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in which the ‘vehicle morcha’ will also join them, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Dr. Ashok Dhawale said.

Enacted in September last year, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of Delhi since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of these laws.

Multiple rounds of talks between the government and farmer unions have failed to break the impasse so far, while the Supreme Court has appointed a panel for resolution. Agencies