NEW DELHI: Thousands of protesting farmers reached in Mumbai on Thursday demanding the government help them out of deep distress.
The farmers who walked to Mumbai from various parts of the state of Maharashtra want their debts to state-run banks to be written off.
They are also demanding, among other things, to be granted ownership rights to land they have tilled for decades.
Parts of Maharashtra have faced severe drought and a water crisis for years, followed by unseasonal rains that destroyed crops, which pushed the farmers into deep debt.
An estimated 2,400 farmers committed suicide in the state in 2017, according to media reports citing official figures.
The farmers had called off a similar protest in March after the government gave them a written assurance on a majority of their demands.
“More than eight months have passed and the government has done less than 2 per cent of what it promised,” said Pratibha Shinde, general secretary of the Lok Sangharsh Morcha (Peoples Struggle Forum), the organiser of the march.
The farmers who mainly belong to the tribal belts of Maharashtra are also demanding higher prices for their crops. “Each of the protesters is carrying 2 kg of rice and one kilogram of dal. We will not leave Mumbai until our demands are met,” Shinde said.
The protesters are expected to camp in the sprawling Azad Maidan grounds in the heart of the city while their leaders meet Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. — dpa
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