The story of 35,000 Maharashtra farmers and their historic walk of 170 km

Why do you think a farmer chooses to kill himself instead of voicing his anger in protest? It is because he has lost all hope, says Ajit Navle, state general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)

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The gruelling seven-day long 'Long March' by over 35,000 poor farmers in India’s richest state attracted nationwide attention when they reached the country’s financial capital to bring their problems to the attention of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The ownership of land being tilled for generations, pension for the old and subsidised food through the public distribution system have been the long-standing demands. Those leading the protest march added to this list their demand for loan waiver and remunerative prices for their produce.

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In the hilly terrain at the northern tip of Western Ghats, bordering Maharashtra and Gujarat, lies Surgana, an erstwhile princely state ruled by tribal chieftains of the Mahadev Koli tribe. Surgana joined the instrument of accession to be part of the Indian Union in March 1948. Seventy years later, in March 2018, it was the birthplace of the uniquely successful protest by the tribal folk and farmers of Maharashtra.

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Minal Pawar, 32, is a commerce graduate and the sarpanch (head) of the gram panchayat at Khobla village, 20 km from Surgana town in the northern district of Nashik in Maharashtra.

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“Only 70% of forest land claims in Surgana have been accepted, and to those accepted, only a portion of the original claim has been allotted. Some of them have received less than an acre,” says Jiva Gavit.

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The meticulous planning of making manageable groups of 500 each, entrusting the provision of food, water and bedding autonomously to a group leader, and continuous coordination between group leaders and march leaders was a daunting task, says Dr Ajit Navle

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The Maharashtra government conceded to most of the demands on the evening of March 12. The decision was announced at a rally addressed by state ministers along with farmers' leaders at Azad Maidan.