Farmers march – Maharashtra is reeling with the pain of farmers committing suicide due to bankruptcy or facing droughts for four consecutive years, unsure, how to take care of their families in future. However, as a protest move, against the government for land rights, loan waivers and better compensation.
They walked for seven days and six nights, travelling 180 kilometres to reach Mumbai, with predominantly swollen ankle and blisters in their feet. Approximately 40,000 farmers marched on the Mumbai streets among them there were Adivasis, forest-dwellers, and other indigenous communities were involved too.
The Farmers march received unprecedented support from the locals who supplied them with food, water and the traffic was in right order too.
Now, here we will discuss the things that we have learned now that the Farmers march took place:
Farmers march –
1. There are people to help, you need to seek it:
Farmers came in big numbers in Mumbai and the city was extended help to the farmers by all means. There was an outpour of help from the religious groups too which proves that Indians can stand for each other when in need.
2. Anarchy is not always chaotic:
Farmers seemed to be rather disciplinarians who matched steps with each other without creating problem for the general public. The Mumbaikars readily agreed to accommodate the marching farmers and the traffic was under control too.
3. There was no demarcation between the rural and the urban:
People came out of their homes to talk to the farmers and participated in their cause. They had a word with them regarding their problems and were all ears about their concern. The social media was flooded with pictures of the marching farmers more by the commoners than the media. Which means that the separating line between the rural and urban farmers is dissolving.
4. A message loud and clear:
With the farmers marching down the streets, we get a clear message about the perils they go through. This is not the problem of the farmers belonging to one state, this is a pan India crisis that has been falling in blind eye ever since.
5. No mass movement can go unnoticed:
Government has seen that the people all across the city are showing their concern to the farmers. Farmers generally fall prey to petty politicking as being used for boosting the vote bank only. But in view of the enthusiasm with which the rural and urban India communicated hitherto after the protest, the government was left with no other option but to pay heed to the farmer crisis.
These were the lessons we learned from the recent Farmers march in India that created ripples in the International forefront.
