Mumbai

Thousands of farmers and tribal residents from Nashik district continued their march towards Mumbai on Tuesday, demanding land rights and other long-pending issues, even as the Maharashtra government invited a delegation of the protesters for discussions later in the day.

The agitation, led by the CPI(M)-backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), began on Sunday after a protest outside the Dindori tehsil office failed to secure firm commitments from the authorities, former MLA J P Gavit said.

Following the stalemate, the protesters decided to take their demands directly to the state government by undertaking a foot march to the state capital. According to organisers, arrangements have been made to ensure food, firewood, grains and other basic necessities for the participants throughout the journey.

Over the past two days, the marchers have covered close to 60 kilometres. On Tuesday morning, they descended the Kasara Ghat and crossed into neighbouring Thane district after leaving Nashik, Gavit said.

He claimed the scale of mobilisation and sustained media attention around the march prompted the state government to call the protesters for talks at the Mantralaya in Mumbai.

A delegation comprising Gavit, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and AIKS national president Ashok Dhawale, Kisan Sabha national joint secretary Ajit Navale and MLA Vinod Nikole is scheduled to meet the chief minister and other senior ministers to discuss the demands.

According to Gavit, tribal farmers from Peth, Surgana, Kalwan and Trimbakeshwar talukas are participating in the march to highlight unresolved concerns related to land ownership, irrigation facilities and forest rights.

These regions are drought-prone, and farmers have been pressing for the construction of major check dams on west-flowing rivers and their tributaries to improve irrigation for agriculture.

The protesters are also seeking regularisation of farming on encroached land up to four hectares, issuance of land ownership records, review of rejected forest rights claims and procurement of produce grown on forest land at minimum support prices.

Traffic disruptions were reported over the last two days in parts of Dindori due to sit-in protests, forcing authorities to divert vehicles through alternate routes.

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