Pune: The first day of the farmers’ strike on Thursday saw vegetable and fruit prices shoot up and supply of milk hit across Maharashtra. Farmers’ bodies have given a 48-hour ultimatum to the BJP government to fulfil their demands, which include loan waiver, free electricity, better prices for produce, higher price for milk, and implementation of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee recommendations.
Violent start
The agitation commenced a little before midnight on Wednesday on a violent note. Two milk tankers belonging to Warana Dairy in Satara were stoned by farmers as the vehicles were heading to Mumbai.
Early in the morning, another milk tanker was stopped and emptied in Ahmednagar district’s Parner taluk.
In Manmad, farmers littered the streets with milk packets and hurled vegetables from delivery trucks. Almost overnight, the prices of vegetables and fruits soared by 20% in Pune city with the Pune Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, sited in Gultekdi market yard, wearing a desolate look.
In the temple town of Shirdi, farmers hurled chillies and vegetables onto the streets and torched a truck carrying agricultural produce.
Political support
The agitation found political support in farmers’ leaders, including Raju Shetti, a BJP ally and president of Swabhimani Paksha. “The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana is completely behind the farmers’ agitation. In a show of solidarity, all Swabhimani milk outlets will remain shut until the impasse is resolved,” said Mr. Shetti, who recently concluded an agitation on foot from Pune to Mumbai in support of the farmers’ demands.
While the milk business in Sangli district was hit, business was largely unaffected in the neighbouring Kolhapur district APMC.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said in Pune: “Many states are reeling under agrarian crises and in an unprecedented move, farmers have taken to the streets. It is high time that politicos gave them their due.”
In Nashik, 17 wholesale markets remained shut. In Niphad taluk, farmers hurled large crates of onions, pomegranates and fruits onto the road from trucks and delivery vans.
Farmers detained
The police detained 60 farmers in Niphad and Lasalgaon. According to reports, the police resorted to lathi-charge in some areas of the district.
While the supply of dairy and farm produce remained paralysed in Nashik, the strike crippled vegetable and fruit markets in Satara, Ahmednagar and Baramati.
In Osmanabad district, villagers spilt 1,000 litres of milk on the road, evoking condemnation from local authorities.
Likewise, in the township of Bhoom, activists of Mr. Shetti’s Swabhimani party forced a shutdown of the local fruit and vegetable market.
