October 8th 2023.
Farmers in Nashik expressed their discontent with the Maharashtra government on Saturday morning by waylaying Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's convoy and pelting it with onions and tomatoes. The farmers, who waved black flags, blocked the convoy on its way from Ojhar Airport to Dindori and shouted slogans against the government's policies.
The protesters demanded the withdrawal of the export duty on onions and a suitable minimum support price for tomatoes to ensure a proper livelihood for the cultivators. One of the protesters said, "We condemn the government's policies... Farmers are dying... We want withdrawal of the export duty on onions and a suitable minimum support price for tomatoes."
The incident comes as a result of tomato prices crossing the Rs 200 mark between May and August, and the retail rates now ranging between Rs 12 and Rs 18 per kg depending on the markets. This has had a severe effect on the cultivators. In response, onion farmers in Nashik had gone on a 13-day strike by stopping wholesale trade to demand removal of the export duty on the vegetable. The strike was called off on October 3 after the government issued assurances, but the wholesale traders have given the authorities a month to take appropriate action.
The 'onion-tomato welcome' left Pawar and his team embarrassed as they had come to oversee the pre-election work for the Lok Sabha elections in which the breakaway Nationalist Congress Party is expected to contest from the Nashik seat. The current incident further highlights the plight of farmers in India and the need for the government to take necessary steps to ensure their wellbeing.
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