The indefinite hunger strike by villagers from Chindhran, Kanpoli, and Mahalungi in Panvel taluka, against the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), entered its 11th day on Wednesday, with the agitation intensifying each day. After climbing a water tank on Monday, several women on Tuesday waded into the Kasadi river as a mark of protest, demanding justice and fair compensation for their acquired land.
The protest, jointly organised by the villagers and the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, began outside the Chindhran Gram Panchayat office last week. Villagers allege that the MIDC has forcibly acquired their fertile agricultural land without proper consent and has failed to provide adequate compensation, rehabilitation plots, and other promised benefits.
The protesters climbed onto a water tank on Monday. Pics/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The main demands include a revised and fair compensation rate for the acquired land, allotment of industrial plots to the project-affected persons, and timely resolution of pending legal disputes involving farmers. Despite several rounds of talks, the villagers claim that neither the government nor the MIDC officials have offered any concrete assurance.
“We have been protesting peacefully for ten days, but no one seems to care. If our demands continue to be ignored, we will have no choice but to intensify our agitation further,” said one of the villagers participating in the hunger strike.
On Monday, women climbed a village water tank to draw attention to their plight, while on Tuesday, a group of women entered the Kasadi river, symbolising their growing desperation and frustration. Villagers have warned that unless their demands are met soon, they will continue their indefinite protest and escalate their agitation in the coming days.
