Peasant Movement in South Maharashtra: Not only 'Issue based' Anymore

The February agitation of farmers and the drought affected of rural South Maharashtra, in the form of a two-day ‘sit in’ last in Mumbai led to ministerial-level negotiations and several important decisions. If the ruling circles have been relatively more responsive to this movement in the last couple of years than in the past, it is because the movement has remained only ‘issue-based’ anymore, but has threatened the political base of the ruling parties by specifically challenging the elected representatives of the ruling parties on these issues.