India, Jan. 26 -- Around 40,000 farmers launched a ' long march' from Nashik on Sunday, demanding implementation of long-pending assurances under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), completion of irrigation projects, and filling of thousands of vacant posts in Zilla Parishad schools.

The march, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), also targets what organisers describe as corporate-friendly policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, including the smart electricity meter scheme, alleged dilution of MGNREGA, land acquisition through government-corporate partnersh...