As thousands join a protest outside the Collector office in Maharashtra’s Palghar, 50-year-old Draupadi Bhuyal said she had spent half of her life to receive ownership of the land, which had been tilled by eight generations of her family.
“I hope my grandchildren don’t have to put up a fight against the government,” said Ms. Bhuyal, who was raising slogans while marching towards the Palghar Collector office, demanding land ownership under the Forest Rights Act, removal of smart meters, and cancellation of the Vadhavan project in Dahanu, a coastal region of Palghar.
Ms. Bhuyal has around three acres of land in Vasai’s tribal village and earn her livelihood through farming. She earns some extra income by working on other people's farms, while her son drives an auto rickshaw on rent. “If I don’t have ownership of my primary source of income under my and my husband’s name, how will I feel secure?”
Around 30,000 protesters march to the Palghar Collector’s office, where they will stay till their demands are met. | Photo Credit: Snehal Mutha
Many of the landless tribals and farmers like Ms. Bhuyal from areas like Vasai, and the tehsils of Palghar, including Charoti, Manor, Wada, Vikramgad, Talasari, and Mokhed, participated in the “long march” protest led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) from Charoti to Palghar Collector office covering about 60 km on foot. The protest started on Monday (January 19, 2026) and continued on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) at the Palghar Collector office, where the demonstrators will stay till all the demands are fulfilled.
