Sharad Joshi a true farmers’ leader
Sakal Times Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Monday, 14 December 2015 AT 11:03 PM IST
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In the early 1990s, the journalists in Pune and Mumbai were often required to visit Ambethan near Chakan in Pune district. That was because Sharad Joshi, who was fighting for the farmers’ causes had chosen to set up the headquarters of his Shetkari Sanghatana there. The journalists interested in meeting him had to travel through rural parts to reach Ambethan. This was one of the ways of the farmers’ leader to be away from India and be in the midst of Bharat, the rural India on whose behalf he was fighting.When I along with a group of journalists met Joshi at his headquarters, I was impressed with the dedication for the farmers’ issues. Later on I covered his functions on various occasions and my admiration for him kept on increasing.
Joshi had given up his job at the UNO to return to India to take up the farmers’ issues. His study of the farmers’ issues and agrarian economy was astounding and many political leaders were taken aback with his organising skills and writings on the agrarian issues. Joshi, who was also an eloquent orator, succeeded in organising the farmers’ movement in Maharashtra on an unprecedented scale. At that time, he emerged as the first non-political leader leading a strong farmers’ movement in Maharashtra.
In 1990s, Shetkari Sanghatana became a powerful force in Maharashtra and during those days, a large number of people in villages and small towns were seen moving with pride, flaunting the round-shaped white and red badge of the Shetkari Sanghatana on their shirts.
The long drawn agitations launched by Sharad Joshi on the issue of prices for onions and his famous Chakka Jam stirs in Maharashtra brought the farmer leader into national limelight. However at time Joshi was against forming a political front or joining the electoral politics. Later, he also shared space at the national level with farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait and Devi Lal. In recognition of his knowledge of farmers’ issues, the then prime minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh had appointed him to draft the national agricultural policy.Joshi is one of the few experts in the country who has written a large number of books, articles and delivered hundreds of speeches on the agrarian economy in the country. He has written a lot in English and Marathi on these issues. Joshi’s demise has left a huge vacuum, for there is no other high stature farmer leader like him in the whole country.
Disclaimer: The opinion expressed within this blog is personal opinion of the author. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the blog do not reflect the views of Sakal and Sakal does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
