for deciding the quality, mechnized system for accounting and prompt payment to the farmers and many such related aspects were taken care of. The system appeared to be democratic on paper, but as it happened elsewhere, in the name of the community only a handful of people had been controlling it. By law, a farmer could not sell his produce anywhere else but at these APMCs. Even the traders, could not buy or sell agriculture produce anywhere else but at these APMCs. Thus APMC totally controlled farmers as well as traders. Often traders and some Committee members joined hands and many malpractices flourished. Common farmer was exploited by almost entire system of APMC where everyone from a porter to the trader joined hands and took away their share while a farmer got the lowest possible price for his produce. Common people were generally aware of the restrictions put by the Government on industry by way of license, permits and inspector raj as it was called. But the restrictions on agriculture were even more suffocating. It was a total monopoly of trading in agriculture products, perhaps the largest monopoly in the country, and like all monopolies it became draconian. Joshi and his colleagues used to come every morning to the Market Yard to keep an overall eye on how the quality of each heap of onion was decided. Based on the quality, the buying price would be fixed. Large number of heaps would be lying around the Yard and also outside on the road and each heap had to be properly checked. Whenever injustice was being done to a farmer, Joshi would intervene. Individually, a farmer was too small and powerless before the might of the Committee. Considering all that, it was felt a formal organization had to be formed to fight on behalf of the farmer. Eventually, on 8 August Shetkari Sanghatana (SS) was established. That was in 1979. Babulal had his Printing Press just opposite the Chakan market and in that Press, SS started its office. It was a tiny office, could Onions in Chakan : First Spark
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