underground and guided the struggle from outside. Government had anticipated that with the top leaders under arrest the struggle would fizzle out. But by then even the common farmers had caught the spark. Thousands were pouring onto roads and getting themselves arrested. On the first day itself 25,000 farmers blocked the Bombay-Agra Road. Many farmers had come with their bullock carts, mats and some bhakaris to eat. They just camped themselves on the highway. Within three-four days their number reached one and a half to two lakhs. About 100 to 125 kilometre patch of the BombayAgra Highway remained totally closed to all traffic between 10 and 14 November and partly blocked at different places till 29 November. The highway had never experienced more rest in its life! The agitation was fiercest in Baglan taluka. Places like Kopargao, Sinnar, Nashik, Nifad, Kalwan, Chandvad, Malegao and Sakri also experienced particularly strong agitation. In all 31,000 farmers were arrested. Never before in the history of India had there been a farmers’ struggle of this scale. Government came down heavily on agitating farmers. The lathi charge by Police was most brutal. This of course was a routine way for the police to dislodge the squatted protesters. This time something additional was tried. They instigated the truck drivers stranded along the road, saying, ‘Because of these farmers your time is wasted and you are suffering.’ Angry truck drivers took out their anger on protesting farmers. Bulls which some farmers had brought with them were mercilessly beaten so that they might run amuck and dislodge the seated farmers. Some bulls were even blinded and some had their tails cut. Even some villages along the road were put on fire. Majority of the truck drivers happened to be Sikhs from Punjab. No one from authorities bothered to note that such instigation was creating animosity between two States. Fortunately, something unexpected happened in the midst of all 128
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Sharad Joshi : Leading Farmers to the Centre Stage
