this. When some drivers interacted with the protesting farmers they discovered the cause for this agitation. Almost all of them came from farming families and many were even growing sugarcane. They could immediately sympathize with the farmers for they too were going through similar problems. They agreed that price of Rs. 300 per ton is a very fair price farmers were seeking. One particularly well-built truck driver was Sardar Jagjit Singh. Earlier he happened to be a secretary of Punjab Kisan Union. He played a key role in pacifying other rioting truck drivers. A joint meeting was also organized in the compound of a school in Dahivel village where representatives of truck drivers and farmers both spoke. While expressing full support to the cause of the agitating farmers, the truck drivers also invited them to Punjab to protest jointly for fair price for sugarcane and also wheat. Much later Joshi did go to Punjab but before that, his ideas and the news of the struggle had reached Punjab through these truck drivers; the unexpected by-product of the struggle. Along with rasta roko, rail roko had also started. NashikManmad rail track was the first to close. Nagpur Express was stalled at Nashik Road station for eight hours. The farmers took care to provide milk along with vegetables and bhakari to the stranded passengers. Railway authorities were informed well in advance about this impending struggle, but they did not take any cognizance and made no alternative plans. In fact government officials had no idea that the struggle would be of this intensity and scale especially when the leaders were put behind bars and the agitation had no backing of any political party. A tragic incident happened at Kherwadi in Nifad taluka where a few thousand farmers had blocked the railway track quietly singing bhajans. State Reserve Police Force landed there and on 10 November, in trying to diffuse the farmers, began to fire. Two farmers lost their lives in Kherwadi incident. Even one SRP jawan lost his life. Bitter Story of Sugarcane
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