Sharad Joshi had always emphasized that border disputes between States were created by politicians to nurture their own images and constituencies; the real issue was an economic one concerning poverty; the common man did not carry in his heart any border disputes. Nipani struggle in which farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra fought shoulder to shoulder confirmed his view. One farmer commented later, ‘If in earlier times we farmers went to any restaurant, shop or haircutting saloon the owner would not even bother to look at us. But now when any farmer wearing this red badge comes, the owner immediately welcomes him and attends to his need.’ ‘Whether we farmers get better price for tobacco or not, the fact is that the farmers have got their self-respect because of this agitation,’ was a frequently heard reaction. Internationally this agitation received far more coverage than the earlier agitation of onion growers and sugarcane growers. The coverage by BBC has already been mentioned. Sharad Joshi also wrote a letter to International Red Cross detailing the police atrocities in Nipani. In comparison the Indian newspapers took much less notice of this struggle; barring the exception of Olga Tellis, a courageous journalist from Mumbai who came to Nipani, stayed with the farmers and wrote detail reports about the struggle. Sharad Joshi’s own confidence grew after Nipani. To maintain the intensity of the struggle for 23 long days was not easy. It was demonstrated once again, after the struggles of onion growers and sugarcane growers, that Indian farmers could be inspired to shed their helplessness and fight against injustice without the fear of the Police or State. It was also the first step for Sharad Joshi outside Maharashtra. It proved to be a big jump for the Shetkari Sanghatana. Q
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Sharad Joshi : Leading Farmers to the Centre Stage
