from Bombay and the first from working class. As a part of agitation, SS decided to organize a joint meeting of workers and farmers at Bombay’s famous Shivaji Park on 12 December 1985. To evoke the memories of the past that particular day was chosen. That was the first meeting of SS at this historic venue. It was organized in partnership with Kamgar Aghadi led by fiery trade union leader Dr Datta Samant. Joshi was very keen that Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sena supremo, would speak at this meeting. Balasaheb was the most popular leader of Bombay that time and Shivaji Park was his home ground. Joshi personally went to his home to invite him but Balasaheb refused to share stage with Samant. Those days a tough and often violent battle was being waged between Samant and Thackeray over the control of Bombay’s working class. Shiv Sena ruled Bombay Municipal Corporation and Chhagan Bhujbal of Sena was the Mayor. When he heard that Thackeray was not going to come, he also declined. But somehow SS convinced him by saying, ‘As a Mayor you are the first citizen of Bombay and when so many farmers from rural Maharashtra are coming to Bombay it was your duty to welcome them.’ Finally, he agreed. On the day prior to the meeting a procession had come from Mahalunge-Padval village carrying a torch lit in the memory of Babu Genu. His elder sister-in-law Kasabai Kushaba Syed also came with the torch. With that torch the symbolic heap of foreign clothes was put to fire by her in the meeting of 12 December. It was a very moving moment. The huge ground was jam-packed. Most of the audience consisted of farmers. But Samant had arranged to place four-five hundred of his women workers just opposite the stage. They began to give loud anti-Shiv Sena slogans; perhaps as told to them in advance by Samant. The farmers present were confused because all meetings of SS used to take place in much 162
Q
Sharad Joshi : Leading Farmers to the Centre Stage
