bridegroom! But for such an all India body, it is important to be clear at the outset about our basic objectives and then we can discuss what kind of constitution we should have to fulfill those objectives. In that context I would like to present my views but it would take a little longer. Therefore I request the President to grant me that time.’ The President agreed and Joshi was able to talk in depth about his own background, historical analysis of the farmers’ situation, how prices of the farm produce were deliberately suppressed by the successive governments and his own experiences while farming. He concluded by saying, ‘To secure remunerative price for farm produce should be our one-point programme. Once we get that price, we shall not need any grants or subsidies from the Government. All farmers of the country can be united behind that one demand. For this we don’t really need things like written constitution; we could have some limited structure but keep our Union flexible.’ After his speech the atmosphere was suddenly transformed. Almost everybody was overwhelmed as was clear from their comments on Joshi’s speech afterwards. Some of the comments were as follows: ‘It was an unforgettable experience to hear him say all this.’ ‘This person who wore jeans and bush shirt and did not at all look like a farmer told us things which nobody had told us before.’ ‘You farmers from Maharashtra are lucky that you have a leader like him.’ ‘We have seen many farmers’ leaders till today but have never seen a leader more knowledgeable than him.’ In successive sessions Joshi’s grip on the proceedings became unquestioned. He almost became an unofficial President 200
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Sharad Joshi : Leading Farmers to the Centre Stage
