leave Raj Bhavan while their stir continued and would always be available for talks. After seeing their leaders farmers began to shout slogans loudly. It was very difficult to keep this mammoth crowd quiet for long. The leaders realized this and soon the meeting began. To start with, the leaders of the Punjab farmers Ajmer Singh Lokhoval, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Bhupinder Singh Mann spoke. Next speakers were Mangiram Malik from Haryana, Vinay Chandra Munimjee from Madhya Pradesh, Dr Raghuvansh Mani Pande of Uttar Pradesh and Vijay Jawandhiya of Maharashtra. Joshi was the last speaker. He said, ‘We are not really here to help you; in what way a younger brother can possibly help his elder brother? But those who have an instrument like wheat in their hand, which is far more powerful than the weapons held by the army, hardly need anyone’s help.’ His speech was quite emotional and was heard in pin drop silence. After the meeting was over at round 6 pm it was decided to move towards Raj Bhavan to surround it from all directions. There were six roads connecting Parade Ground to Raj Bhavan. All farmers were divided into six groups and each one was told to follow a particular road. The farmers were disciplined and they began to walk peacefully along with their pre-decided group. Once they reached the barricades police had erected blocking the road they sat cross-legged on the road. Since nine in the morning Punjab Police had blocked all six roads by erecting metal barricades and wire gauges. On one side of the barricades were seated farmers and on the other side stood police personnel. Walls of the Raj Bhavan were behind the police force. On the previous day Chandigarh Administration had called additional forces from Punjab and Haryana and also from the 206
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Sharad Joshi : Leading Farmers to the Centre Stage
