along with the Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and Governor of Gujarat. Surprisingly, that BJP government did not support this agitation at all. In fact, it used all the force at its command to crush it. It could be because of anti-BJP views of Joshi, or because the government did not want the credit for this popular agitation to go to Gujarat Khedut Samaj. As decided, on the 4 December over five thousand farmers gathered at Kevadia Colony, the small town closest to the dam site. They had a meeting and afterwards began their march to the dam site. As expected they were stopped by the Police almost immediately and were arrested. It was anyway impossible for common people to reach the actual dam site and draw any water out of it; Joshi and all others knew it well; but the intention to do that in itself was a symbolic gesture. Having foreseen this Police action, Joshi, along with his ten-twelve close colleagues, had already made an alternative adventurous plan. Previous night when there was total darkness in the vicinity, they had quietly gone to the dam site from the back side, finding their way through mountains and forests. They travelled about ten kilometers on foot, then rode horses for a while and the final leg of about two-three kilometers they just had to walk again. All along they had to avoid the vigilant guards and maintain absolute silence. It was an incredibly audacious act, especially considering the fact that Joshi was 64 years of age and had just survived a heart attack. In the pre-dawn darkness they reached the dam site, went down, formed a chain, drew out a pot of water, passed it on and eventually poured it from distance into the nearby canal. A symbolic act, though a tiny one, was somehow completed with great courage. Today, the water from Sardar Sarovar has enriched farming in Gujarat even in the earlier draught-prone areas. The abundant lush green fields are a living testimony to the benefits of the dam. Even the farmers from nearby States of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh share that bounty. At least some persons like 282
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Sharad Joshi : Leading Farmers to the Centre Stage
