Triumphant climax of farmers' stir becomes a symbolic setback for Abdul Rehman Antulay

The triumphant climax of the Jalgaon-Nagpur long march on December 26, was a symbolic setback not only for Abdul Rehman Antulay's Government but for Antulay himself. The story of the Maharashtra chief minister's systematic crackdown on the leaders and participants of the farmers'dindifor better produce prices and farm wage levels, is a classic case of using a sledge-hammer to kill an ant and ending up striking one's own toe. No less than 8,000 farmers were able to march to within a kilometre of the Council Hall in Nagpur at the end of a 19-day expedition to focus attention on their demands. Though this was far less than the one lakh that the clinch organisers had hoped for, it was still a creditable achievement under the circumstances.

The first indication that Antulay was determined to thwart the marchers' objective by fair means or foul came subtly 11 days into the march. Antulay had the duration of the winter session of the state Legislature, sitting in Nagpur. Suddenly curtailed by a full week, in order to end the session three days before the farmers' scheduled arrival. This, he hoped, would deprive the agitators of an opportunity to demonstrate in front of a crowded Vidhan Sabha. The march leaders responded by virtually abandoning the pad-yatra concept and chartering buses and travelling by train in a race against time.

A series of sterner measures by the chief minister followed in quick succession. On December 20, he had over 430 marchers - including Y.B. Chavan. Sharad Pawar and N.D. Patil - arrested in the Amravati district of Vidharba. Said Pawar about the reasons for the swoop-down: "Amravati is an important student centre and over 50 per cent of those who joined the long march at this stage were students. Antulay must have suddenly realised the strength of thedindi and understood that we (opposition politicians) are not really leaders of the movement but active participants. The movement was a spontaneous awakening of the rural population to their rights. Many politically aware young people from the student community and ex-students who were jobless felt they should support the cause."