In this monologue, activist Shailaja Laxmikant Deshpande talks about Sharad Joshi’s contribution in advancing women’s property rights. She further highlights his slogan for demanding four basic freedoms for farmers. He asked for “Sita sheti, mazgar sheti, vyapari sheti and niryat sheti”, meaning farming led by women, freedom for farmers to process agriculture produce, freedom to trade in commodities and the freedom to export. She also highlights the problems faced by farmers due to unjust laws under the Schedule IX of the Constitution which cannot be challenged in a court of law. Inspired by Mr Joshi, she demands freedom for farmers for the prosperity of the nation.
Shailaja Deshpande is one of the prominent and long-time supporters of Sharad Joshi, she has participated in many movements by led by the ex-Parliamentarian. For more than 35 years now, Ms Deshpande has continued the fight for farmers’ freedoms across Maharashtra. Listen to her experiences here and let us know your thoughts in comments.
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Read More: Why Remember Sharad Joshi?
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The opinions expressed in this essay are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of CCS.
