Sharad Anantrao Joshi
Encyclopedia
Sharad Anantrao Joshi is the founder of Swatantra Bharat Paksh party and Shetkari Sanghatana (farmers' Organisation), He was also a Member of the Parliament of India
representing Maharashtra
in the Rajya Sabha
, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. On Jan 9, 2010 he was the sole MP in Rajya Sabha
to vote against the bill providing 33% reservation for women
in Indian parliament and assemblies.
Sharad Joshi is a member of Advisory Board of the World Agricultural Forum (WAF), the foremost global agricultural platform that initiates dialogue between those who can impact agriculture. He is also founder of Shetkari Sanghatana, an organisation for farmers. Shetakari Sanghatana is a non political union of Farmers formed with the aim to “Freedom of access to markets and to Technology”.
, in the state of Maharashtra
, India. He is a son of Anant Narayan (1905–70) and Indirabai Joshi (1910–92). He has done Master of Commerce from Sydenham College
, Bombay, in 1957, Dip. Informatics (Lausanne, 1974); Awards: C.E. Randle Gold Medal for Banking (1955), Cursetjee Dady Prize for work on Computation of Irrigation Benefits. Lecturer in Economics and Statistics, University of Poona, 1957–58; I.P.S Indian Postal Service (Class I) 1958-68; Chief Informatics Service, International Bureau, UPU, Bern, Switzerland, 1968-77. (He served as a United Nations
officer before founding Shetakari Sanghatana).
, Karnataka
, Gujarat, Rajasthan
, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh
, Madhya Pradesh
, Bihar
, Uttar Pradesh
, Orissa
, Andhra Pradesh
, Tamil Nadu
, Kerala
; led a number of agitations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat , Punjab, Haryana etc. for remunerative prices of onions, sugar cane, tobacco, milk, paddy, cotton, against hike in electricity tariffs, for liquidation of rural debts and against State dumping in domestic markets.
He has also been a columnist for the dailies 'The Times of India', ' Business India', 'Lokmat' etc., and has also authored books on agricultural issues.
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
representing Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
in the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. On Jan 9, 2010 he was the sole MP in Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
to vote against the bill providing 33% reservation for women
Women's Reservation Bill
Women's Reservation Bill or the The Constitution Bill, is a pending bill in India which proposes to provide thirty three per cent of all seats in the Lower house of Parliament of India the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies shall be reserved for women...
in Indian parliament and assemblies.
Sharad Joshi is a member of Advisory Board of the World Agricultural Forum (WAF), the foremost global agricultural platform that initiates dialogue between those who can impact agriculture. He is also founder of Shetkari Sanghatana, an organisation for farmers. Shetakari Sanghatana is a non political union of Farmers formed with the aim to “Freedom of access to markets and to Technology”.
Early life and education
Sharad Joshi was born on September 3, 1935 at SataraSatara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
, in the state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India. He is a son of Anant Narayan (1905–70) and Indirabai Joshi (1910–92). He has done Master of Commerce from Sydenham College
Sydenham College
Sydenham College or Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics is the first college of commerce in Asia.It is an institute in Mumbai , affiliated to the University of Bombay, and offering undergraduate degrees in commerce and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in management...
, Bombay, in 1957, Dip. Informatics (Lausanne, 1974); Awards: C.E. Randle Gold Medal for Banking (1955), Cursetjee Dady Prize for work on Computation of Irrigation Benefits. Lecturer in Economics and Statistics, University of Poona, 1957–58; I.P.S Indian Postal Service (Class I) 1958-68; Chief Informatics Service, International Bureau, UPU, Bern, Switzerland, 1968-77. (He served as a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
officer before founding Shetakari Sanghatana).
Farmers Organisation
He is a founder of Shetkari Sanghatana, farmers' Organisation in Maharashtra. He has led number of mass agitations on agricultural issues in India. Most of them in the state of Maharashtra on issues of prices offered to Farmers. He is also founder Leader of ' Kisan Coordination Committee (KCC)' composed of sister organisations from 14 states - MaharashtraMaharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Gujarat, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
; led a number of agitations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat , Punjab, Haryana etc. for remunerative prices of onions, sugar cane, tobacco, milk, paddy, cotton, against hike in electricity tariffs, for liquidation of rural debts and against State dumping in domestic markets.
He has also been a columnist for the dailies 'The Times of India', ' Business India', 'Lokmat' etc., and has also authored books on agricultural issues.
Shetkari Mahila Aghadi (SMA)
Sharad Joshi is also a Founder of the largest organisation of rural women Shetkari Mahila Aghadi (SMA) celebrated for its work for women's property rights notably for the Lakshmi Mukti programme that has conferred land titles on lakhs of rural housewives.Special Economic Zones for farm
Sharad Joshi advocated SEZs in areas of India’s comparative advantage, notably organic farming, aromatic and medicinal plants, manufacture of hybrid seeds and horticulture. Joshi also voiced on the need to establish credible certifying agencies for organic farm products and also suggested exclusive Zones for growing variety of onions popular in the Western countries and also the domestic market could be insulated from the international markets, and shortages could be averted even while earning foreign exchange.Socialism and Indian Constitution
In December 2005 Sharad Joshi tabled private member legislation in the Rajya Sabha, demanding deletion of the word socialism from the Representation of the People Act of the Constitution of India.Publications
A partial list of his writings and works includes:- Organisation of Peasants: Thought and Practice
- Bharat Speaks Out (1982)
- Bharat Eyeview (1986)
- The Women's Question (1986),
- Answering Before God (1994)