Firebrand. Controversial. Unapologetic. Fearless... You can love him, you can hate him. But you cannot ignore him. Not one to mince words, he calls spade a spade, plain and simple! Provoking reactions with his statements, he is the fearless voice that advocates relentlessly for the farmers; unruly and confrontational are the two terms that he attracts with each action. There are over 350 cases registered against him - most arising out of protest, agitations, and conflicts with authority. Each chargesheet tells a story of resistance.

 

He doesn’t hesitate to state that if standing with farmers is a crime, he will commit it again - and again, and yet again! When it comes to choosing between what is right and what is wrong - he will side with what he believes is his moral responsibility. At The Hitavada’s The People’s Mic, Omprakash Kadu, better known as Bacchu Kadu across Maharashtra, spoke with raw honesty in a no-holds-barred conversation with Vikas Vaidya, Principal Correspondent, The Hitavada, laying bare his anguish, anger, and unwavering resolve to fight for Maharashtra’s farmers. During the interaction, Kadu recalls many moments when he crossed lines - knowingly so. “My political journey is punctuated with incidents where I have broken rules. But these were acts of necessity.” When he blocked roads or occupied spaces he did it all to draw attention to the plight of farmers, to force those in-charge to negotiate for the farmers demands.

 

On being asked where this fearless streak comes from, he credits his mother for the values that she imparted and he imbibed. “She raised me on stories of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he said. “She told me never to hesitate when it comes to the nation or its people - even if it means giving up your life.” In his youth, that idealism pushed him toward the defence forces. He wanted to serve in uniform, to fulfill his mother’s dream. But destiny intervened; he failed the physical test. “The army’s loss became politics’ gain,” he remarks with a faint smile. Kadu’s brand of activism is drawing attention by holding rallies. And the issues always revolve around demanding loan waivers, fair prices, and dignity for the farmer, who, he feels, have always got a raw deal. Standing against granting loan waivers to farmers in 2017, he did an about turn a few years later and demanded that the government take up this issue on a priority basis. “The reason being that the government in power (whichever it might be) do not raise a finger to help the farmers. Before coming to power, the farmers issue forms one of the main agenda, which by the way is completely forgotten once they sit on the high chairs,” says the firebrand leader. Kadu, founder of Prahar Janshakti, has seen the predicament of farmers from close quarters, as he was raised in a region where crop failures, mounting debts, broken promises were not abstract issues but daily realities. Politics, thus became a natural choice, for if he was in the right position, he thought that he would be able to help the farmers. Unfortunately, he had to jump base from one party to the other, hoping that his voice will be heard. But when things didn’t work, he formed his own party - Prahar Janshakti.

 

He smiles as he narrates how cinema played its part in shaping his political persona. “I had watched Nana Patekar’s Prahaar, and I was hugely impressed by his character. ‘Prahaar’ is a strike meant to jolt one out of his senses, the symbolism was apt, and I named my party Prahar Janshakti,” he shares And to jolt the authorities he has tried - sometimes through speeches, sometimes through protests, and often through sheer confrontation. One of the most poignant moment of the conversation was when Bacchu Kadu spoke about farmer suicides. Maharashtra, he pointed out, records one of the highest numbers of farmer suicides in the country - and within Maharashtra, Vidarbha bears the heaviest burden. Calling out the CM, who hails from Vidarbha, he is all fire when he asks, “In all the time that he has been at the helm as CM, has he once spoken about oranges? Or soybean, or cotton or tur dal? These could be wealth generating crops of Vidarbha. But where is the long-term vision for the farmer?” Vidarbha, he opines, is bleeding, and the region hasn’t got its due.

 

“What about Mihan?”, he questions in a hardened tone. “Why do people go from Nagpur to Pune for better work opportunities? Have you ever seen people coming from Pune to Nagpur for seeking employment, for setting up businesses?” Even though he enjoys a cordial relationship with CM Devendra Fadnavis, Kadu does not hesitate to question him openly as to why Vidarbha lags behind in all aspects compared to the western part of the State. However, there is a softer side to Kadu, not known to many. Beyond all these aggressive protests, Kadu is very compassionate. Away from cameras, he has been instrumental in forming organisations that support poor and marginalised families - especially children. From helping with education expenses to supporting marriages of underprivileged girls, his initiatives aim to plug gaps where the system falls short. For Kadu, activism is incomplete if it does not translate into tangible help. “A movement must change lives, not just headlines,” he insists. Bacchu Kadu is not a comfortable leader. He does not speak the language of diplomacy.

 

He does not wait for appointments. He does not dilute his words. But in a region scarred by agrarian distress and forgotten promises, his discomfort becomes his strength. He forces conversations, forcing those in power to think about the troubles of the not so privileged. “It’s sad, but today each significant issue takes into account either caste or religion. Work and economic condition should be the two criteria that should be considered before doling out aid, but unfortunately that is not so.” He rues the fact that caste and religion overshadow the way we look at and tackle important issues. Bacchu Kadu remains a voice that refuses to be muted - a leader forged in struggle, fuelled by conviction, and unwavering in his belief that the farmer deserves more than sympathy. He deserves justice. All this and more only on The Hitavada’s YouTube channel @TheHitavada1911. n