The protest in Nagpur led by politician Bacchu Kadu has captured national attention in just one day. Kadu’s dramatic move to block major entry roads into Nagpur—Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s home turf—over the demand for a complete farm loan waiver forced the state government to respond swiftly. Two junior ministers were dispatched for talks, while the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench took suo motu cognisance, directing Kadu and his supporters to clear the roads—an order they complied with late on Wednesday.
Yet, Kadu remains adamant that the Maharashtra government must grant a full loan waiver to farmers. On Thursday, the leader and his delegation will meet state officials again in Mumbai for the next round of negotiations.
Bacchu Kadu has long embodied the raw, grassroots face of Maharashtra’s politics. A product of Vidarbha’s soil, his career has been defined by unrelenting activism and fiery street politics. He founded the Prahar Janshakti Party in 1999 to champion causes ignored by mainstream players. From 2004 to 2019, he represented Achalpur in the legislative assembly for four consecutive terms. Though he lost the 2024 election to a BJP candidate, Kadu’s defiance and directness—confronting authority, leading agitations, and exposing rural distress—have ensured his enduring relevance.
Kadu’s politics is as much about symbolism as substance. His “Sholay”-style protest atop a water tank in 2006 spotlighted Vidarbha’s farmer suicides and forced the administration into action. Over the years, he has used hunger strikes, road blockades, and unconventional theatrics to give voice to the voiceless. Each protest—whether for farm loan waivers, disability rights, or rural healthcare—has drawn from genuine grassroots anger.
At present, Kadu’s “Maha Elgar Morcha” in Nagpur has mobilised thousands, demanding sweeping loan relief, effective implementation of welfare schemes, and better support for persons with disabilities. The Bombay High Court’s intervention to reopen public roads underscores both the scale and impact of his movement—a reminder that Maharashtra’s streets remain fertile ground for mass agitations.
Despite being seen as a perpetual outsider, Kadu has also worked within the establishment. As minister of state in Uddhav Thackeray’s 2019 cabinet, he pushed for a dedicated disability welfare ministry—the first such initiative in India. Later, during the 2022 political churn, he backed Eknath Shinde’s rebellion and briefly held a government post again. Whether in power or protest, Kadu has consistently prioritised social causes over political comfort.
Controversy, however, has never been far behind. His provocative remarks—from suggesting stray dogs be sent to Assam for meat to urging farmers to “kill MLAs, not themselves”—have triggered public outrage and legal heat. Still, his supporters argue that Kadu’s bluntness mirrors the anger of neglected communities. Away from headlines, his personal gestures, including selling property to buy ambulances, building homes for the poor, and staying accessible to voters, reinforce his image as a doer rather than a talker.
Many now compare him with Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange, but such parallels seem misplaced. When Jarange was still emerging, Kadu was already mobilising Vidarbha’s farmers and fighting systemic neglect. Jarange’s movement is community-centric; Kadu’s battles have always cut across castes and regions. He is not a product of identity politics, but of Maharashtra’s agrarian pain. And as the state braces for another round of negotiations, Bachchu Kadu once again stands at the intersection of rebellion and reform, reminding the establishment that the street still speaks louder than the Secretariat.
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