Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne has threatened to launch a “Tamil Nadu-type agitation” if the ban on bullock cart races is not lifted. Barne was addressing a large crowd of bullock owners who took part in a morcha at the tehsil office in Wadgaon Maval on October 18.
Barne said bullock cart races are not just a traditional sport but are about the self-respect and sentiments of farmers. ‘’Therefore, if the government does not take a positive decision to restart these races, the Shiv Sena will be forced to a start a Tamil Nadu-type agitation in Maharashtra,’’ he said.
The morcha was organized by the Maval Taluka Bailgada Sanghatna. Farmers carried banners to protest against organizations like PETA and Pranimitra. Stating that police should not harass bullock cart owners because of the ban, Barne warned that if the government failed to consider the sentiments of farmers, it will have to face massive a jan andolan.
BJP MLA Bala Bhegde said a meeting has been convened with the Revenue Minister and the Agriculture Minister to discuss the issue. ‘’Besides, a delegation will meet the Chief Minister and urge him to appoint an expert lawyer on behalf of the state government to fight the case for lifting of the ban,’’ he said
India Tribune, as an English weekly newspaper, was launched in 1977 in Chicago by its publisher Prashant Shah with a lofty ideal to serve the Asian Indian community in the USA. Over the years, it has grown with all vigor, and now it is being published in three editions – Chicago, New York and Atlanta. India Tribune, a journal of its kind for the family in the USA, has been a household name for many Indians for over three decades with each issue commanding a readership of over 125,000.
