Sugarcane farmers launch ‘jail bharo’ movement in Karnataka, police detain leaders
Belagavi (Karnataka): Sugarcane farmers launched a ‘jail bharo’ movement in Karnataka on Thursday, demanding a Rs 1,000 per tonne subsidy from the state government, with police detaining prominent farmer leaders and stopping their protest rally on the outskirts of Belagavi in North Karnataka.
They are demanding that sugar factories should pay Rs 4,500 per tonne and the state government should provide an additional Rs 1,000, taking the total procurement price to Rs 5,500 per tonne. They are also demanding that the Central government increase the Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar from the existing Rs 31 to Rs 60 per kg.
Police intercepted the protesting farmers near Mukti Mutt on the outskirts of Belagavi city, leading to heated arguments between the farmers and police personnel.
Farmer leader Choonappa Poojari, who was leading the protest march, was taken into custody at Gurlapura near Belagavi. Shashikanth Guruji, another prominent leader associated with the protest, was also detained by the police.
Speaking while being taken away in a police bus, Poojari said he was prepared to go to jail but insisted that the state government must provide a Rs 1,000 subsidy per tonne of sugarcane to farmers.
“It is okay if I am jailed, but farmers should get the Rs 1,000 subsidy from the government. There will be a Karnataka bandh. No sugar factory will be able to operate. They can operate only after the agreement is implemented,” he said.
Poojari demanded that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announce the Rs 1,000 per tonne subsidy in the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
He warned that farmers would continue their agitation and resort to road blockades wherever authorities attempted to stop their movement.
“We will not be scared away. Sugar factory owners must publicly declare that they have agreed to pay Rs 3,600 per tonne of sugarcane. Until the government announces the Rs 1,000 subsidy, we demand that the authorities keep us in jail,” Poojari said.
The detention of the farmer leaders has added to the tension surrounding the ongoing agitation by sugarcane growers, who are pressing the state government and sugar mill owners to meet their demands over the price paid for sugarcane.
The state government is expected to discuss the issue of sugarcane growers in today’s cabinet meeting.
It can be recalled that sugarcane farmers in Karnataka’s Belagavi district had set a fresh deadline for the government to announce a remunerative price for sugarcane, warning that they would intensify their jail bharo agitation and launch a massive protest if their demands are not fulfilled.
Two rounds of meetings were held on Tuesday by Public Works Department Minister and Belagavi District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi failed to break the deadlock between sugar factory owners and farmers. Considering the seriousness of the situation and the growing unrest, Jarkiholi is holding another round of discussions with sugar factory owners on Wednesday.
The protests have also been staged in Mysuru, Mandya, Haveri and other districts.
It can be noted that the sugarcane agitation has been intensifying over the past several weeks, with farmers organising padayatras, highway blockades, protest marches and statewide demonstrations.
Apart from the immediate demand for Rs 5,500 per tonne, farmer organisations have also been demanding an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of sugar from Rs 31 to Rs 60 per kg from the Centre, a revision of the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), timely payment within 14 days, separate prices for domestic and commercial sugar, changes in cane-based ethanol procurement and pricing and a comprehensive sugar policy.
In mid-October Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent intervention to address the demands of sugarcane farmers and urged the Centre to take early decisions on their key demands.
Earlier, farmers had blocked the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway for more than 30 hours, demanding a higher price for their produce. A subsequent meeting on October 26 at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, involving the government, sugar factory owners and farmer representatives, also failed to resolve the issue.
During the October 26 discussions, the government had urged sugar factories to provide an additional Rs 250 per tonne to farmers, but several factories had reportedly not implemented the proposal.
As part of their ‘jail bharo’ programme, farmers have already staged demonstrations wearing T-shirts carrying the slogan ‘Prisoner Number 5,500’, indicative of their demand for the price of sugarcane per tonne and marched towards Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi. Farmer organisations are now planning a massive convention in Bengaluru on November 6, followed by further mobilisation at the village level.
