Farmers in Karnataka’s Belagavi, Bagalkot, Haveri and other districts went on strike again on Tuesday, blocking highways and demanding a fair price for sugarcane. The protest, which started six days ago, has grown stronger each day and now sees students, the BJP and farmer groups standing together.
The main question: how much should a quintal of sugarcane be paid? Farmers are calling for a minimum support price of ₹3,500, the same level used in Maharashtra. Many schools and colleges in Belagavi are closed, and the traffic jam on the Dharwad‑Athani and Belagavi‑Gokak roads has brought business to a halt.
The farmers say the state government has ignored their pleas. Leaders from the BJP, including state president B.Y. Vijayendra, joined the blockade in Gurlapura, Mudalgi taluk, and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to act fast. “Just six days of protests, and ministers still do nothing,” Vijayendra told reporters. “The CM has flown in, held a quick meeting, and left. The people on the ground need a real solution, not a brief visit.” He also hinted that there is a fight within the ruling Congress for the CM’s post.
In a statement, the JD(S) said the government has “bowed to sugar mill owners” and that the farmers’ crisis has worsened after floods. The party called on the Belagavi, Bagalkot and Haveri districts to see a genuine price guarantee.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara said he’s asked the Minister for Sugar, Shivanand Patil, to set a price. “If we don’t fix a fair price, the police will end up handling more unrest,” Parameshwara told the media. He also mentioned that a farmer tried to kill himself earlier this week after being denied a price and was saved by authorities.
Opposition leader R. Ashoka blasted the Congress government for being “anti‑farmer.” He posted that the blocked highways and protests had gone on for five‑six days, and some farmers had resorted to poison in desperation. Ashoka struck at the CM and his deputy, questioning where they could spend their time instead of meeting the demands of the people who grow the state’s food.
The farmers’ agitation is set to continue unless the Karnataka government announces a sugarcane price close to ₹3,500 per quintal. The outcome will decide whether the state can mend the growing frustration of its rural community and restore calm to its bustling town centers.
Source: ianslive
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