The Congress government in Karnataka faces mounting anger from farmers as the sugarcane growers’ protest entered its eighth consecutive day, turning increasingly tense across the Belgaum region. Furious over government inaction and the failure to set a fair price for their crop, farmers at Gurlapura in Mudalagi taluk staged a mock funeral procession for Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil, symbolising the death of the state’s commitment to farmers’ welfare.
Hundreds of protesters carried effigies and symbolic biers of the minister through the protest site, chanting slogans against the Congress government’s “betrayal of farmers.” The protest, which began peacefully, took a dramatic turn as the agitated crowd threw slippers at the minister’s convoy, forcing the police to intervene.
The farmers, who have been staging a sit-in since last week, are demanding a remunerative price of Rs 3,500 per ton of sugarcane for the current crushing season. Despite repeated appeals, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has failed to announce any relief or firm decision.
For the past three days, Athani, Hukkeri, Sankeshwar, and Harogeri towns have remained completely shut, with bus services halted and road blockades paralysing movement. What began as a peaceful agitation is fast turning into a statewide farmers’ rebellion, exposing the growing disconnect between the Congress administration and the rural community that voted it to power.
Farmer leader Chunnappa Poojary gave an ultimatum to the government, demanding a decision by 8 p.m. Thursday, warning that the agitation would shift to the national highways if ignored.
“If our plea is not heard, we will block the Bengaluru-Pune highway. We are not asking for Rs 5,000 only Rs 3,500 per ton. The government earns Rs 4,500 in taxes per ton of cane. It should ensure that the factories pay us our due,” Poojary said.
In Athani, farmers took to the streets in a half-naked protest, symbolising the stripping away of their dignity under the Congress regime. They warned that if the government continued its indifference, the Belgaum Winter Session would not be allowed to proceed peacefully.
“If the government does not respond, we will lay siege to Suvarna Soudha,” declared farmer leader Mahadev Madiwala, reflecting the deep frustration among the agrarian community.
The agitation has now garnered broad support from various organisations, including student groups, religious leaders, lawyers, and members of the Karave community, transforming it into a mass movement against what they describe as “state-sponsored negligence.”
Adding weight to the farmers’ voice, Jagadguru Basava Jayamrutyunjaya Swamiji of the Panchamasali Samaj openly criticised the Congress government’s arrogance and urged it to act immediately.
“For eight days, our farmers are sleeping on the roads asking only Rs 3,500. Is this a big demand? The government should stop being stubborn,” the seer said while addressing the protesters at Gurlapura.
He further reminded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that power exists only because of farmers’ votes:
“Out of Rs 14,000 profit from a ton of sugarcane, farmers seek just Rs 3,500. If farmers perish, factories will perish. The government must protect those who feed the nation, not humiliate them.”
The seer endorsed former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s proposal to split the price burden, with Rs 3,300 from factories and Rs 200 from the government, as a practical solution.
