Belagavi Police Detain Over 100 Protesting Sugarcane Farmers

Police detained more than 100 sugarcane farmers in Belagavi during a planned prison-filling agitation on November 5. The detentions included prominent farmer representatives Chunappa Pujeri, Shashikant Padasalagi Guruji, and Prem Chougala. Officials picked up Mr. Pujeri and Mr. Chougala from the Mukti Math grounds located on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway. Meanwhile, police stopped Mr. Guruji and other protesters near Mudalagi while they were participating in a march.

Official Action

These police actions followed a legal restriction ordered by the local administration under section 163 of the BNSS. The order prohibited all forms of demonstrations near the National Highway, Hindalaga jail, and several other locations to stop the prison-filling campaign called by grower unions.

Underlying Dispute

Disagreements arose among growers regarding a proposed rate of 3,600 rupees per tonne offered by sugar mills to cane suppliers. This rate was set during a late-night discussion on November 3 involving grower representatives and mill delegates under the leadership of Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi, whose family runs a sugar mill. Although most grower representatives at the meeting accepted this price, they demanded that the Karnataka state government pay an additional 1,000 rupees per tonne as a state-advised price. When these representatives announced the outcome to reporters, other growers waiting outside protested, arguing that their delegates had compromised for a lower rate. Members from different groups in Kittur, Gokak, and Khanapur subsequently visited mills on November 4 to urge them to begin harvesting and transport work.

Background

Earlier, members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene blocked the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway on October 11 and started a march toward Hubballi three days later. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met the protesting growers in Kittur on October 17 and held two joint discussions at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on October 26, giving both sides a two-day deadline to reach an agreement. After that deadline passed without a settlement, growers resumed their march from Gurlapur to Belagavi, eventually calling for the prison-filling protest after talks failed.

Context

Sugarcane pricing disputes often trigger major agitations in agricultural regions of Karnataka, where growers frequently demand higher state-advised prices to cover their production expenses. State administrations regularly step in to mediate between grower unions and mill owners to prevent supply disruptions during the crushing season.