BELAGAVI: Sugarcane farmers protesting against the alleged anti-farmer policies of the Union and State governments staged a mock funeral procession of Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday as part of their ongoing Padayatra on the National Highway here to Hubballi.
The protest, organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene, entered its third day.
Led by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Chunnappa Pujari, the Padayatra, which began at Hattargi toll plaza on Thursday, passed through several villages and reached Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on Thursday evening, with hundreds of farmers raising slogans against the governments and demanding the fulfilment of their long-pending demands.
The Padayatra resumed on Friday morning at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, and the agitating farmers took another break for the day, halting at M K Hubli in the evening. The Padayatra is progressing along one side of the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway, with the protesters covering around 25 km daily.
The farmers are demanding that the price of sugarcane be fixed at Rs 5,500 per tonne, the minimum support price of sugar be raised to Rs 60 per kg, and crop prices be determined in accordance with the cost of production. They have also sought a State support price of Rs 1,000 per tonne of sugarcane, on the lines of Tamil Nadu.
Despite an appeal by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi to call off the agitation, the farmers have refused to relent, declaring that they will continue their protest until their demands are met. Police security has been strengthened along the route.
Farmer leader Shashikant Guruji joined the Yatra at Kolikopp and walked alongside other protesters on Friday.
A crucial meeting of the farmers' association leaders will be held on Saturday to chalk out the next phase of the agitation. The meeting is expected to decide the date to gherao Pralhad Joshi's residence.
Meanwhile, Shashikant Guruji announced that the farmers' agitation would also resume at the Gurlapur protest venue from Friday, signalling the continuation of parallel protests.
The farmers' leaders reiterated that the agitation would not be withdrawn until the government responds positively to their demand for remunerative sugarcane prices.
