In Belgaum, where 18 members are sent to the Assembly, politics is centered on influential families and their commercial interests.
The majority of prominent families in Belgaum, such as the Jarkiholis, Jolles, Savadis, Kores, Kattis, and now the Hebbalkars, either possess sugar mills or wield influence over cooperative organizations. This influence is often leveraged to acquire political power or undermine opponents.
Belgaum district boasts the highest number of sugar factories in the state, totaling 27, and collectively capable of crushing 1.55 lakh tonnes of sugarcane daily. Across Karnataka, there are 73 sugar factories with a combined crushing capacity of 4.33 lakh tonnes per day, many of which are under the ownership of politicians.
Sugar factories and cooperative institutions have a significant impact on shaping the local economy, particularly in rural regions. A prominent lawyer-activist from Athani mentioned that affluent families, irrespective of their political affiliations, consistently seek to leverage their network of factories to sway farmers’ votes in their favor or undermine their opponents.
According to current regulations, the state government permits the setup of a sugar factory approximately every 15 kilometers, effectively allowing for two factories within a 30-kilometer radius. This legislation indirectly empowers sugar factories to exert significant influence over farmers, agricultural workers, and local communities in the region, he explained.
A farmer activist from Savadatti said that sugar factories controlled by politicians frequently exert pressure on villagers to support these leaders or oppose their adversaries. He explained that if a village declines to comply, the leader might retaliate by instructing his factory, along with those belonging to his associates, to refrain from purchasing sugarcane from farmers in that particular village. Consequently, the farmers in the affected area would incur losses, leading to a downturn in the village’s economy.
A milk cooperative under the leadership of a politician might decline to collect milk from dairy farmers who do not comply with their directives. Similarly, cooperative banks managed by politicians could deny loans to residents of villages that do not support them in elections.
Kurubur Shantakumar, the president of the Sugarcane Farmers Association, informed that politicians from various parties are notorious for exploiting farmers through various means.
Shantakumar explained that these politicians, utilizing agents and sub-agents, arrange for sugarcane farmers to borrow money from them to cover the initial costs of planting and purchasing high-quality fertilizers. He emphasized that a sugarcane grower typically requires around Rs 1 lakh per acre. Consequently, farmers burdened with debt have no choice but to sell their produce to the factory owned by the influential leader.
