Farmers in Ghataprabha, Gokak district, staged a sit-in protest at Mrityunjaya Chowk on Thursday to demand the implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugarcane and the fulfillment of various other demands. The demonstrators blocked traffic on the Sanekeshwar-Naragund State Highway, which passes through the roundabout, to voice their grievances.
Basavaraj Swamiji of Kaparatti addressed the protesters, criticizing the government for playing with farmers’ livelihoods. He stated that while the prices of consumer goods in shops rise multiple times a year, there is still no effective mechanism to fix fair prices for the crops farmers grow. Swamiji highlighted that the costs of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides have skyrocketed, and despite the current drought causing crop failure, the government shows no concern for the agricultural community. He emphasized that politics exists for farmers, not the other way around, and accused politicians of exploiting the sector daily.
Several other leaders also addressed the gathering, including Virupaksha Swamiji of Hosamath, Ramesh Tukkanatti, Kempanna Chaukashi, Kalmesh Gokak, Shiva Iligeer, Manjunath Jelli, Kadesh Thaliyegere, Puttu Khanapure, Rehman Mokashi, Mallikarjun Murakumbi, Shivaling Kotbagi, Ravi Navi, Advocate Gangadhar Badkundri, Kallappa Kavadavar, Doddabasannavar, Prakash Dange, and Kumar Hukkeri. The protest received support from a coalition of Kannada-oriented organizations, Dalit organizations, and local citizens.
