A band called by the Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Kisan Sangha and various farmer organizations in Bailhongal on Tuesday proved successful, with traders voluntarily closing shops to support the farmers’ demand for a fixed price of ₹5,500 per tonne for sugarcane. The main commercial areas and bazaar roads remained deserted, and the bus stand stood empty as the Transport Department halted bus services, disrupting daily life in the region.
Farmers have been conducting an indefinite dharna satyagraha at Channamma Varta for the past 20 days to secure their demands, but leaders expressed anger that the government has not taken any decisive action to provide relief. Speaking in support of the movement, Prabhuneelakantha Swamiji of Murthihalli Math stated that the farmers’ demands are just and that the math will always stand as their backbone. He urged the government and sugar factory owners to wake up and fulfill the farmers’ demands to ensure they receive a fair price, warning that if the government ignores the struggle, the form of the protest will become more intense in the coming days. He cautioned that if the farmers’ words are not valued, not only highways but also the Vidhan Soudha could be brought to a standstill one day, while wishing success to the farmers’ struggle.
Former MLA Dr. Vishwanath Patil criticized the state government for playing games with farmers, calling it a source of shame that those who feed the nation are forced to take to the streets for their just demands. He noted that crops are drying up due to inadequate rainfall, and despite farmers taking loans to grow sugarcane, they are not receiving adequate returns. With agricultural costs rising daily and the farmers’ financial condition becoming worrying, Patil stated that it is the government’s duty to respond to their distress. He warned that if the farmers’ just demands are not met promptly, intense protests will be organized in the future.
The event was attended by farmer leaders Basappa Kumbhar, Suresh Wali, Siddhu Kanaburagi, Shankareppa Yadalli, Appasaheb Lakundi, Madivalappa Hotti, Nagaraj Gundloor, Madivalappa Hosmani, Babusaab Sutagatti, Anandagouda Patil, B.B. Ganachari, Dayananda Chikkamath, and Raghuvanshi Sheegihalli, along with other leaders, workers, and farmers. Suresh Wali, a farmer leader, stated that the government must respond to the farmers’ just struggle, otherwise the continuous protest will continue.
