Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, BKU (Tikait), Bhupinder Hooda extend support to Haryana cane growers, stir from January 20

Ten years after they got the Congress government to increase the state advised price (SAP) for sugarcane, after halting crushing operations for 13 days, cane growers have decided to start a similiar stir from January 20. Their demand - SAP to be fixed at ₹450 a quintal.

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) has given a call to stop crushing operations at all 14 sugarmills, including three private ones, in the state from Friday.

BKU leaders had stopped harvesting from January 17 and announced that they will not be supplying sugarcane to the mills till their demands are met. Now, the farmer leaders are visiting villages to exhort cane growers to stage a strike at their respective mills.

The cane growers had gone on a similar agitation in 2013, when the Congress government was in power in the state. They had stopped crushing operations for 13 days, forcing the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led government to budge and announce a hike of ₹31 in SAP.

“Farmers will fight for their rights as government figures reveal that prices of pesticides, fuel and labour charges have increased,” said BKU (Charuni) leader Sanju Gundiana.

He said that Bhartiya Kisan Sangh and BKU (Tikait) have also extended their support to the protest, which will continue until the government accepts the farmers’ demand.

“We will launch this agitation jointly and get the government to accept our demands,” said Rattan Mann, Haryana BKU (Tikait) president. He cautioned farmers that the government may try to divide them but they should carry on unitedly.

Incidentally, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has also extended support to the cane growers.

In a statement issued after meeting cane growers, Hooda said, “During the nine-and-a-half years of Congress regime, sugarcane prices were increased by 165% by fixing it to ₹310 per quintal from ₹117, but during eight-and-a-half years of BJP regime, the SAP has witnessed only a 17% hike.”

Ajay Kumar, a cane grower from Indri of Karnal, said, “If the government does not increase the SAP, farmers will earn only ₹28,000 after a year’s work.”

The farmer leaders are also alleging that the sugarmills of the state are earning a huge profit as the government allowed the export of sugar and trimmed the GST rate from 18% to 5% on the ethanol supplied to refineries, while farmers are suffering losses.

Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal said shutting sugarmills is not a solution as the committee formed to consider the demand has already held a meeting and recommendation will be sent to the chief minister for final decision.