Farmers plan series of protests to push for increase in cane SAP

Tribune News Service

Karnal, January 23

Farmers under the banner of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU-Charuni) on Monday announced to intensify their agitation against the government over the non-fulfilment of their demand for a hike in the state advisory price (SAP) of sugarcane.

They announced a series of protests across the state, including a tractor march, burning “Holi” of sugarcane and also opposing the speech of Home Minister Amit Shah by removing their shirts.

TO HOLD TRACTOR MARCH TOMORROW

• Farmers will hold a tractor march on Wednesday with the
• effigy of the Chief Minister
• On the birth anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram on January 26, they will burn the ‘Holi of sugarcane’
• Farmers will block roads outside sugar mills for an indefinite time on January 27
• They will attend the rally of Home Minister Amit Shah on January 29 in Gohana and will show their resentment by removing their shirts during his speech

This was decided at a state-level meeting at Saini Dharamshala in Kurukshetra, which was chaired by BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni.

“Farmers will hold a tractor march on January 25 with the effigy of the CM from their sugar mills to the nearest city or town and later will burn the effigy at sugar mills,” said Charuni.

On the birth anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram on January 26, the farmers will burn the “Holi of sugarcane”. They will block roads outside sugar mills for an indefinite time on January 27 to press for their demand, he said.

“Farmers will attend the rally of the Home Minister Amit Shah on January 29 in Gohana in large numbers. They will show their resentment by removing their shirts during the speech of Shah. I appeal to the farming community to reach the rally in large numbers even in the vehicles of the BJP leaders,” said Charuni.

“We are demanding our rights, but the government is not giving us these,” he added.

As per the farmer leaders, they have been staging an indefinite dharna outside 13 sugar mills of the state since Friday to press for their demand of a hike in SAP to Rs 450 from the existing Rs 362 per quintal. They alleged that the government did not announce any hike and when the opposition leaders raised the issue in the Assembly session, CM Manohar Lal Khattar had announced to constitute a committee to decide the SAP. The farmers had a meeting with the committee on January 16, but when the Agriculture Minister did not come, the farmers announced to stop the harvesting of sugarcane from January 17 and also to lock mills from January 20.

“We are protesting outside mills and will continue our protest till the fulfilment of our demands,” said Charuni.

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