The tussle for higher cane purchase price in Maharashtra turned ugly on Wednesday after angry farmers took over the state's highways, vandalising buses, pelting stones and torching several vehicles.
The farmers resorted to violence after a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a delegation from the state led by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan failed to arrive at any solution on the cane price issue. State co-operation minister Harshavardhan Patil suggested the formation of a coordinating committee to look into the issue.
The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by Kolhapur MP Raju Shetty, has issued an ultimatum to the state government for its failure to declare better prices for the crop and have decided to go for a 48-hour bandh in the cane growing regions of the state.
Shetty's party has alleged that because most of the sugar factories in the state are run by politicians from the Congress, NCP and the BJP, they are depriving farmers of their rights.
His Sanghatana has demanded Rs 3,000 a tonne as the first cane advance.
The protest's ground zero is Karad, the CM's hometown. Shetty first met the CM in Karad on Sunday, where Chavan invited him for a meeting with the PM on Tuesday. Shetty addressed the farmers' gathering in Karad on Wednesday and informed them about the delay in fixing the sugarcane purchase rate and called for a bandh. He said if the committee led by Pawar fails to come up with a solution the agitation will intensify.
Sadabhau Khot, state unit president, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, pointed out that if the Karnataka government was sympathetic towards the cause of the farmers, the government of Maharashtra should also adopt a similar attitude.
The issue came up in Karnataka with a sugarcane farmer committing suicide while protesting against non-payment of arrears by a sugar mill. Hours later, chief minister K Siddaramaiah announced higher price for sugarcane of Rs 2660 a tonne. Khot said the Sanghatana has been advising farmers to agitate peacefully and attempts were being made to defame the organisation. Last year, a similar agitation by sugarcane farmers had led to violent protests in western Maharashtra and Marathwada regions. The factories have claimed they are unable to give high prices to farmers as the price of sugar, which was around Rs3,300-3,400 per tonne in the open market last year, dipped to about Rs 2,600-2,650. Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, chairman, Maharashtra State Sugar Cooperative Factories Federation, said it would be better to wait for the report of the committee appointed by the PM before taking any future decision.