A day after sugarcane farmer Satyapal Singh killed himself in Bastauli village in Uttar Pradeshs Lakhimpur Kheri,around 200 villagers stormed into Balrampur Sugar Mills Buleria unit,protesting against the non-payment of cane arrears.The farmers,who said they intended to cremate Singhs body at the mill gates,vandalized the factory compound,looted the canteen and beat up the mills chief security officer.
The farmers smashed things and injured officials.We had to use a water hydrant to disperse the crowds until police came, said Buleria units chief administrative officer Sudhir Mishra.
Mishra said all dues for Satyapal Singh were cleared on April 19,2013.Singhs family accepted that the mill didint owe them money.They,however,pointed out that in his suicide note,Satyapal said he was heavily indebted and had suffered a spinal injury.He wrote he was hanging himself because he couldnt repay dues of around Rs 2 lakh to banks and cane cooperatives.Mill officials alleged that in light of the deadlock between the government and sugar mills,Congress was trying to politicize the issue.
However,Singhs suicide has become a symbol of the industry-government war in which farmers have said they are worst hit.
With sugar mills holding back crushing,farmers are facing the twin threat of losing input costs on crop and also incurring heavy losses because of delay in sowing wheat,which begins by December 1 every year.