A sugarcane price protest by farmers from Mandya, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts disrupted traffic on the Bengaluru–Mysuru National Highway near Ganangur toll plaza in Srirangapatna taluk on Friday, with demonstrators demanding a price of ₹5,500 per tonne and a farm loan waiver.
The protest, organised by the Raitha Sangha and other farmer groups, was led by state unit president Badagalapura Nagendra. Thousands of farmers participated in the demonstration, which continued for about two hours and brought traffic on the highway to a standstill. Vehicles were diverted to the service road by police, but groups of protesters moved onto the service road and began stopping vehicles there as well.
The disruption led to vehicles queuing for several kilometres and caused significant difficulties for passengers using the intercity route. Police attempted to move the farmers away from the roadway. The protest repeatedly shifted back onto the road, resulting in pushing, jostling and verbal exchanges between the police and demonstrators for about an hour.
The farmers were demanding a higher price for sugarcane and a permanent solution to their concerns from both the state and central governments. Darshan Puttannaiah, a Congress-supported legislator who joined the protest, said the government should increase the price of sugarcane. Farmer leaders also raised concerns about agricultural debt and what they described as the absence of a lasting resolution, irrespective of which government was in power.
Nagendra submitted the farmers’ demands to N. Cheluvarayaswamy, the district in-charge minister and state minister for water resources. Cheluvarayaswamy told the protesters that a meeting of farmer representatives would be held in Belagavi on October 26, where Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar would take an appropriate decision on their demands.
The minister also said farmers needed to reach a decision on declining yields and promised to support their demand to end what he described as discrimination between north and south India by the central government. He further said a cabinet approval had already been granted for an increase in milk prices, which would take effect after the election code of conduct ended.
The farmers withdrew the protest following the minister’s assurances. Legislators Darshan Puttannaiah and Ramesh Bandisiddhegowda, Mandya Deputy Commissioner Kumar and Superintendent of Police V.J. Shobharani were present during the demonstration. The October 26 meeting in Belagavi is the next stated step in discussions over the sugarcane price and loan waiver demands.
