Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Thousands of sugarcane growers,agitating for a higher price for their crop,on Monday confined 200 employees at Sakhar Sankul,which houses the office of the Sugar Commissioner and other agricultural departments,for about nine hours.
About 150 men and 50 women,including many working in departments that have nothing to do with the Sugarcane Commissionerate,were caught in the five-storey building till 10:30 pm when the Sugar Commissioner gave a written assurance on behalf of the Cooperation Minister that a meeting would be arranged with the Chief Minister to discuss the issue.
The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna,a farmers association which enjoys considerable clout in western Maharashtra,took an impromptu decision to stretch its one-day protest till all their demands were fulfilled by the Sugar Commissionerate and the Cooperative Ministry. They wanted Rs 2,350 per tonne as first instalment of advances,against Rs 1,365,for the next sugarcane crop as well as clearing of all dues of the last two seasons. Addressing the crowd,the organisations founder-president Raju Shetty said,As was visible in Maval,this government is silencing farmers by unleashing violence on those peacefully demanding their rights.
He asked the protesters if they were ready to camp at the Commissionerate till their demand was met,to which he got overwhelming support. As employees of the Sankul started leaving at 5 pm,farmers,armed with whips,stopped them. Later,they locked the four exits of the building.
