Belagavi: The indefinite strike by sugarcane farmers at Gurlapur Cross on the Nippani–Mudhol State Highway entered its fourth day on Sunday, drawing massive public support across the region.
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Thousands of farmers are demanding a fair sugarcane price of ₹3,500 per tonne. The protest site has turned into a hub of solidarity, with contributions from pro-Kannada and Dalit organizations, local traders, religious leaders, and students. Citizens have stepped up to provide essentials—groceries, vegetables, and even meals. Supporters from Belagavi and Bagalkot districts sent over three lakh rotis to sustain the protesters.
Traffic on the highway continues to be disrupted as similar demonstrations spread to Gokak, Hukkeri, Belagavi, Chikkodi, and Raibag taluks. Farmers have warned of escalating the agitation by blocking the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway if their demands are not met.
Despite the protest’s scale, no government official or sugar factory representative has visited the site so far. Sources indicate that strong criticism from the protesters against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, district in-charge minister Satish Jarkiholi, and KLES chairman Prabhakar Kore may have deterred visits.
Kudachi MLA Mahendra Tammannavar visited the protest site and contributed ₹50,000 to the movement, while Rajya Sabha MP Iranna Kadadi and MP Jagadish Shettar extended their support.
Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha president Chunappa Pujari warned that continued government inaction could lead to unrest. “If the government ignores farmers’ pleas, no sugar factory will be allowed to operate until the rate is fixed,” he cautioned.
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