Karnataka farmer suicide: Where Congress fears to tread, Deve Gowda and Yeddyurappa rush in

MYSURU: A day after 60 year-old Ningegowda turned his sugarcane field into a pyre and jumped into the flames, another farmer in distress, Shivalingegowda, 46, committed suicide in his farm in Siddegowdanahundi, a village in the home district of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, signalling major trouble for the state government ahead of the monsoon session of legislature commencing in Belagavi on Monday.

The news of the second suicide of a farmer in as many days, came just as JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda and BJP vice president B.S. Yeddyurappa slammed Mr Siddaramaiah for not rushing to the rescue of sugarcane farmers soon after visiting the kin of Ningegowda in Gaanadahosur, a village in Mandya district.

Later, Mr Gowda said that Mr Siddaramaiah should “beg, borrow or steal” to ensure that farmers receive their arrears from managements of sugar factories before Monday. “We are happy about his concern for the backward classes and appreciate it, but want to know which programme his government has announced for the cause of sugarcane farmers after a farmer by name Vittal Arabhavi committed suicide in Belagavi,” said Mr Gowda in a comment loaded with sarcasm.

Deve Gowda, Yeddyurappa storm Mandya, crisis brews

Several political bigwigs—from JD (S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda to BJP vice president B S Yeddyurappa and housing and district in-charge minister M H Ambareesh—made a beeline to offer condolences to the       kin of Ningegowda, a farmer who committed suicide at Gaanada Hosur, a village in Pandavapura taluk, Mandya district, on Friday.

Several legislators—N Chaluvanarayanswamy (Nagamangala), Ramesh Bandisiddegowda (Srirangapatna), Narayangowda (KR Pet), Narendraswamy (Malavalli) and D C Thammanna (Maddur) also visited the bereaved family. While Mr Deve Gowda gave an ex gratia of Rs one lakh to the family, Mr Yeddyurappa handed over Rs 25,000.

Mr Ambareesh told the media that he would submit a report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on whose directions he visited Gaanada Hosur to pay homage to Ningegowda. “We will not allow any injustice to any farmer. As Ningegowda’s son Heeregowda is physically challenged, we will ensure that he gets benefits from respective departments,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Deve Gowda slammed Mr Siddaramaiah saying he should accept responsibility for the death of farmers because he failed to ensure that sugar factories clear their dues. The Centre too, had failed to fix a fair and remunerative price for sugarcane. Therefore, sugarcane farmers were in distress  but they should fight for their arrears rather than  commit suicide, he added.

Mr Yeddyurappa charged the  government with neglecting the interests of farmers and demanded Mr Siddaramaiah to sanction Rs five lakhs as ex gratia to next of kin of farmers who died in recent days.

Shamanur shocker: Wrong to seize mill sugar stocks

Horticulture and APMC minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa has opposed the state government’s move to seize sugar manufactured by sugar factories which have not paid dues to sugarcane growers.  

He told reporters in Davangere on Friday that it is unfair to seize sugar factories that have defaulted in paying dues of sugarcane growers and to seize sugar produced by the factories. As a result, there is a possibility of sugar factory owners harassing the farmers further. The government will be held responsible for any increase in the number of sugarcane growers committing suicide, he opined.

The minister urged the state government to give time till September to sugar factories that have defaulted in paying pending dues to farmers. “Let the government take action against the sugar factories if they don’t pay pending dues after September”, advised the minister who is proprietor of Shamanur group of industries.