Opponents of Chaudhary Lakshmi Narayan—the Minister for Sugarcane Development and Sugar Mills—have further fueled the ongoing sit-in protest demanding the reopening of the Chhata Sugar Mill. The protest is now drawing participants who belong to other political parties or are otherwise opposed to Chaudhary Lakshmi Narayan. The number of women participating in the protest has also increased compared to earlier.
The movement for the sugar mill, which began on August 13, is gaining significant momentum. Fifteen days ago, the government’s cabinet approved the installation of an ethanol plant at the sugar mill site.
We want a sugar mill, not an ethanol plant
The plan involves setting up an ethanol plant first, followed by the expansion to include the sugar mill—a process expected to take about two years. However, the protesters insist that they want a sugar mill, not an ethanol plant. On the night of September 21, the police forcibly removed the protesters from the site. A case was registered against four named individuals and 150 unidentified persons for making derogatory remarks against the Sugarcane Development Minister and the Valmiki community at the protest site. Yet, the very next day, villagers returned to the site. SP and Congress leaders are now joining the protest.
The number of protesters has risen. Leaders from the SP and Congress are also joining the agitation. Meanwhile, the movement has begun to receive backing from the political rivals of Chaudhary Lakshmi Narayan, who is the MLA for this constituency; consequently, supporters of these rivals are joining the protest in large numbers. Female participation has also increased. Saturday marked the 44th day of the protest. Lalit Karmayogi, a retired Army Subedar leading the movement, states, “We want a sugar mill; we have no need for an ethanol plant.”
