Save us from BJP MLAs: UP sugar millers write to CM Yogi Adityanath

The BJP leaders may call their workers as “most disciplined lot”, but ask the sugar millers of Uttar Pradesh and they will come out with incidents of persecution by BJP leaders which involve repeated cases of ‘unreasonable behaviour, unlawful demands and physical harm and threats against its workers’ involving ‘elected representatives of the ruling BJP’.

In a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on April 20, UP Sugar Millers Association (UPSMA) has said that there are repeated incidents of threats, man handling and other physical and mental harassment cases against our (association) member sugar factories. “What is of grave concern is that all these cases involve elected representatives of the ruling party,” the letter said.

The letter can be read below:

In his two-page letter the Secretary General of UPSMA said: “The offensive behaviour against bonafide factory staff and officers have left them demoralised and insecure and in most cases, the factory workers are threatening to quit or leave.”

The millers say that complaints are more profound in western Uttar Pradesh, particularly at factories at Seohara (Bijnore), Babhnan (Gonda) Dhampur (Bijnore)’ Bundki (Bijnore) and Nigohi (Shahjahanpur).

The letter said that falling sugar prices are causing great financial stress on the viability of industry.

“On one hand, the industry is having a disastrous season and workers’ morale is low, on the other hand, our own public representatives are resorting to such high handedness like physical assault of workers, abuses and threats and are exerting undue and uncalled for pressure for getting their unlawful demands fulfilled by the industry,” the letter stated.

It further said that this unreasonable behavior, unlawful demands and threats are against the basic tenets of the civil society and is gravely harming the reputation of the state of being ‘industry friendly’.

The UPSMA requested the Chief Minister to send a stern message to the ‘anti-social elements to not disturb industrial harmony’.

“If this continues who will work in UP? No industry will come”

In November last year, a ruling party MLA along with 40-odd cronies, entered the premises of a private sugar mill at Seohara in Bijnore and physically assaulted the mill staff.

Sugar mills across various states have been struggling to clear cane arrears which has been accentuated by the crash in sugar prices in recent months. The millers say it would be difficult for them to clear cane arrears if ruling party elected representatives and their supporters continue issuing threats to us.

“If this continues who will work in UP? No industry will come. The exercise of Chief Minister will go down the drain,”  a senior functionary told this reporter.

A UP Cane department official admitted that these incidents have been brought to official notice as well as the concerned minister and action has already been initiated against some people.