Indian Farmer Protests

By: Lasya Kambhampati

Although the work of farmers often goes unrecognized, their struggles have recently come into the spotlight due to widespread protests in India that have dominated worldwide news. 

Farmers from all over India have spent hundreds of hours traveling to Delhi to deliver their grievances to the Indian government in the single largest protest in world history. Reportedly, an estimated 250 million people marched in solidarity at the protest’s peak. 

The farmers have overcome numerous challenges throughout their journey — pulling down concrete police barriers, facing tear gas and water cannons, and surviving endless cold nights. And just this week, the government blocked Internet access in several districts bordering New Delhi in response to the protests. 

Why are the farmers protesting? 

There are over 140 million farmers in India who make up 40% of India’s workforce, according to journalist Vasudevan Sridharan. In September of 2020, the Modi Administration passed two laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce and the Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act — and an amendment to the Essential Commodities Act. Although Modi claims this legislation is aimed at modernizing agriculture, farmers argue that the laws will negatively impact their lives. 

One of the biggest issues is the elimination of minimum price caps. In the past, the government has guaranteed prices for certain crops, which allows farmers to have a dependable income. Farmers would sell their crops at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee in their respective states with prices being capped for certain goods or set at a minimum for other crops. This enables farmers to make investments for the coming years. 

The new laws would eliminate this system, allowing farmers to sell directly to buyers, including large corporations. Although it will supposedly allow farmers to access bigger markets, critics say the legislation removes protections for farmers, giving major corporations the opportunity to take advantage of farmers and sell their crops for extremely low prices. Experts and farmers argue that this exploitation by private companies will push small farms under. In addition, farmers’ unions say no farmers were consulted during the drafting of the bill, which shows a lack of consideration for farmers’ interests.  According to an Al Jazeera article from December 2020, at least 30 unions have been actively protesting the new legislation.

Consequences

In order to protest the unfair laws, farmers have found ways to express their frustration. Some have chosen to burn their fields in order to show their resentment. Experts argue that this has contributed to the pollution that has plagued India’s air for the past couple of years. They worry that the peak production levels during the pandemic coupled with the excessive burning will have long-lasting effects on the climate. 

Additionally, throughout the early weeks of December, farmers have poured into New Delhi in an attempt to force a meeting with the government. In the farmers’ protest and others, the government has responded with violence and has been accused of human rights abuses. In February of 2020, protests erupted against a new citizenship law and police responded by brutally detaining and torturing protesters. During the recent protests, police used tear gas and water cannons on peaceful protestors, leading to outrage from world leaders. 

The massive spotlight on farmers’ issues may have contributed to the government agreeing to resume talks with the farmers. Although it is unlikely they will repeal the laws, the government could write minimum prices into law. Another reason the government has agreed to resume talks is that farmers make up a large part of the voting block, and are instrumental within Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Without the support of the farmers, they could lose their political power.