Who supports the protests?
Hundreds of thousands of farmers, mostly Sikhs and from the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, protested the introduction of a series of agricultural laws in September last year.
Farmers began their protests in their own states, but in late November marched or drove their tractors to the outskirts of Delhi. Here they set up three large protest camps in the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri areas. Farmers built tents and houses in their tractor trailers, set up kitchens, shops and libraries, and vowed not to move until farm laws were repealed. The farmers, led by well-organized unions, also said they would expand the protests nationwide and planned a series of rallies across the country in the coming weeks.
Why they do stand up read?
The measures introduced by the central government are some of the most important changes in agriculture since the 1990s, especially in terms of how crops can be sold on the market. Agriculture employs over 50% of India’s workforce. Many believe that the sector needs to be overhauled and modernized, especially in order to adapt to the challenges of global warming. Indian farmers, 85% of whom own less than five acres of land, have long struggled with poverty and debt, and suicide rates are high. In 2019, almost 10,300 farmers committed suicide.
The government argues that the laws are a necessary step towards modernizing agriculture, allowing farmers to sell crops to private companies, rather than state-controlled markets, where some prices are largely subsidized by taxpayers. However, farmers say the laws will leave them within the reach of corporations by eliminating the safety net of guaranteed prices for certain crops and will leave them at a higher risk of losing their land. They also opposed the introduction of the laws without consultation, accusing the government of slamming the changes.
What was the government’s response?
Farmers forced the government to negotiate, but 11 rounds of talks went nowhere. In recent weeks, the government has taken an increasingly draconian approach to protests and those who report on it. At least 10 cases of sedition have been filed against journalists and politicians for tweets related to the protests, and police against riots and paramilitary forces have descended on farmers’ camps, barricading them. Mobile internet access in the camps was suspended for several days. In parliament, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, accused the protesters of being infiltrated by agitators who did not dedicate themselves to the cause and only tried to cause problems.
The government also responded strongly to foreign spotlight on the protests. After the tweets of singer Rihanna and Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg drew attention to farmers, the Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning celebrities who said they were “in a hurry to comment on such issues” without “a proper understanding of the issues. ”.
What will happen now?
The Supreme Court suspended the implementation of the laws for 18 months, but farmers said it was not enough and would only accept a complete repeal. However, Modi’s strong man’s reputation means that he is unlikely to bow to their demands and may instead wait for her and try to wear out the protesters through a combination of wear and tear and tactics. ” division and conquest ”.