Overview
Hundreds of thousands of farmers have taken the journey from their small farms to the Indian capital, New Delhi, to protest against new agricultural laws alongside 250 million others. In India, 58% of the population, 812 million people, rely on agriculture to sustain their household. India is the world’s second largest producer of rice, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, and cotton. Over the past year, droughts, poor harvests, and increasing debt have been leading factors in the increase of suicide rates within farmers, with about 28 farmers committing suicide a day. As the pandemic gained traction India faced strict lockdowns which made this number only increase.
The Laws
Three new laws were recently passed by the Indian government which eliminate government involvement in the agricultural sector and instead introduce private corporations. The first law encourages farmers to engage with “processors, wholesalers, aggregators, large retailers, exporters, etc., on a level playing field” (pib.gov). The second makes room for private investment into food storage facilities so that farmers do not have to face a loss when a surplus is produced. The final law is meant to attract private corporations into the agricultural sector to create supply chains and support produce in the national and global markets.
In addition, since the Green Revolution in the 1960s the Indian government has been setting minimum prices for crops which has helped the country produce a surplus of food. With these new laws the government will still set a minimum price but as agriculture is handed to private corporations, farmers are afraid the government may pull out its support. They also ultimately fear the companies will buy their land out from under them and leave them with no means to support their families.
The Protests
The farmers began marching in their respective states as early as August but there has been no political response so hundreds of thousands have traveled to New Delhi over the past month to prompt change.
Protestors have faced tear gas, water cannons, and extreme violence from law enforcement. As a result of the widespread protests, the farmers union has begun negotiations with the government but a compromise is yet to be found.
Sources
Comments