Who is carrying out the protests?
Hundreds of thousands of farmers, most of them Sikhs and from the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, protested the introduction, last September, of a series of agricultural laws.
The farmers started their protests in their own states, but in late November they marched or drove their tractors to the outskirts of Delhi. Here they set up three extensive protest camps, in the areas of Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri. Farmers built tents and houses on their trailers, set up kitchens, shops and libraries and vowed not to move until agricultural laws were repealed. Farmers, led by well-organized unions, also said they would expand protests across the country and planned a series of rallies across the country in the coming weeks.
Because They oppose the laws?
The measures introduced by the central government are some of the most far-reaching changes in agriculture since the 1990s, particularly with regard to how crops can be sold on the market. Agriculture employs more than 50% of India’s workforce. Many feel that the sector needs revision and modernization, in particular 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 killed themselves.
The government argues that the laws are a necessary step towards modernizing agriculture, allowing farmers to sell crops to private companies, rather than just to state-controlled markets, where some prices are largely subsidized by taxpayers. However, farmers say the laws will leave them at the mercy of corporations, by removing the safety net from guaranteed prices for certain crops, and leaving them at greater risk of losing their land. They also opposed the laws being introduced without consultation, accusing the government of pushing the changes down its throat.
What has been government response?
Farmers forced the government to sit at the negotiating table, but 11 rounds of discussions came to nothing. In recent weeks, the government has taken an increasingly draconian approach to the protests and their reports. At least 10 cases of sedition were brought against journalists and politicians by tweets related to the protests, and riot police and paramilitary forces invaded the farmers’ fields, blocking them. Mobile internet access in the camps was suspended for several days. In parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the protesters of being infiltrated by agitators who were not dedicated to the cause and were just trying to cause problems.
The government also responded strongly to the foreign spotlight on the protests. After tweets by singer Rihanna and Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg caught the attention of farmers, the foreign ministry issued a statement condemning celebrities who were “rushing to comment on these issues” without “an adequate understanding of the issues”.
What will happen now?
The supreme court suspended implementation of the laws for 18 months, but the farmers said it was not enough and they would accept only the total repeal. However, Modi’s reputation as a strong man means that he is unlikely to yield to his demands, and instead he can wait and try to wear down the protesters through a combination of friction and “divide to conquer” tactics.