By Devjyot Ghoshal
BHAINSWAL, India (Reuters) – Thousands of farmers in a politically important Indian state demonstrated on Friday in opposition to the new agricultural laws, signaling growing support for a months-long campaign to eliminate government reforms.
Furious at what they see as legislation that benefits private buyers at the expense of producers, tens of thousands of farmers camped outside the capital, New Delhi, for more than two months, calling for the removal of laws introduced in September.
Much of the initial support for the protests came from rice and wheat producers in northern India, particularly from the opposition-controlled state of Punjab.
But in a sign of a growing challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, more than 10,000 farmers from across the political and religious spectrum gathered on Friday in the state of Uttar Pradesh to show their support for the protests.
Ramkumar Choudhary, a local leader in the Bagpat district, told the crowd of Hindu and Muslim farmers in the village of Bhainswal that thousands more would go to Delhi, unless the government repealed the laws.
“Only 1% of people have left the villages so far. The day we send 50% of our people, there will be no place to move in Delhi, ”he said.
Devender Singh, a sugar cane producer who attended the rally, said the unrest was drawing wide support.
“100% of farmers in all communities are joining the protest,” he said, “farmers cannot survive”.
Hundreds of police, many armed and wearing riot gear, attended, but there were no problems.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest state and a critical battle state in the elections.
While Modi’s party has a comfortable majority in parliament, support for protests by politically influential cane producers in Uttar Pradesh will be a concern.
Farmers say the laws mean an end to long-standing support prices for their crops and leave them vulnerable to the whims of large buyers. They are demanding that laws be overturned.
The government says that reforming the inefficient agricultural sector will open up new opportunities for farmers and, while offering some concessions, has ruled out the withdrawal of the laws.
The protests were largely peaceful, but burst into turmoil on January 26, when some farmers clashed with police in New Delhi and one person was killed and hundreds injured.
Much to the government’s irritation, the protests increasingly attracted international scrutiny, with celebrities like pop star Rihanna and environmental activist Greta Thunberg announcing their support for farmers.
(Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal in Bhainswal; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Robert Birsel and Steve Orlofsky)