why are indian farmers protesting?

By Neeha Zaman, 2022

Published 03/19/21

The past few years have featured many notable protests, both in and out of the U.S., from those protesting police brutality to fights for stricter gun control. The largest protest in human history occurred as part of the farmer’s protest movement in India, which began forming in August 2020 and is still going on to this day. Why are the farmers protesting, and why does this matter?

For past decades, the Indian government had offered guaranteed (minimum) prices to farmers for certain crops. Farmers were required to sell crops at an auction at their state’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee, where prices were regulated, and restrictions were placed on who could buy crops. In September 2020, the Indian government dismantled this system through three laws which deregulated the process, allowing anyone to buy their crops at any price. Advocates of the law, such as India’s controversial Prime Minister Narendra Modi, say that the changes give farmers more freedom in who they sell to, and will modernize the agricultural sector as well as attract foreign investment. Indian farmers have opposed the laws, asserting that they will make it easier for large companies to exploit farmers by driving down prices. The mass protests started soon after the laws were passed.

Approximately 800 million Indians rely on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood, so the sheer number of people protesting is no surprise. Since November, tens of thousands of farmers have been camped outside of the country’s capital of New Delhi, and been unable to get any closer due to barricades erected by police. Thousands marched in from other cities, but were faced with water cannons and tear gas from police attempting to stop them from entering. Methods such as labor and hunger strikes have also been utilized to protest these laws. Demonstrations have surpassed 100,000 people at times, with their protests remaining largely peaceful. Over 100 farmers have died during the movement, with many more going missing or getting arrested. Particularly violent clashes occurred between police and protesters during a tractor parade on Republic Day in January. Following the events of this day, 16 opposition parties came out strongly against the actions of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP, the party in power, as using excessive force and being undemocratic in their response to protesters.

One of the most concerning aspects of these protests remains the government’s response to the largely peaceful movement, which has featured police brutality, authoritarian tactics, and human rights violations. The police have used tear gas and batons against peaceful protesters and the government has detained over 200 people, with multiple protesters still missing. Activists have been abused at the hands of the government, such as labor rights activist Nodeep Kaur, who was sexually assaulted during her detainment. Archaic sedition laws have been used to target activists as well, climate change activist Disha Ravi being arrested for editing a document with resources on how to spread awareness of the protests. The government has cut the internet multiple times, have closed metro stations, and cut access to clean water and food at protest sites. The government has also forced Twitter to permanently block hundreds of Twitter accounts criticizing the prime minister, and YouTube to remove any anti-national content. While some public figures such as Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau have spoken out against these actions, the Indian government has fought this, saying that negative comments are “an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs.”

The protests have been going on for over 100 days, and there is seemingly no end in sight. The union representing the farmers has been in talks with the government and they have made it clear that the farmers will settle for nothing other than the full repeal of the three laws that they find so abhorrent, while the government seems unwilling to do so. Regardless of what happens, the way that this conflict continues to unfold is sure to be noteworthy.