From August 2020 to the present day, millions of farmers in India have been protesting three farm acts which were passed by the Parliament of India. These laws, often called the Farm Bills, have been described by many farmer unions as pro-corporate and anti-farmer laws, thus demanding that the laws be repealed. The protests began most notably in Punjab–often described as India’s bread-basket because of the Green Revolution, as well as the heart of India’s Sikh community– but soon expanded, as protestors can now be seen camping out in their tractors at various border points to the capital of Delhi.
Indian farmers taking part in a tractor rally in New Delhi on Tuesday against the central government’s new agricultural laws. Credit: Money Sharma/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
These new laws deregulate agriculture, which directly employs more than half the country’s 1.3 billion population. The majority of India’s farmers own fewer than three acres of land. For decades, they have sold their produce in their home states in government-organized markets called mandis, which guaranteed minimum prices for multiple key commodities. The new farm bills take a deregulated, free market approach, mentioning nothing about minimum support prices. With the removal of state protections (which were already deemed insufficient by farmers) farmers can now sell to anyone anywhere. However, small holders are skeptical about the new bills because many farmers do not have the ability to take their crops to a different state or country; and believe that these acts are ultimately designed to benefit large corporations and further disadvantage farmers.
The bills were introduced and passed without extensive debate in Parliament by the Hindu nationalist government. India’s agricultural sector has been in crisis for the past 40 years caused by government neglect and lack of state investment in infrastructure, and compounded by the effects of climate change. The incomes of farmers have either stagnated or declined in this period, leading to many farmers committing suicide because of debt.
The farmers’ protests have been met with police violence, and farmers claim that the violence was stoked by the government in an effort to derail their months of peaceful protesting.
Many international public figures, such as Meena Harris (author, activist, and VP Kamala Harris’ niece), Greta Thunberg, and Rihanna, have voiced their support for the farmers’ protest. In addition to the protests, Harris in particular has been vocal about calling for the release of Navdeep Kaur–also known as Nodeep Kaur–a Dalit activist who was jailed after a demonstration on January 12th. Kaur has so far been denied bail twice and has been sexually assaulted and tortured by Delhi police and other custodial staff. Some high profile supporters of India’s current prime minister (Narendra Modi), Bollywood celebrities, and sports stars have criticized interventions of international public figures and international human rights groups, claiming that this is an internal matter.
In addition to the masses of social media trolls and hate comments the three public figures have encountered, right-wing counter-protestors are seen in New Delhi burning photos of Harris, Thunberg, and Rihanna, demonstrating their anger and disapproval.
Canadian poet and author, Rupi Kaur, soon commented on the situation that “misogyny and rightwing regimes go hand in hand,” and implored people to bring international attention to Modi’s harmful farm laws.
Despite the counter-protests and hatred, Harris and Thunberg have confidently reiterated their support for human rights in India. They continue to voice their activism and support, in addition to drawing attention to other social tensions in India beyond the agricultural sector.
The protests are still ongoing in India. Will the farmers of India, a largely rural nation, have their demands met to repeal the three laws?
Update: Nodeep Kaur has been released on bail as of February 26th.
