In 2020, Indian farmers launched a massive protest against the government’s move to introduce controversial agricultural reforms. Thousands camped at the borders of the capital, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws. The protests continued for over a year, eventually leading to the government’s decision to repeal the laws in 2021.
However, in 2024, farmers are back on the streets, demanding the following:
1.Guaranteed prices for their crops
2.Pensions and debt waivers
3.Penalties for those selling fake seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers
4.Increase in the workdays under the rural employment guarantee scheme
5.Withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and scrapping of free trade agreements
The current protest is different from the 2020-21 protest in several ways:
1.The current protest is led by a different set of farmer unions, with some of the prominent leaders from the 2020-21 protest not actively participating.
2.The government has taken preemptive measures, such as blocking roads to Delhi and imposing Section 144 in Delhi, to prevent the farmers from reaching the capital.
3.The farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, which propose a minimum support price for all crops.
The farmers’ protest is significant because they form a crucial voting bloc in India, and their demands could impact the upcoming general elections. The government has held two rounds of talks with the farmer leaders, but the talks have not yielded results. The farmers’ march has brought back memories of the chaos that prevailed in India’s capital during their first protest, and it remains to be seen whether the government will address the farmers’ demands.