political

science
project

THE ONGOING
FARMERS PROTEST
IN INDIA
GAYATRI BAJAJ MANSI BARODIA RITU BAVISHI
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SIYA BHADRA HARDIK SANGHAVI

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 AN OVERVIEW
MANSI BARODIA GAYATRI BAJAJ HARDIK
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1.How this began 4. Why are the farmers 7. What can the
2.New farm laws protesting? government do to
3.What is MSP ? 5. Why are the farmers end the protests?
concerned? 8. Farmers solutions
6. Why is this apolitical
issiue?
RITU BAVISHI SIYA BHADRA
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9. Foreign response 11.Social media

curbs on the
to the protests
protest.
10. Republic day
12.Current status
violence
of the protest
 HOW THIS BEGAN
On November 25th after the sporadic protests against the new farm laws, including a nationwide road
blockade on November 3, farmers’ unions in Punjab and Haryana gave the call for a ‘Delhi Chalo’
movement. The Delhi Police, however, rejected their request to march to the capital city citing Covid-19
protocols.

The very next day the farmers started marching towards Delhi faced water cannons, tear gas as the
police tried to disperse them at Haryana’s Ambala district. Later, police allowed them to enter Delhi for
their peaceful protest at Nirankari ground in North-West Delhi. Then, home minister Amit Shah offered to
hold talks with them and told to vacate the place and move to the other protest site but the farmers had
rejected this offer.

First two round of talks were conducted on 3rd December 2020 and 5th December 2020 remained
inconclusive.

On 13th December, Bhartiya Kisan Union moved to the supreme court against the three farm laws and
the supreme court held that it may constitute a panel having representatives of the government and
farmer unions to end the deadlock over the controversial agriculture laws.
The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws on
12th January and decided to set up a four-member committee to make
recommendations on the legislations after listening to all stakeholders.

On republic day, thousands of protestors clashed with the police during the tractor
parade called by farmer unions on January 26, demanding a repeal of the laws.

After several protestors from Singhu and Ghazipur changed their route, they marched
towards Central Delhi’s ITO and Red Fort, where police resorted to teargas shelling and
lathi charge while some farmers vandalised public property and attacked police
personnel. At Red Fort, a section of protesters climbed poles and walls and hoisted the
Nishan Sahib flag. One protester died in the chaos.

On January 28, Tensions rose at Delhi’s Ghazipur border after the administration in
neighbouring UP’s Ghaziabad district issued orders for protesting farmers to vacate the
site by night. By evening, as police in anti-riot gear started spreading out at the site, the
protesters camped there and their leaders, including BKU’s Rakesh Tikait, said they
would not leave.

NEW FARM LAWS

1 2 BILL ON CONTRACT FARMING
BILL ON AGRICULTURE MARKET

b) The farmer (empowerment and protection) agreement of

a) Farmer’s produce trade and commerce (promotion
price assurance and farm services bill, 2020
and facilitation) Bill, 2020 • Farmers can enter into a contract with agribusiness firms,
• To create an ecosystem where farmers and traders processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for sale of
enjoy the freedom to sell and purchase farm produce future farming produce at a pre-agreed price.
outside the registered “mandis” under state APMCs. • Marginal and small farmers with land less than five hectares, to
• To promote barrier free inter state and intra state gain via aggregation and contract.
trade of farmers produce. • To transfer the risk of market unpredictability from farmers to
sponsers.
• To reduce marketing/ transportation costs and help
• To enable farmers to use modern technology.
farmers in getting better prices.
• Farmers can engage in direct marketing by eliminating the
• To provide a facilitative framework for electronic intermediaries.
trading. • Effective dispute resolution mechanism with redressal

timelines.

3 BILL RELATING TO COMMODITIES

c) The essential commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

To remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion and potatoes from
the list of essential commodities. It will do away with the imposition of
stockholding limits such items under “extra ordinary circumstances” like war.
•This provision would attract private sector into farm sector as it will remove
fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in business
operation.
To bring investment for farm infrastructure like cold storages and modernizing
food supply chain.
To help both farmers and consumers by bringing in price stability.
 WHAT IS MSP ?
The MSP is a minimum price guarantee that acts as a safety net or insurance for farmers when they sell
particular crops. The MSP is set by the central government for select crops, based on recommendations it
receives from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

The CACP is tasked with determining the MSP, which is somewhat based on a formula derived from the
Swaminathan Committee, which was a government-formed panel to resolve issues faced by farmers.

These crops are procured by government agencies at a promised price to farmers and the MSP cannot be
altered in any given situation. The concept of MSP, therefore, protects the farmers in the country in situations
where crop prices fall drastically. Wheat and rice are among the top crops that are procured by the
government at MSP from the country’s farmers.

A total of 22-23 crops are procured under MSP. Farmers are upset with the three farm bills because none of
them mentions anything about MSP. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government verbally
promised farmers that the MSP system will stay, farmers are finding it hard to trust the government.

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 WHY ARE THE FARMERS
PROTESTING ?

Hundreds of thousands of farmers, the majority of them Sikh and

from the northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, have been
protesting against the introduction last September of a series of
agricultural laws.

The farmers began 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 sprawling protest camps, in the areas of
Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri. The farmers built tents and homes in
their tractor trailers, set up kitchens, shops and libraries, and have
vowed not to move until the farm laws are repealed. The farmers,
who are led by well-organised unions, have also said they will expand
the protests nationwide and have planned a series of rallies across
the country in the coming weeks.
 WHY ARE THE FARMERS CONCERNED?
The protesters are challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi
over his efforts to reshape farming in India.

The demonstrators are demanding that Mr. Modi repeal

recent farming laws that would minimize the government’s
role in agriculture and open more space for private investors.

The government says the new laws would unshackle farmers

and private investment, bringing growth. But farmers are
skeptical, fearing that the removal of state protections that
they already consider insufficient would leave them at the
mercy of greedy corporations.

05
 And their main objection is to the opening up of agricultural
sales and marketing beyond regulated APMC mandis
(government-approved wholesale markets). This, they
believe, will kill the mandis and allow exploitative private
players to set the terms of purchase from farmers.

The weakening of the established mandi system could

further weaken the already floundering system of assured
procurement at MSP set by the government farmers argue,
since only two crops—wheat and rice—are procured at MSP
by government agencies (and 21 others for which the
government announces an MSP are not).

These changes will affect the small farmers the most

because their low output does not allow them any
bargaining power.

 Government support for farmers, which included guaranteed minimum prices for
certain essential crops, helped India move past the hunger crisis of the 1960s. But with
India liberalizing its economy in recent decades, Mr. Modi — who wants the country’s
economy to nearly double by 2024 — sees such a large role for the government as no
longer sustainable.

Farmers, however, contend that they are struggling even with the existing protections.
They say that market-friendly laws will eventually eliminate regulatory support and leave
them bereft, with the weakened economy offering little chance of a different livelihood.
 WHY IS THIS A POLITICAL ISSUE ?
This isn’t the first time that large protests have rocked India, the world’s largest democracy – but this time, it
poses a unique challenge for Modi.

Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India’s 1.3 billion residents, and farmers are
the biggest voter bloc in the country, making farming a central political issue. Angering the farmers could see
Modi lose a significant chunk of votes at the next general election in 2024.

Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have tried to win over farmers with a number of policy proposals in
recent years. In 2014, the BJP said all crop prices should be fixed at a minimum of 50% higher than
production costs. And in 2016, Modi set a target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022.

The government insists that the new laws are a good thing, since increasing market competition could boost
farmers’ income. Modi says the new laws could also open India’s agricultural industry to global markets, and
attract private investment.

“These reforms have not only served to unshackle our farmers but also given them new rights and
opportunities,” Modi said in November.
The Government Has Broadly Four Options:
WHAT CAN THE
GOVERNMENT DO TO
Scrap the farm laws, project Modi as a statesman-
END THE PROTESTS ?
This is a dramatic possibility but it may help the government address criticism that it has become afflicted by arrogance
and hubris.

However, it is an unlikely one, given the Modi government's track record. It isn't quite known to be receptive to
feedback and climbing down after raising the stakes. The rollback of the land acquisition bill in the beginning of Modi's
first term is the only major exception to this.

Stay the farm laws for an even longer period-

The government has already proposed to put the farm laws on hold for 18 months. A possible option could be to
extend this to say 36 months, which would pretty much mean the end of the government's tenure.

Through this the government could contain farmers' anger while keeping corporates happy with the promise that it
would implement these laws if its gets a fresh mandate in 2024.
 Maintain status quo and try to delegitimise the protest-
The other option is to try and delegitimise the movement
and wear it down. The BJP released a document on the
rising COVID-19 cases in which it blamed protesting farmers
for the spike in North India. This indicated that the BJP is
already trying to pursue this course of action to some
extent.
However, the rising deaths across India and the suffering of
the public due to inadequate infrastructure may make it
difficult for the BJP to pin the entire blame on protesters.

Complete crackdown on protests-

This is the other extreme possibility - that the government
could use the pandemic or invoke national security related
pretexts to crackdown on the protests. This may involve
arresting its leaders and police action on protest sites.

This would, of course, have very serious political

consequences and take the government towards a point
of no return in its authoritarianism.
 FARMER'S SOLUTIONS
Multiple Crops
For better yield and profitable results, farmers are advised to cultivate multiple crops, including Apple, Pineapple, Papaya,
Banana, Coconut, Ginger, Turmeric, and many others.

Modernisation in Agriculture
If we encourage youth for farming and related occupation, this sector will definitely boom. They already have basic
institutional education and knowledge; they can learn and grow quickly. For instance, almost all of them have
smartphones; by using a modern agriculture app, they can perform well in farms.
Besides, introducing modern technology and passing advanced equipment to small farmers will help boost efficiency,
productivity, and quality.

Farmers’ Education is Vital

Many farmers are unaware of crop rotation. Education is pretty much improved in urban areas, but the govt has
overlooked the need for the same in rural areas, particularly in the overall agriculture sector. This is the reason why
farmers remain unaware of several government-provided schemes and their benefits.
 The Requirement for Crop Insurance
Crop insurance is essential but easy, quick settlement of claims is vital. There’s a need for
transparent index-based insurance that treats policyholders equally within a defined
geographical area. Index-based insurance system has low operational and transnational costs
and ensures quicker payouts.

Better Water Management

Water resources can be fully utilised through interstate coordination on water management;
water can easily be delivered to the areas where it is most required. Connecting the rivers and
constructing national waterways/channels will solve water supply problems and improve
irrigation facility, helping farmers in case monsoon fails.
 FOREIGN RESPONSE TO THE ONGOING
FARMERS PROTEST IN INDIA
1. U.S. Government Responses The New Delhi government stated that the reform
laws were properly debated and legislated, and were opposed only by “a very small
section of farmers in parts of India.” The Trump Administration did not make any
comment publicly on India’s farmer protests. The Biden Administration first
commented on February 4, 2021, when a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in New
Delhi reportedly said, “We recognize that peaceful protests are a hallmark of any
thriving democracy, and note that the Indian Supreme Court has stated the same.
We encourage that any differences between the parties be resolved through
dialogue. In general, the United States welcomes steps that would improve the
efficiency of India’s markets and attract greater private sector investment. Indian
media appeared to focus more on the statement’s endorsement of the country’s
market reform efforts than on the support for peaceful protests.
In late December 2020, seven Members of the U.S. House of Representatives
sent a letter to the then-U.S. Secretary of State to “express serious concerns
regarding ongoing civil unrest in India” and urge him “to contact your Indian
counterpart to reinforce the United States’ commitment to the freedom of
political speech abroad.” At least two other Members later commented
separately. On February 5, 2021, the Co-chairs of the House India Caucus met
with the Indian Ambassador, where one Member “urged the Indian government
to make sure that the norms of democracy are maintained, that protesters are
allowed to protest peaceably and to have access to the Internet, and to
journalists.”
2. UK Government’s response & parliamentary debate A Parliamentary e-petition titled
“urge the Indian Government to ensure the safety of protestors & press freedom”,
attracted over 100,000 signatures and so was scheduled for a debate by the House of
Commons Petitions Committee. Mr. Kinnock (member of the labor party), expressed the
Labour’s support for the “rights of Indian farmers to exercise their right to freedom of
assembly, freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest”, and that “Mr. Modi
needs to recognize that the world is watching and that what happens in India resonates
here in our country”.The Government's response to the petition was published is
reproduced below: The UK Government is conscious of the level of concern regarding
the farmers’ protests in India. We appreciate that there are strong feelings in the United
Kingdom towards the issue and that many British citizens have family ties to farming
communities in India. Through our High Commission in New Delhi and Deputy High
Commissions across India, the Government is following developments closely. We
understand that the Government of India has held several rounds of talks with farmers’
unions and that in January the Supreme Court put three farming laws on hold and
designated an expert committee to scrutinize the laws.
As would be expected between close partners, we have constructive discussions on a wide
range of issues with India. The UK considers farming reform a matter for the Government of
India. We consider the right to peaceful protest, freedom of speech, and internet freedom
vital in any democracy. We also recognize that governments have the power to enforce law
and order if a protest crosses the line into illegality. We look to the Indian government to
uphold all freedoms and rights guaranteed in India’s strong constitution.

An independent media is essential to any robust democracy. The UK is committed to media

freedom, and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. In 2018, the UK
Government launched the Media Freedom Campaign to shine a global spotlight on media
freedom and increase the cost to those abusing media freedom and persecuting journalists.

The UK Government will continue to follow the farmers’ protests closely. We respect that
agricultural reforms are a matter for India, and will continue to champion human rights
globally
3. Greta Thunberg's comments on the farmers' protests in India do not form a bilateral
issue between India and Sweden, and the matter did not come up during an online summit
between the prime ministers of India and Sweden, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Thunberg had tweeted, "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India." This was
followed by another tweet a day later, in which she shared "a toolkit for those who want to
help". While a number of international celebrities, including pop star Rihanna, had also
tweeted in support of the farmers' protests, which entered its 100th day on Friday, the
'toolkit' matter became a major issue with the Delhi Police later registering FIRs against
several people for allegedly trying to tarnish India's image. The 'toolkit' listed various actions,
including creating a "Twitter storm" and protesting outside Indian embassies, to support the
farmers' protest. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a body of 41 farm unions heading the
agitation, had welcomed the support extended by international personalities, saying it was a
matter of pride that they are showing sensitivity towards the cause of farmers, but it was
unfortunate that the government of India is not understanding their pain. Emphasizing that
the protests must be seen in the context of India's democratic ethos and polity, the MEA in
its statement had said some vested interest groups have tried to mobilize international
support against the country.
 REPUBLIC DAY VIOLENCE
Violence erupted across India’s capital city of New Delhi on Tuesday when
thousands of farmers protesting the government’s agricultural reform bills
rode tractors past police barriers and clashed with officers. Farmers’ unions
had devised a plan for a peaceful march into the capital on Republic Day, which
commemorates the signing of India’s constitution. The Indian government had
approved a plan for the farmers — who have been protesting for months — to
enter the city at noon. But the farmers’ plans went awry when some protesters
began marching toward the capital a few hours ahead of schedule, resulting in
a face-off with police, who used tear gas and batons to try to turn them back.
As the farmers abandoned approved routes, fierce battles broke out across the
city. One farmer was crushed when his tractor was among the many vehicles
overturned in the melee. Reports indicate that at least 19 people involved in the
clashes were sent to two New Delhi hospitals. According to police, at least 86
officers were also injured.
 In a statement, Eish Singal of the New Delhi police said the protesters broke the
agreements made before the rally. “The farmers began a tractor rally before the
scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism.” The farmers,
many of whom are Sikhs from India’s Punjab and Haryana states, also entered
New Delhi’s historic Red Fort and raised the Nishan Sahib, a flag of importance
to India’s Sikh communities. The Joint Farmers’ Front, which represents a
number of Indian farmer’s unions, issued a statement Tuesday condemning the
clashes and separating themselves from protesters who engaged in violence.
“We condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have
taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts,”
the statement read. The statement also said that the unions had made efforts to
keep the events peaceful but “some organizations and individuals have violated
the route and indulged in condemnable acts.” Chief Minister Amarinder Singh,
who represents Punjab, where many of the farmers are from, wrote on Twitter
that the violence was “unacceptable” and urged “all genuine farmers to vacate
Delhi and return to the borders,” referring to the areas on the outskirts of Delhi
where the farmers have been camped for weeks in protest.
 SOCIAL MEDIA CURBS
A day after Facebook temporarily shut down a page on the ongoing farmers agitation
against the Centre’s new farm laws, the protestors on Monday said social media was
crucial for their movement as it allowed them to tell the “truth in their our own words".
The social media giant had Sunday evening shut down the page of ‘Kisan Ekta Morcha’ that
shares “official updates" on the agitation, only to restore it three hours later following
social media outrage. The Kisan Ekta Morcha’s Instagram page was also temporarily
suspended. Himmat Singh, a farmer camping at Singhu border, said that he came to the
protest site from Punjab’s Kapurthala four days ago. Before arriving here, he said his main
source of information about the agitation was social media. He used to take the help of
social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay abreast of the various
developments of the protest. He also termed the shutting down of the Facebook page of
Kisan Ekta Morcha as an “attempt to silence them".
United Nations Human Rights commissioner Michele Bachelet raised the
farmers’ protests, sedition charges against journalists and curbing of social media
in an update to the Human Rights Council on Friday, February 27. She stated that
sedition charges on journalists and activists for reporting or commenting on
protests and attempts to curb freedom of expression on social media “are
disturbing departures from essential human rights principles”. The Centre had
also asked social media platform Twitter to block tweets and handles which had
been actively posting on the farmers’ protests. The accounts included that of
magazine Caravan, the farmers’ protest account Kisan Ekta Morcha and several
independent journalists and activists. At least three BJP-ruled states have filed
FIRs against journalists for sharing “unverified” news about the tractor rally on
January 26. An independent journalist, Mandeep Punia, was arrested at Singhu
border for reporting on the farmers protests.
 Current status of Farmers' Protest

In February, the government slammed “celebrities and others” for their comments in
support of farmer protests, calling them “neither accurate nor responsible”. This came
after pop icon Rihanna, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and lawyer-author
Meena Harris, niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, spoke out on the farmer
protests.
The cyber-crime cell of the Delhi Police has registered an FIR on charges of “sedition”,
“criminal conspiracy” and “promoting hatred” against the creators of a ‘toolkit’ on farmer
protests, which was shared by Thunberg. The 18-year-old deleted the original tweet on
Wednesday but tweeted a revised toolkit on Wednesday night.
Protesting farmers held a nationwide ‘Chakka Jam’, or road blockade, for three hours
from 12 noon to 3 pm. While several roads across Punjab and Haryana were blocked
during that time, elsewhere the ‘chakka jam’ protest evoked a scattered response.
 Current status of Farmers' Protest

After the police lathi-charged protesting farmers in Karnal on Saturday, 21st August,
farmers' organisations have issued a call to block all highways in Haryana till those
detained are released. A mahapanchayat will be held on Sunday
Police have booked seven local farmer leaders and their 250 unidentified supporters
for blocking the Panchkula-Shimla highway at Chandimandir toll plaza on August 28
as they gathered to protest against the lathicharge on farmers in Karnal.
The farmers in Panchkula had gathered on the call of farmer leader Gurnam Singh
Chaduni to protest against the lathicharge while demanding the release of arrested
farmers immediately.
The protest had remained peaceful with several hundred farmers blocking the
highway, which had led to long jams on the weekend. High police presence with
several senior officers had marked the site on day of the protest
 Current status of Farmers' Protest: in the past week

Due to the ongoing farmer protests, 40 trains have been cancelled and 21 trains have
been terminated with immediate effect to ensure the safety of people.

Thousands of passengers are stranded in Jammu and Kashmir as railway authorities

have cancelled over 40 trains since Friday due to an ongoing agitation by farmers in
neighbouring Punjab, officials said. Scores of farmers on Friday, 27th August,
launched an indefinite agitation in Jalandhar and blocked train movement on the
Ludhiana-Amritsar and the Ludhiana-Jammu railway routes to press the Punjab
government to accept their demand to increase sugarcane prices and clear issues
related to pending dues.

According to railway officials of Ferozepur division, as many as 50 trains have been

cancelled, while 54 have either been diverted or short-terminated.