India: At least 8 people killed in farmers' protest
Seerat Chabba
October 3, 2021
Two SUVs allegedly rammed into a group of protesters during a visit by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Indian farmers have been involved in a nationwide strike since November 2020 over government laws which they say threaten their livelihoodsImage: Anushree Fadnavi/REUTERS
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Indian news agencies have reported that eight people lost their lives when a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, took a violent turn.
According to reports, two SUVs allegedly rammed into a group of protesters during a visit by the state's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra.
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What do we know?
Citing a local police official, Indian news outlet NDTV reported that four of the eight killed were farmers, two having been run over by a vehicle in the union minister's convoy.
NDTV reported that the four other deaths were the occupants of the vehicle that had allegedly drove into the farmers.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear with differing versions of events.
The farmers, who had assembled in opposition to the visit of the BJP politicians in the district, said the violence started after vehicles in the convoy ran over protesters. Images on social media also showed some of the vehicles set on fire.
Government promises action
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said he was "saddened" by the violence, promising an investigation and to punish anyone found responsible.
The BJP politician, often seen as PM Modi’s close associate, made an appeal to maintain peace.
However, opposition parties are skeptical. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was reportedly detained by authorities in Uttar Pradesh early Monday as she headed to meet the families of four farmers killed
The opposition party had put out an appeal to supporters to gather in Sitapur, where the leader was stopped.
Farmer unions look to amp up pressure
A nine-member coordination team from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of nearly 40 farmers' unions, addressed the media late Sunday, calling for legal action to be taken against those involved in the farmers' deaths.
They also called for the dismissal of central minister Mishra, who had given an incendiary speech against protesting farmers days earlier.
Protests erupted in September 2020 after Modi's Hindu nationalist BJPintroduced three agricultural bills , presenting them as a watershed moment for Indian agriculture.
The government said the changes would give farmers the freedom to sell their produce anywhere in the country and enter into contracts with unlicensed buyers at a pre-agreed price.
However farmers believe the laws will leave smaller farming operations exposed and at the mercy of larger companies. They want the laws repealed.
The farmers have been picketing over new farming laws since September last year, reaching the borders of the national capital New Delhi in November 2020.
Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi
Landowners and agricultural workers from the northern Indian state of Punjab have been striking for days against the central government after it passed a series of reforms on farming laws.
Image: IANS
Talks inconclusive
Farmers from the northern state of Punjab sit in protest at the border between Delhi and Haryana amid an ongoing deadlock with the national government.
Image: Moshin Javed
No concessions
The central government in New Delhi has refused to budge over the farmers' demands. Roads leading to the Indian capital have been blocked to prevent the protesters from entering the city.
Image: Moshin Javed
Corporate takeovers?
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has a majority in parliament, recently passed three agricultural reforms. Previously, farmers were guaranteed a minimum price for their produce, but they don't have the option anymore and would most likely have to let the free market decide the cost of their goods. Farmers say they may lose against multinational corporations.
Image: Seerat Chabba/DW
A minimum price for crops
Farmers' associations say the legislation does not safeguard small farmers' access to the so-called minimum support price (MSP), which is set by the government to ensure that a crop is sold at a minimum price. They say the laws could allow larger corporations to undersell small farmers.
Image: Seerat Chabba/DW
Local BJP leaders under pressure
Although the ruling BJP government says the MSP will not be affected, farmers' unions argue the new legislation will allow big companies to take over regardless. In protest, farmers have been sitting outside the homes of local BJP leaders for weeks now. The BJP has also been losing ground in villages, which depend almost entirely on farming.
Image: Seerat Chabba/DW
Politics in Punjab still affected
Even if the farmers do not overtly advocate for certain political parties, their protests are making waves in the government. The BJP's longstanding ally in Punjab, Akali Dal, quit the alliance over the protests, fearing a loss of Punjabi votes.
Image: Seerat Chabba/DW
A matter of pride and survival
An average farmer in Punjab owns between 1-2 hectares of land. While their income isn't high, a landowning farmer can sustain a family. In a country where nearly 60% of the population struggles with poverty, these farmers see their land as the only asset that will ensure future generations can make a living. Two-thirds of India's 1.3 billion people depend on farming.
Image: Seerat Chabba/DW
Little hope for change
Farmers' unions say the government has no interest in listening to their demands. Farmers are accused of "not reading the bills," "not understanding economics," "being stuck in the past" and being "political pawns." These farmers say they don't know how long they will stay on the railway tracks. They keep showing up every day, because if they don't, no one else will speak for them, they say.
