India: Farmers block roads, rail tracks in massive protest
Aditya Sharma
September 27, 2021
Farmer unions in India staged a huge protest to pressure the government into withdrawing its controversial reforms.The protests have been ongoing for 10 months, and joined by several opposition parties.
The nationwide protest was organized by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organization of about 40 farm unions
Image: Danish Siddiqui/REUTERS
The 10-hour protest began early in the morning with tens of the thousand of farmers blocking state and national highways as well as train tracks, effectively bringing road and rail traffic to a halt.
The demonstrators, however, insisted that emergency services will not be affected.
Offices, educational institutes, and commercial establishments have been closed, said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organization of about 40 farm unions.
Security has been enhanced at the national capital's border, and additional police and paramilitary forces were deployed to maintain law and order, officials said.
10 months of protests
Farmers, largely from the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camped out around New Delhi in what has been one of the longest protests against the Narendra Modi-led government.
"Farmers protesting against the central farm laws for the last 10 months are ready to agitate for 10 years but will not allow the 'black' legislations to be implemented," said Rakesh Tikait, a prominent farmers' leader.
"The agriculture minister is asking us to come for talks. We want to ask him to tell us the time and place. He simply says it for the sake of it. We will not leave even if it takes 10 years," Tikait told Indian broadcaster NDTV.
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Opposition parties support protests
Monday's protest has been backed by several opposition parties, and even some opposition-ruled state governments.
Rahul Gandhi of the main opposition Congress party tweeted his support for the farmers and criticized the government as "exploitative," while his party called on members to join the protest.
The chief minister of the Congress-ruled Punjab also extended his support to the protesting farmers, as did the state government of two southern states: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
International celebrities show support for India's protesting farmers
Tens of thousands of farmers have camped on the outskirts of the capital Delhi for more than two months, demanding a repeal of new agricultural laws that they say benefit private corporations.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/S.Radke
India slams international celebrities
Celebrities including singer Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg, US lawyer and activist Meena Harris — the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris — and lawmakers in the UK and the US have backed the protesting farmers in posts on social media. The Indian government slammed them for endorsing the huge farmers' protests against new agricultural laws.
Image: Reuters/A. Ivanov
Contentious agriculture laws
In September 2020, India's parliament passed three controversial agriculture bills aimed at liberalizing the country's farm sector. They were subsequently signed into law, sparking farmers' protests across the country. The government argued that the new laws will give freedom to farmers to sell their produce outside regulated markets and enter into contracts with buyers at a pre-agreed price.
Image: Manish Swarup/AP Photo/picture alliance
What are the protests about?
Farmers' associations say the legislation does not guarantee the acquisition of farm produce at the minimum support price, thus leaving them at the mercy of corporations that are now expected to enter the country's troubled farming sector. Violence erupted on January 26 during a tractor parade. Since then there have been sporadic skirmishes between protesters, police and anti-farmer groups.
Image: Danish Siddiqui/REUTERS
Rihanna
The Barbadian pop star is among one of the international celebrities who expressed solidarity with India's protesting farmers. She tweeted: "Why are we not talking about it?" referring to the demonstrations. Rihanna's tweet has drawn a global outpouring of support. On the contrary, many Indian celebrities defend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's farming policies.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/A.Cowie
Greta Thunberg
The 18-year-old climate activist shared a piece of news on Twitter about the internet shutdown in some parts of Delhi and wrote: "We stand in solidarity with the #Farmers Protest in India." Thunberg's message of support for Indian farmers angered the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party's supporters, who condemned her stance.
Image: Getty Images/M. Hitij
Justin Trudeau
The Canadian prime minister is one of the few heads of state who have expressed support to protesting farmers. In December 2020, Trudeau described the situation as "worrisome." The Indian Foreign Ministry said that Trudeau's remark was an "unacceptable interference in India's internal affairs."
Image: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press/ZUMAPRESS.com/picture alliance
Amanda Cerny
The well-known Instagram influencer shared a picture of three Indian women on her account along with this caption: "The world is watching. You don't have to be Indian or Punjabi or South Asian to understand the issue. All you have to do is care about humanity. Always demand freedom of speech, freedom of the press, basic human and civil rights-equity and dignity for workers."
Image: Scott Roth/Invision/AP/picture alliance
Meena Harris
"We all should be outraged by India's internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters," tweeted Meena Harris, a lawyer and niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Image: DNCC/Getty Images
Jim Costa
US Democrat Jim Costa also lent his support to protesting Indian farmers. "The unfolding events in India are troubling. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I am closely monitoring the situation. The right to peaceful protest must always be respected," he said.
Image: Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Wire/picture alliance
Rupi Kaur
Kaur is a blogger best known for her short poems. In a Twitter post, she thanked Rihanna for highlighting the farmers' plight. More than half of India's farmers are reportedly in debt, with 20,638 committing suicide in 2018 and 2019, according to India's National Crime Records Bureau.
Image: Chris Young/The Canadian Press/AP Images/picture alliance
John Cusack
John Cusack, an American actor and activist, has been supporting the Indian farmers' movement since January. He has been regularly tweeting messages in support of the protesting farmers.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Fischer
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Why are the farmers protesting?
In September 2020, India enacted new market-friendly reforms aimed at liberalizing the country's farm sector.
The government argued that the new laws will give freedom to farmers to sell their produce outside regulated markets and enter into contracts with buyers at a pre-agreed price.
Farmers' associations say the legislation does not guarantee the acquisition of farm produce through state-run organizations that guarantee a minimum support price (MSP).
They fear this would leave them at the mercy of big corporations that will enter the country's troubled farming sector and squeeze them for profit, destroying their livelihood.
