India: Farmers clash with police on protest march to Delhi
November 27, 2020
Thousands of Indian farmers have clashed with police while trying to enter the capital, Delhi, to protest against new laws. They say the legislation will leave them vulnerable to exploitation by big companies.
Image: Anand Mangnale/AP Photo/picture alliance
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Police in India used tear gas and water cannon to try and stop protesters from reaching the center of the capital, Delhi, on Friday.
Television footage showed plumes of smoke with some individuals throwing stones at police. Thousands, including many from the large farming state of Punjab, pressed against barricades, waving flags and sticks.
Farmers used tractors to try to clear the barriers that police had constructed using concrete blocks, shipping containers and horizontally parked trucks. Security personnel had also dug trenches on roads leading into the capital.
Police in riot gear, deployed in large numbers on the boundary between Delhi and Haryana state, also stopped protesters from entering the city.
"We are fighting for our rights," said Majhinder Singh Dhaliwal, one of the protest leaders. "We won't rest until we reach the capital and force the government to abolish these black laws."
In a U-turn later on Friday, police allowed farmers to enter the capital to continue their march and hold a peaceful rally in one of the city's public grounds.
"(We) appeal to them to maintain peace," Delhi police said in a statement, following negotiations with protest leaders that allowed them to set up camp for the night.
Why are farmers protesting?
The farmers say new laws, approved by parliament in September, could cause the government to stop buying grain from them at guaranteed prices. They claim this could lead to them being exploited by huge corporations that would buy their produce at cheap prices.
The laws were hailed as a watershed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with farmers free to sell crops anywhere — including to big corporations, instead of at government-regulated wholesale markets that assure farmers of a minimum price.
Many farmer groups say the new law would leave small producers with little bargaining power. They fear the government will eventually withdraw price support for wheat and rice.
The government says it does not plan to scrap the wholesale markets.
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.
