Indian Farmers Protest



Damanpreet Kaur Director Of Governance


Since August of 2020, farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and all of India have been protesting against India’s novel agricultural laws. These farmers, called the Kisaans have been protesting changes to India’s Agricultural laws because these new laws would trap farmers into contract farming systems with larger corporate businesses and consumers.



Through almost a year of violence, India’s government has still refused to take steps to alleviate the issue, instead choosing to alienate peaceful protesters with tear gas and violence. On January 26, 2021, as India’s Republic Day, a national holiday where the country celebrates enacting its constitution, a peaceful rally a couple of miles away suddenly regressed into a violent riot. Police raided protest sites, used tear gas, and took the liberty of hitting protesters with batons. Nearly a million farmers rode their tractors to India’s capital, knocking down police barricades. Till this day, July 21, 2021, the current situation has not only remained unsolved but has increased in magnitude as the size and threat of clashes between protestors and police only grows. These farmers have been sitting, sleeping on these roads for over ten months, with minimal food, no electricity, no internet, but are still keeping their hopes high.

The farmers’ strength and optimism have been astounding. Their spirits and joy have been unbelievable in the past ten months in sizzling summer, cold temperatures, and in circumstances where electricity is minimal. They have shown no signs of leaving until the laws get repealed. More than 400 farmers have passed away from the protest sites near the capital and Delhi. The second wave of COVID-19 hit India and protesters hard, but farmers showed no panic. Tear gas, pellets, and water cannons were shot in these sites while protesting; Farmers still showed no signs of leaving. Regardless of the large peaceful protests around India and its capital, farmers have been staying with high optimism and happiness on their faces.



What is the “Laws,” and why are the farmers protesting?

Prime Minister Modi and the government proposed a new group of laws that would change the way farmers sell their crops and agricultural products. Modi is trying to change the way farmers produce and sell their farm products. These laws authorize larger companies and corporations to control the amount and quality of agricultural produce. It will also allow the corporations to take control of how farmers used to produce their farm products. This reduces the amount of bargaining power of smaller farmers. These more prominent companies and corporations allow the supply of critical products and speculate with the food which was illegal toward farmers in the past.

In simple words, Farmers are protesting because these laws and reforms will lead big businesses to take them over as and source of income.

A majority of India’s population relies on agriculture and farming as their source of income. Farmers also work on small lands to farm crops. Their anger and fear have been growing from big businesses and the government ignoring their statements in the past couple of years. Over 80% of farmers depend on farming as income, so competing with larger companies and corporations would be harder to maintain.


Modi seems to not have a care about the farmers and their protests. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has been debating over the agricultural laws, but it became a political issue in the BJP. The government has not said a word about the protest, and this has raised anger and more questions to the media. It has raised questions about speech rights, agricultural rights, and connection to the internet and food.


Sikhs, South Asians, and Indians are responding to the farmer’s protests worldwide, including Canada, America, Australia, and The UK. In Canada, they are responding with support to the Kisaans and saying the laws are inequitable. Farmers are getting international help all over the world. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also very involved in this issue because he is concerned about the wellbeing of farmers. Rihanna has also empowered the voices of the farmers through Twitter and social media.


This movement and farmers’ protest has shown the resilience of the Farmers and support internationally. The rally has raised awareness worldwide and questions Modi’s authority and response to the protests.





Work Cited:

Indian Farmers' Strike Continues in the Shadow of COVID-19 , Jaskiran Kaur Chohan Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Human Geography, 2021, theconversation.com/indian-farmers-strike-continues-in-the-shadow-of-covid-19-159.

Farmers in India Have Been Protesting for 6 Months , Surinder S Jodhka Professor of Sociology, School of Social Sciences., Jawaharlal Nehru University, 25 May 2021, theconversation.com/farmers-in-india-have-been-protesting-for-6-months-have-they-made-any-progress-161101.

Kurup, Rohini. “Why Are Farmers Protesting in India?” Lawfare, 18 Feb. 2021, www.lawfareblog.com/why-are-farmers-protesting-india.

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