The Farmers’ Protest in India: A Comprehensive Timeline and Current Updates
Farmers are protesting for a few months in India and most of us have not given an ear to it. To put it in an easier way this is your boss telling you that you will receive half the salary. You may or may not receive a bonus. This has already been decided and you have nothing to say or change. Your company because this is going to be done by all the companies going forward.
In recent times, the farmers’ protest in India has been a hot topic of discussion. The protest started in late 2020 and has continued till the present day. The farmers are protesting against the three agricultural bills passed by the Indian government in September 2020. The farmers argue that the bills will put their livelihood at risk, while the government claims that the bills will bring much-needed reforms to the agricultural sector. In this article, we will discuss the farmers’ protest in India, including its demands, causes, and the latest news updates. We will also provide expert SEO advice to ensure that this article ranks on the first page of Google.
The farmers’ protest in India has captured the attention of the nation and the world, as thousands of farmers continue to voice their concerns and demand reforms in the agricultural sector. What began as a localized movement in 2020 has now evolved into a significant socio-political movement, bringing together farmers from various parts of India. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the farmers’ protest, including a timeline of key events, the latest news updates, and an exploration of the underlying issues.
Timeline of the Farmers’ Protest:
The farmers’ protest in India gained momentum in September 2020 when three agricultural reform bills were passed by the Indian government. Farmers raised concerns about these bills, arguing that they favored large corporations and threatened their livelihoods. Let’s take a closer look at the timeline of the protest:
- September 2020: The Parliament of India passes three agricultural reform bills – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, The Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.
- November 2020: Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana, supported by various farmer unions, march towards Delhi to protest against the new agricultural laws. They set up protest camps at the borders of Delhi.
- December 2020: Several negotiations between farmer union leaders and the government fail to reach a consensus. The protest gains widespread attention, with international figures, including celebrities and activists, expressing solidarity with the farmers.
- January 2021: The Supreme Court of India intervenes and temporarily stays on implementing the agricultural laws. A committee is formed to hold discussions with the protesting farmers.
- February 2021: The protesting farmers reject the Supreme Court’s proposed committee and continue to demand a complete repeal of the agricultural laws. Tensions rise as clashes erupt between the protesters and the police during the Republic Day tractor rally.
- May 2021: The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic affects the protest, with many farmers returning to their villages. However, the movement remains resilient, and efforts to restart negotiations continue.
Conclusion:
The farmers’ protest in India, which began in 2020, has become a significant movement highlighting the concerns of farmers regarding agricultural reforms. With ongoing negotiations and sustained demonstrations, the protest remains a topic of national and international importance. It is crucial to stay informed about the latest developments to understand the complexities surrounding this movement and its potential impact on the future of agriculture in India.
Table of Contents
Historical Background of the Farmers’ Protest in India
Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, employing around 50% of the country’s workforce. However, the agricultural sector has been struggling for many years due to low productivity, lack of infrastructure, and limited market access. In 2017, the Indian government formed a committee to suggest reforms in the agricultural sector. The committee recommended a series of measures to boost farmers’ income, including the establishment of a legal framework to support contract farming and the direct purchase of farm produce from farmers.
In September 2020, the Indian government passed three controversial agricultural bills:
- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020
- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020
- The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The farmers argue that the bills will lead to the dismantling of the existing system of government-regulated agricultural markets, known as mandis, and leave them at the mercy of big corporations. They also fear that the bills will lead to the abolition of the minimum support price (MSP) system, which ensures a minimum price for their crops. The government, on the other hand, claims that the bills will bring much-needed reforms to the agricultural sector and increase farmers’ income.
The Three Controversial Agricultural Bills
Let us discuss the three agricultural bills passed by the Indian government in detail.
- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, allows farmers to sell their produce outside the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis. It enables the electronic trading of agricultural produce and allows buyers and farmers to engage in interstate trade without any restriction. The farmers argue that the bill will lead to the dismantling of the existing system of government-regulated agricultural markets, known as mandis, and leave them at the mercy of big corporations.
- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, allows farmers to enter into a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters, or large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at a pre-agreed price. The bill also provides a framework for farmers to engage with private companies for services such as cold storage, warehousing, grading, and transportation. The farmers argue that the bill will put them at a disadvantage while negotiating with big corporations, which will have more bargaining power.
- The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, amends the Essential Commodities Act, of 1955. The bill removes cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onions, and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. It also removes the stock limit on these commodities except in extraordinary circumstances like war or natural calamities. The farmers fear that the bill will lead to hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities, resulting in a spike in prices.
The Demands of the Farmers’ Protest
The farmers’ demands are simple – repeal the three agricultural bills and enact a law to guarantee MSP for all crops. The farmers believe that the MSP is the only guarantee of their economic security, and the bills threaten their livelihood. The government has offered to amend the bills, but the farmers have rejected them and continue to demand a complete repeal.
Causes of the Farmers’ Protest
The farmers’ protest is a culmination of several issues that have been affecting the agricultural sector in India. Some of the causes of the farmers’ protest are:
- Low Farm Income – The farmers have been struggling with low farm income for many years. The MSP system was introduced to ensure a minimum price for their crops, but the system has not been effective in many cases. The farmers also face the problem of low productivity due to limited access to irrigation, fertilizers, and other inputs.
- Dismantling of APMC Mandis – The farmers fear that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, will lead to the dismantling of the existing system of government-regulated agricultural markets, known as mandis, and leave them at the mercy of big corporations.
- Corporate Control – The farmers fear that the bills will give big corporations more bargaining power, leading to a reduction in their income. They believe that the corporate control of the agricultural sector will lead to the exploitation of small farmers.
- Lack of Consultation – The farmers also feel that the government did not consult them before passing the bills, despite the fact that the bills will have a significant impact on their lives.
Latest News Updates on the Farmers’ Protest
The farmers’ protest has been ongoing for several months now, with farmers from various states across India participating in the protest. The protest has seen several rounds of talks between the government and the farmers’ unions, but so far, there has been no resolution.
On January 26, 2021, the farmers’ protest took a violent turn when a group of farmers stormed the Red Fort in Delhi during the Republic Day parade. The incident resulted in clashes between the police and the farmers, leading to several injuries.
The government has offered to amend the bills, but the farmers have rejected them and continue to demand a complete repeal. The government has also accused the farmers of being influenced by opposition parties and foreign forces, which the farmers deny.
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We should also focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to the readers. This includes providing a comprehensive overview of the farmers’ protest, including its demands, causes, and the latest news updates. We should also include relevant statistics and facts to support our arguments.
Conclusion
The farmers’ protest in India is a complex issue that has been ongoing for several months now. The protest is a culmination of several issues that have been affecting the agricultural sector in India. The farmers’ demands are simple – repeal
We know that apart from the winter and the pollution there are also farmers’ protests taking place in Delhi at degrees. There are about three lakh farmers camped at various parts of the border on the highways of the state of Delhi and they say they’re not going to leave until the center rules back its farm laws.
How Many Farmers Are Protesting in India
Now three lakh farmers are protesting on the roads they’re cooking out in the open and sleeping in the backs of their trucks and their tractors. There are no toilets so they’re having to bathe in the neighboring petrol pump public toilets and they’re using the fields. Most of them are in their 60s and their 70s so you really have to wonder what’s going on and what could possibly make them commit to a protest that is so physically strenuous.
What’s going on is actually that these farmers are protesting the government’s new farm laws and these farm laws came
a few months ago they were actually mostly from Punjab but some of them are from Haryana and from up and from Rajasthan they’re
part of a Delhi cello protest so they left Punjab on the 28th of November and headed towards Delhi as part of their protest of course, we know this on the road the police tried to stop them there were barricades there was tear gas used there were water cannons used in Haryana specifically.
They had to cross Haryana from Punjab to get to Delhi but the farmers didn’t stop they kept going and now they have gotten to Delhi and they say they will not leave until they get to their demands so we have to look at what they’re protesting right because with all of the coverage that we’re seeing right now come out of these farmer protests there are terms like APMC and MSP that a lot of the urban audience doesn’t really understand so here’s a breakdown of why these farmers are protesting.
What Are The Farm Bills?
Back in September, the government passed through parliament three laws they have very complicated names the farmer-produced trade commerce law the farmer’s agreement price assurance, and the essential commodities amendments but I’m going to break them down into simple language this is what these laws effectively do. You can also download it here.
- What they do first of all is allow farmers to sell directly to the private sector outside of the government-controlled mandis or Sabzi Mandis which are called the APMCs.
- They also allow for the private sector to enter into contracts with farmers and sort of place an order on what they want the farmers to grow so that they can buy it when the farmer is done growing.
- They also remove all of the regulations on hoarding so the private sector is now allowed to stockpile food so for example up till now hoarding was illegal a trader couldn’t hoard say onions because they would hold enough onions and then drive up the price or then open the horde and then drop the price they could manipulate the price through boarding that regulation has also been removed. The government says that these combined regulations will help.
What Are APMCs?
They’re using the word liberate the farmer so as to free up the farmer from the monopoly of the APMCs and the corruption in the APMCs and allow the farmer to enter the open market and be able to get whatever price they wanted.
From the private sector it sounds great but why are the farmers then protesting this and understanding that we have to
actually, step back a little bit and figure out what the system was before these rules were brought in.
Until now farm produce was bought and sold primarily in APMCs. APMCs are state government-regulated markets or mandis and only licensed traders can actually buy in the APMC. now the APMC physically requires the farmer to bring his products to the market which was a problem because a lot of times farmers couldn’t afford to bring them.
Once they brought it they couldn’t afford to take it back. There aren’t too many APMCs in the country they’re about a little over 2477 on the last count and that doesn’t cover a lot of the country and so farmers who either couldn’t afford to go to the APMC could then sell it to a trader at whatever price that they could get.
Now on paper, the APMCs offer protection to small farmers because it’s a regulated space there are licensed traders there’s someone to complain to if you have a problem but over a period of time APMCs have become a sort of den of monopoly and corruption, and the middlemen or the traders are ruling the roost.
The government argues that the APMC system is flawed. The only way to fix it is to allow the farmers to direct taxes to the private sector. This is to allow the private sector to set up similar Mandis across the country but still sounds pretty good. But then why are the farmers then protesting?
Well, the farmers are protesting the details in these laws and the devil is really always in the details, right? So what they’re saying fundamentally is if the private sector starts to set up mandis that don’t have to pay the cess or the tax they don’t have to pay their dues to the state government over a period of time the private sector mandis because of the competition will wipe out the APMCs.
If the APMCs get wiped out then the farmers will effectively be left only at the mercy of the private sector and the private sector will then begin to drive down prices the farmers will have no option they’ll have nowhere else to go now they also argue remember the APMC is where the farmers get their MSP. It has now started to make sense why the farmers are protesting.
What is MSP?
MSP is a minimum support price. MSP is offered for crops like rice and wheat and mainly staple crops. When a farmer has a bumper crop and there’s he has a huge harvest and he brings it to the market and there’s a glut of that same process because everybody’s had a bumper crop at that time and there’s a lot of wheat coming to the market the price of wheat will come down and the farmer will not recover what he has invested into that crop – simple economics.
What the MSP does is that the government offers a minimum price at which the government itself will buy and the APMC offers that price. The farmers argue that if the APMCs are weakened by this law over a period of time and the APMC is shut down the MSP will go with them because technically a private sector Mandi is under no obligation to offer the MSP and so there’s no guarantee in the new law of the MSP and that’s what is the farmer number.
Eighty percent of the farmers in our country are small farmers which means they have small tracts of land. They’re not very big farmers and so they feel they will not be able to really have any bargaining power against corporates on the legal front.
Remember these laws do not mandate a written contract so if there’s a problem later the farmer will have trouble going up against a big culprit. Also if there’s a problem later this law specifies that you cannot go to court what you have to do instead is go to a government official a sub-divisional magistrate or a collector and whatever they decide is final.
That no one can go to court about it also specifies that nobody can file a case about the specifications of this law or something done under this law against either the central government or the state government or any of the officers of the central state government remember the magistrates and collectors are officers of government.
The farmers are protesting because the problem with this is that it takes away their fundamental right to approach the courts and so what the farmers are arguing effectively is that these laws all together are throwing them to the wolves which are the private sector.
Do remember the private sector has no obligation to look after the welfare of the farmers the private sector’s obligation fundamentally is to its shareholders and to its profits so that’s what it’s going to be looking out for and that’s the farmer’s fundamental position they’ve been criticisms of course from some part of the media and some parts of social media saying it’s not that simple that there is a political angle to all of this now to be fair there’s a political angle to most things in India but if you take a look at this protest specifically.
The first argument was that these farmers are being misled by the opposition and to suggest that they’re being misled five months after these laws have been placed in the public domain is sort of suggesting that they haven’t fully been able to understand these laws in five months time that they’re that naive.
But that theory got debunked when the farmers made a point-by-point presentation to the central government on their main concerns with these laws and the government has heard them out and acknowledged those concerns which should sort of make us conclude that if the government is acknowledging these concerns then these farmers are not saying that naive or they haven’t been able to understand the law now they have been members of the opposition parties who have spoken up in support of these protests. The farmers have not been fronted by anybody political so far.
The second accusation was actually a little more outrageous than that it was that this farm protest is actually a Khalistani separatist movement. Many of these farmers came out and made statements in the media saying that they have children in the armed forces and they’re not anti-national.
In fact, two or three weeks ago there was a one-year-old young soldier was martyred in Kashmir and he was the son of a farmer in Punjab also two seniors leaders of the BJP in Punjab have come out and said that it’s unfair to use the Khalistani narrative on the Punjab farmers. Farmers are protesting for the country’s betterment.
The big question is why are so many of these farmers protesting from Punjab is it because there is a Congress government in Punjab? Is that what is going on for the real reason? Punjab farmers grow mostly wheat and rice most of the wheat and rice are grown in Punjab and these are MSP crops.
They benefit the most from the APMC system they benefit the most from the MSP system and they stand to lose the most if either the APMC or the MSP system were to be challenged or in some way weakened in the future which is why so many of them are from Punjab and from Haryana which is the other state that grows a lot of wheat and so while the congress has spoken up in support of this protest including the Chief Minister of Punjab.
They’ve also been parties who were allies of the BJP who have supported the protesters as well the Shiromani Akali Dal as you know actually pulled out of the India alliance and the central government and its minister actually resigned to make sense of why the farmers are protesting.
So question that we have to ask now is what happens now the farmers have dug in their heels they have said that until and unless the farm laws are all together withdrawn by the government and an MSP assurance is given to them in writing they are not going to call off the protest.
There’s going to be another round of talks and this is obviously a developing story and we’re going to have to see how long this goes on. The farmers seem fairly adamant about what they’re doing.
One of the signs of how adamant they were was when the meeting with the government at Vigyan Bhavan was extended for 7 hours.
There was obviously a lunch break they refused to have any lunch that was offered to them by the government. They refused to have the meal that was offered to them by the government. They had lunch brought in from the protest site and that’s what they ate. So that’s a sign of the fact that they’re not really seeing eye to eye and the farmers are standing their ground.
Nineteen farmers have died at the Singhu border over the past two months for various reasons during the ongoing agitation, the police said. Harinder Singh, 39, a resident of Haryana’s Panipat, and Darshan Singh, 71, from Punjab died at the Singhu border on 9th Feb 2021.
So far, International Celebs like Rihanna and Greta Thunberg has shown support for the #farmersprotest on Twitter. While Indian Celebs like Sachin Tendulkar, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar have supported the government’s view.
Farmers constitute an extremely important part of our country. And the efforts being undertaken to resolve their issues are evident. Let’s support an amicable resolution, rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences. 🙏🏻#IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda https://t.co/LgAn6tIwWp
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) February 3, 2021
Download the farm bills here so you know why the farmers are protesting and we hope this to be resolved sooner. Do share your thoughts below.
