Protest against the farm bills on outskirts of Delhi
Devjyot Ghoshal
Wed, December 16, 2020
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Hundreds of Indian women, including many widows of farmers who were believed to have killed themselves over debt, joined a protest on Wednesday against government reforms that farmers say threaten their livelihoods.
Farmers have been protesting for nearly a month over the reforms, enacted in September, to deregulate the agriculture sector, allowing farmers to sell to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets.
Small farmers fear the changes will mean the end of guaranteed minimum prices for their crops and leave them at the mercy of big retailers.
"If these black laws come, more farmers will go deeper into debt," said 40-year-old Harshdeep Kaur, a widow from Punjab state, at one protest site on the outskirts of the capital, New Delhi.
"More mothers and sisters will become widows like me."
Suicide by struggling farmers has been a problem in India for years.
Nearly 10,350 farmers and agricultural labourers committed suicide in 2018 - making up almost 8% of all suicides in India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
Kaur said her husband committed suicide three years ago after running up debts of 500,000 rupees (nearly $7,000). As she spoke, she held a passport sized photo of him.
The reforms, contained in three laws, loosen rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to assure farmers the changes will bring them new opportunities but few have been convinced. Several rounds of talks between farm union leaders and the government have failed.
"We'll keep protesting," said Gurbax Singh, a farmer union leader at a north Delhi protest site.
The farmers have gathered at various sites around the capital since late last month, blocking traffic and clashing with police, at least in the early days of their action.
Singh said dozens of buses, tractors and cars were being arranged to bring more women from Punjab – the epicentre of the agitation.
The protesters occupied several kilometres of a busy main road in western Delhi with their tractors on Wednesday.
At a nearby protest site, old farmers lounged in ramshackle shelters beside medical stalls and makeshift kitchens.
Kaur said she and other women were prepared to protest until the laws were repealed.
"More women will come," she said.
(Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal in New Delhi; Writing by Zeba Siddiqui; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Hunger strike hits India's mass farmer protests
Mon, December 14, 2020,
Leaders of the massive protests by farmers that have swept India began a one-day hunger strike on Monday (December 14).
They've been demonstrating for weeks against agricultural reforms that they say threaten their livelihoods.
The demonstrations are increasing pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to withdraw the legislation.
"We want to give this message to the government, that the one who feeds the country sits hungry because of your wrong policies."
The legislation would deregulate agriculture in India, and allow farmers to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets - where growers are assured a minimum price.
Small growers fear that the changes will mean the end of price support for staples, like wheat and rice - leaving them at the mercy of big business.
The changes are part of Modi's liberalizing reforms.
He has sought to allay concerns, telling farmers they will gain new rights and opportunities.
But six rounds of talks between government officials and farmers' union leaders have failed to resolve the issue.
Video Transcript
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
- Leaders of the massive protests by farmers that have swept India began a one day hunger strike on Monday. They've been demonstrating for weeks against agricultural reforms that they say threaten their livelihoods. The demonstrations are increasing pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to withdraw the legislation.
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
TRANSLATOR: We want to give this message to the government that the one who feeds the country sits hungry because of your wrong policies.
- The legislation would deregulate agriculture in India and allow farmers to sell produce to buyers beyond government regulated wholesale markets, where growers are assured a minimum price. Small growers fear that the changes will mean the end of price supports for staples like wheat and rice, leaving them at the mercy of big business.
The changes are part of Modi's liberalizing reforms. He has sought to allay concerns, telling farmers they will gain new rights and opportunities. But six rounds of talks between government officials and farmers' union leaders have failed to resolve the issue.
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