India: Farmers launch nationwide strike over new laws - DW (English)

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Farmer unions in India have called for a general strike over new agricultural laws that are aimed at liberalizing the industry. The nationwide shutdown comes a day before talks with the government.

Indian farmers called for a one-day nationwide strike on Tuesday after days of blockading New Delhi in a bid to force the government to repeal its new market-friendly farm laws.

Tuesday's strike, called Bharat Bandh, saw tens of thousands of farmers blocking key roads and rail lines across the country, affecting transport services and offices.

They have received support from railway workers, truck drivers and other unions, who are joining them in the strike.

The farmers have emphasized that the strike is a peaceful protest, and they will ensure that emergency services such as ambulances and fire brigades aren't affected.

"Our protest is peaceful, and we'll continue that way. Bharat Bandh is a symbolic protest to register our opposition. It is to show that we don't support some of the policies of the government," farmers' union leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters.

Read more: India farmers threaten Delhi blockade in protest of Modi's agriculture reforms

The strike comes after five rounds of talks between farmers' unions and the government failed. The sixth round of talks is scheduled for Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of farmers have camped near the border of New Delhi since November 27 to protest the new laws, blocking most of the entry points to the national capital.

The farmers have said they will not return home until the laws are repealed.

The Indian government issued an advisory to all states and union territories to boost security. Thousands of extra police personnel have been deployed in Delhi and neighboring states where farmers have been protesting for nearly two weeks.

What are the laws they are protesting?

In September, 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.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) insists that the laws will fetch better prices and free farmers from traditional middlemen who dominate the trade. The government hopes that its new policy will double farmers' income by 2022.

Farmers' associations say the legislation does not guarantee the acquisition of farm produce through state-run organizations that guarantee a minimum support price (MSP), thus leaving them at the mercy of corporations that are now expected to enter the country's troubled farming sector.

"We are fighting for our rights. We won't rest until we reach the capital and force the government to abolish these black laws,'' said Majhinder Singh Dhaliwal, a farmers' leader.

Opposition parties and even some allies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have called the laws anti-farmer and pro-corporation and called on the government to accept the farmers' demand to roll them back. 

Protesters from the Left Front political party blocked railways in Kolkata

Domestic and international support for farmers

More than 15 opposition parties and many non-BJP-ruled state governments have backed the strikes. The government has accused Congress, the main opposition party, of opportunism.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Congress supported privatizing the agricultural sector but is now opposing it to gain favor with the farmers, an influential voting group.

The farmers have also received support internationally. Several US lawmakers have voiced their support for the ongoing protests.

"I stand in solidarity with the Punjabi farmers in India protesting for their livelihoods and protection from misguided, manipulative government regulations," Congressman Doug LaMalfa said on Monday.

"Punjabi farmers must be allowed to protest peacefully against their government without fear of violence," the Republican said in a tweet.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also reiterated his support of Indian farmers last week.

Trudeau released a Twitter video calling the police crackdown on the farmer protests "concerning" and saying they should be allowed to stage peaceful protests.

"Canada will always stand up for the right of peaceful protests anywhere around the world. And we are pleased to see moves towards de-escalation and dialogue," he told reporters in Ottawa.

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  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

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  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

• 

  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

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  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

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  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

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  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

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  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

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  Indian farmers continue protest against New Delhi

  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.

  Author: Seerat Chabba (Amritsar, Punjab)

 

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