Title: India farmers protests: Thousands swarm Delhi against deregulation rules - CNN
Headings: Tens of thousands of farmers swarm India's capital to protest deregulation rules
Tens of thousands of farmers swarm India's capital to protest deregulation rules
What the protests are about
Why it's such a hot political issue

Content: He hopes it will attract private investment into the agricultural industry, which has lagged as other parts of the country's economy have modernized. But farmers argue that the rules could help big companies drive down prices. While farmers could sell crops at elevated prices if the demand is there, conversely, they could struggle to meet the minimum price in years when there is too much supply in the market. Singh, the Uttar Pradesh farmer, said that removing the price guarantees will make life tougher for farmers. "There is a lot of anger among farmers," he said. " We don't get even the minimum support price that is presently declared -- removing these protections and making it easier for corporates to enter will completely buy us out." Why it's such a hot political issue
Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India's 1.3 billion population, meaning farmers are the biggest voter block in the country. That's made farming a central political issue, with farmers arguing for years to get the minimum guaranteed prices increased. Security personnel deployed to stop farmers from entering the national capital during a protest against the Centre's new farm laws at Singhu border near Delhi, India on November 30, 2020. In a bid to win over farmers, Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said in its 2014 general election manifesto that all crop prices should be fixed at a minimum of 50% higher than the production costs.