Title: India Farmer Protests: What to Know | Time
Headings: India's Farmers Are Leading One of the Largest Protests Yet Against Modi's Government. Here's What They're Fighting For
India's Farmers Are Leading One of the Largest Protests Yet Against Modi's Government. Here's What They're Fighting For
What have the protests been like?
What are the Indian government’s reforms?
Why have farmers been resistant to the reforms?
How widespread are the protests, and what is likely to happen next?
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Content: But Can Its Residents Survive the Economic Collapse? What are the Indian government’s reforms? Since India’s “ Green Revolution ” in the 1960s, the Indian government has run a scheme where it guarantees farmers a set price for certain crops. Combined with advances in farming technology, that system has helped India move from widespread hunger to big annual food surpluses. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, officials estimated there would be 100 million tons of grain available to see India through the lockdown, enough to last at least 18 months. But the system has also affected crop diversity, impacted the environment and disproportionately benefited larger farms over smaller ones. The new laws do not eradicate the guaranteed minimum prices, which will remain in place. But they do get rid of previous restrictions on corporations buying land and stockpiling commodities beyond a certain level. They allow businesses to bypass markets where farmers’ produce is normally sold, and strike direct deals that farmers worry will be less subject to regulations. They also outlaw the practice of stubble burning, a change that farmers have demanded be reversed despite its environmental benefits.