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: “For many years, a certain agri-business lobby, backed by some of the biggest corporations in the county, has been wanting to enter agriculture,” says Yadav, of Swaraj India. “ Similar proposals were put to previous governments as well, but no government had the political courage to do it because they knew it would be very unpopular with the farmers. There are large groups which want to enter agriculture. The problem is the laws in the country which do not allow big corporations to purchase land.” What farmers really want, says Yadav, is the government to actually guarantee that its minimum prices for farm produce are accessible to all farmers. Currently, Yadav says, as many as 80% of farmers don’t receive the promised amount. “ The government announces the minimum support price every year, but it remains on paper,” he says. “ Because the government doesn’t back it with a system where farmers are actually assured that price.” How widespread are the protests, and what is likely to happen next? Farmers from across north India have resisted the reforms, but the protests have by and large been led by unions from Punjab and Haryana, two relatively prosperous states where the government-mandated markets are most developed, and where the government buys a majority of the wheat and rice produced by farmers.