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: It is also an example of an emerging trend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popular government running into trouble after pushing through significant laws unilaterally. Here’s what to know about the Indian farmer protests: What have the protests been like? The protests began in August in the states of Punjab and Haryana, and marched on Delhi in November. There, they were met by a heavy-handed police response. Officers used tear gas and water cannon on protesters in late November. And on Dec. 1 they detained Bilkis, an 82 year-old woman who became a figurehead of demonstrations against a controversial citizenship law earlier this year, who joined the farmers out of solidarity. Farmers received worldwide shows of support too, with diaspora communities protesting on their behalf in the U.K. and Canada. Farmers shout slogans at a protest site during a nationwide strike against the newly passed farm bills at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, in New Delhi, India, on December 08, 2020. Imtiyaz Khan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Although some economists say the reforms are necessary, many have criticized the manner in which the laws were imposed.