The Farmers' Protest - An Overview

The never-ending farmers' protest that had been stringing out for nearly a year has finally sighed relief with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing on Friday that the farm laws will now stand repealed. Moments after the big announcement was made many political leaders, especially the Opposition, started taking a jibe at the Centre; many terming it as a 'victory' to the farmers' cause. ETV Bharat examines what impact the farmers' protest had on the economy, families destroyed and gives a broad overview of why this resistance makes it a significant one in the history of India.

New Delhi: One of the most significant protests in India held by the common masses — the farmers' protests — finally came to an end after Prime Minister Modi declared on Friday that the farm laws will be repealed. What started a year ago, and took several hideous turns along the way, has ended just ahead of the Assembly elections to be held in a couple of months.

In September 2020, the Parliament had passed three farmers' bills proposed by the government claiming that they were aimed at freeing up trade in agriculture and allowing farmers to sell their produce wherever they wanted instead of restricting them to local government-controlled mandis. The farmers across the nation were highly disappointed with these laws, claiming that they are unfair and dangerous for their livelihood. After sporadic protests against the new farm laws, including a nationwide road blockade on November 3, Farmers’ Unions in Punjab and Haryana called for a 'Delhi Chalo' protest.

On November 26, farmers from Punjab reached Singhu and Tikri borders after a showdown with Haryana Police. Ever since, they have been staying there despite the Delhi winter, police lathis and a deadly second wave of the coronavirus disease. They pitched hundreds of tents and set up makeshift community kitchens and clinics along three key highways leading to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, sending out a clear message that they were prepared for the long haul.

The protesters were prepared for whatever may come

A total of 11 rounds of talks between farmers’ representatives and the government were held, but the government failed to arrive at a solution. The government said it would amend the laws, and offered to put them on hold for one-and-a-half years. But the farmers wanted them to be entirely repealed. The Bharatiya Kisan Union moved to the Supreme Court against the three farm laws on December 11, 2020. The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws, and set up a four-member committee to make recommendations on the legislation after hearing all stakeholders.

These laws including the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement On Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 & The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 were in their opinion, dangerous for their occupation and livelihood. Additionally, the issue related to the procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) that was applicable on their products, but was threatened under the farm laws, was also one of their concerns. They also wanted to be freed from the penalty provision on straw burning under Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance of 2020, and needed the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 to be withdrawn. Both central government and the protesting farmers were adamant about what they wanted, and so the protests continued.

Loss of lives, livelihoods during the protests

A study conducted by two economists associated with Punjabi University in Patiala revealed that around 600 farmers have allegedly died in the protests. Contrary to the claims that it is mostly 'big farmers’ who are behind the farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders, those who died were small, marginal farmers, and landless cultivators, cultivating no more than an average of 2.94 acres of land. Malwa region saw maximum participation in protests as well as maximum deaths.

The study says that weather conditions contributed to the maximum number of deaths. The conditions in winters were very harsh with extreme cold. Later, the scorching heatwave in the summer was equally unbearable for farmers living in temporary shelters outside Delhi, the study said. Food prepared in common kitchens may not have fulfilled the nutritional requirements to help farmers gain enough immunity. The study also revealed that those who died in the movement belonged to lowest rung in the farming community. This means that poor farmers who died in the protest have left behind destitute families, many of whom have debt.

Apart from these, several violent incidents took a toll on the farmers' lives too. On Republic day, thousands of protesters clashed with the police during the tractor parade called by farmer unions demanding a repeal of the laws. At Red Fort, a section of protesters climbed poles and walls and hoisted the Nishan Sahib flag. One protester lost his life in this chaos. The most recent deaths occurred during the Lakhimpur Kheri incidence in Uttar Pradesh, in which eight people were killed. Four of them were farmers. This case was linked with Ajay Mishra - a BJP leader in the area. His son Ashish Mishra was arrested after a video of car being rammed into the protesters had surfaced.

The protests received support from across the nation

After these protests, the number of states reporting farmers’ protests went up to 15 in 2020 from 12 in 2019, according to NCRB. The analysis showed that the growth in the number of protests in 2020 was recorded after three years of continuous decline. The protesting farmers majorly belonged to northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

In 2021, farmers from at least 22 states / Union territories came forward in support of the dissent by farmers against the farm laws, according to the state of India’s Environment, 2021 report by the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based non-profit. The annual report, compiled on the basis of media reports, stated that these protests were mostly against the three controversial farm laws, state legislations, budget allocation for the farm sector, market- and price-related failures and demand for higher minimum support prices for crops.

The state governments also came forward in support of these protests that had acquired nationwide support and caught international attention. Seven Indian state governments passed resolutions against the farm laws including Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Repercussions of the protests on the economy

According to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Delhi and its neighboring states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan suffered a loss of about Rs 27,000 crore due to the farmers’ protests. ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) had said that 'the ongoing protests against the farm reform laws are dealing a big blow to the interconnected economies of the region, including Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Similarly, according to ASSOCHAM’s rough estimates, daily loss of Rs 3,000-3500 crore is being faced by the economies of the region from the value chain and transport disruption caused due to these protests.' In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Roads, Transport, Highways, and MSMEs, had informed that the National Highways Authority of India suffered a toll revenue loss of Rs 814.4 crore till 16 March 2021, as a result of farmers’ agitation in three states.