November 27th – Thousands of farmers in the northern Indian state of Haryana went to the capital New Delhi to hold a protest on the 26th local time. Police tried to stop them by firing tear gas.
According to the Associated Press, thousands of Indian farmers held protests in the northern state of Haryana to demand that the government repeal new agricultural laws, which they fear will reduce their income and empower enterprises more.
The farmers drove tractors and motorcycles to the capital New Delhi, threw police-set roadblocks into the river near the Ambala district, and threw bricks and stones at the police. The police stopped them with tear gas and high-pressure water guns.
Hundreds of police officers have been reportedly deployed on the border between New Delhi and Haryana to stop the protesters. At present, no casualties have been reported.
The Indian government said that the new law aims to reform India’s agricultural sector, allowing farmers to sell their products freely, and promoting agricultural growth through private investment.
Farmers said that the new agricultural law would cause the government to stop buying food at guaranteed prices, which would lead enterprises to buy their crops at low prices. In the past two months, some migrant workers have camped on highways in Punjab and Haryana.
To appease them, the federal government called for a second round of negotiations on December 3.
India’s agriculture once accounted for one-third of India’s GDP, but the economic influence of agriculture has gradually declined over the past 30 years, and now accounts for only 15% of India’s total economy of $2.9 trillion.
According to the National Crime Records Agency of India, more than half of India’s farmers are heavily in debt, with a total of 20,638 suicides in 2018 and 2019.
Many factors are believed to be responsible for farmers’ suicide, including crop failure, financial disaster and lack of community support.
