Farmers have been protesting over the past four months against a reform promoted by Prime Minister Modi, blocking railway tracks and a highway linking the federal capital to Uttar Pradesh. Talks between the farmers’ unions and the government are at a standstill. Industrialists complain that the post-pandemic recovery is being jeopardised.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Tens of thousands of farmers who oppose agricultural reform have blocked parts of northern India.
Four months to the day after protests began, negotiations between farmers’ unions and the government are stalled. For this reason, the farmers announced that their protests will continue.
Groups of protesters squatted on railway tracks, causing the cancellation of at least 30 passenger trains and blocking 20 freight trains. A highway between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh was also blocked.
Punjab and Haryana are two more states affected by the strike; tens of thousands of local farmers have been camped on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi since last November.
Their action has disrupted urban traffic and manufacturing activities around Delhi.
Approved in September, the reform liberalises the agricultural market. Indian farmers can now sell to anyone at any price, instead of being forced to sell crops to state warehouses at a fixed price.
Farmers, especially smallholders, want the reform scrapped and the old “managed” system restored, with the guarantee of a minimum price for their products.
Farmers fear that under the new rules the larger groups will monopolise the market and impose more competitive prices.
Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defended the new system. In his view, it will bring great benefits to tens of millions of farmers.
Government supporters note that the legislation does not eliminate the system of public agencies buying rice and grains at a fixed price.
Most Indian economists and experts think the same way. However, they criticise the government for not consulting farmers before the law was adopted.
Industrialists have warned that if protests continue they will jeopardise the post-COVID recovery. The industry confederation said that they may push logistics cost by up to 8 to 10 per cent with a negative impact on the country’s economy.