It has been 42 days since the farmers, led by 41 farmer unions, have been protesting at the Delhi borders demanding the repeal of the 2020 farm bill, which allow farmers to sell their produce outside 'mandis' to whomever they want. The three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in agriculture that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country. The government believes that farmers will get better prices through competition and cost-cutting on transportation, and these bills will increase private investment in the agricultural sector. However, this Bill could mean states will lose 'commissions' and 'mandi fees'. The farmers fear the harm of their interests and believe they will be exploited at the hands of corporations.
The course of the farm stir began on November 26, with thousands of protesters gathering at highways leading to Delhi.
It has been seven months since the new laws came into force and the government has held seven rounds of talks with farmers since then, but it has always ended in a deadlock. There is no breakthrough in the deadlock simply because of the inherent distrust between these parties and the repeated hardening of their positions.
The farmers are determined to get back the old laws back. Kirti Kisan Union leader Rajinder Singh Deepsinghwala put it in clear terms: "The government wants to discuss the laws with us clause-wise. But we have only one line for them – ‘no appeal, no daleel, only repeal’."
We are witnessing the largest organized strike in global history. The farmers are pillars of the Indian community, and I believe they showcase a protest not only for the repeal of the three farm laws but also for the defense of democracy and the principle of self-determination. There is a glaring imbalance of power between the farmers and the multinational corporations, and they protest because they fear the loss of their rights and their livelihoods. The only solution to this is engaging and collaborating with the farmers, and utilizing their personal opinions, ideas, and experiences to form policies that will benefit the agrarian community.
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