Cameron Miranda
In 2020, the Indian government introduced three agricultural reform bills, collectively known as the farm laws. These laws were intended to deregulate India's agricultural sector, allowing farmers to sell their produce directly to large buyers and make contract farming easier. However, farmers feared that these laws would leave them at the mercy of corporates, dismantle price supports for key crops, and jeopardize their livelihoods. As a result, farmers across India engaged in mass protests, demanding the creation of a minimum support price (MSP) bill and guaranteed income for farmers above 60 years of age. Despite the Indian government's defence of the laws, the protests gained international attention and support, ultimately leading to the government's decision to repeal the farm laws in November 2021.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2020-2021 |
| Number of laws | 3 |
| Names of laws | Farm Bills, Farm Laws, Agricultural Reform Bills |
| Nature of laws | Deregulating India's agricultural sector, relaxing restrictions on the sale of farm produce, loosening restrictions on the stocking and movement of essential commodities, allowing contract farming agreements with buyers |
| Demands of protestors | Creation of a minimum support price (MSP) bill, withdrawal of the laws, enactment of a law guaranteeing a minimum price for all crops, implementation of the Swaminathan Committee Recommendations, guaranteed income for farmers above 60, minimum wages under MGNREGA, better integration with the agro-industry, legal guarantee of MSP for all crops |
| Response of the Indian government | Use of police and law enforcement to stop protestors, repeal of the three laws in November 2021 |
| International response | Support from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tweets from celebrities and activists like Rihanna, Greta Thunberg, and Meena Harris |
| Allegations by BJP leaders | International conspiracy by China and Pakistan, agitation by "anti-national forces" and "terrorists", instigation by "Tukde Tukde Gang" |
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What You'll Learn
- Farmers protested three farm laws passed in September 2020
- The laws aimed to deregulate the agricultural sector
- Farmers demanded a minimum support price (MSP) bill to ensure corporates cannot control prices
- The protests centred on the capital, New Delhi
- In November 2021, the Indian Prime Minister repealed the farm laws
Farmers protested three farm laws passed in September 2020
In September 2020, the Parliament of India passed three farm acts, often referred to as the Farm Bills. These acts were intended to give farmers the freedom to sell directly to institutional buyers, bypassing the state-regulated marketplaces known as 'mandis'. The laws also loosened restrictions on the stocking and movement of essential food items, allowing stockpiling, and enabled farmers to enter into contracts with buyers directly.
Many farmer unions and politicians from the opposition protested these laws, describing them as "anti-farmer". They argued that the laws would leave farmers vulnerable to corporates, as disputes would be taken to SDMs instead of the judiciary, and that the removal of restrictions could lead to stockpiling by large companies, threatening the livelihoods of farmers. The protesting farmers demanded the creation of a minimum support price (MSP) bill to ensure that corporates could not control prices. They also demanded the withdrawal of the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, which they feared would lead to an end to subsidised electricity.
The protests began in late September 2020, soon after the laws were passed, and continued for over a year. In November 2020, a nationwide general strike took place in support of the farmers, with thousands converging at various border points on the way to New Delhi. The protests included farmers from the states of Punjab and Haryana, which are major agricultural producers. In January 2021, there were clashes between protesters and police, with one protester killed and 86 officers injured. The protests gained international attention, with celebrities and activists speaking out in support of the farmers.
Finally, in November 2021, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced that his government would repeal the three farm laws. However, even after the repeal, many protesting farmers remained camped outside the capital, and some continued to demand the enactment of a law guaranteeing a minimum price for all crops.
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The laws aimed to deregulate the agricultural sector
In 2020, the Indian government introduced three agricultural reform bills, collectively known as the farm laws. These laws were intended to deregulate the agricultural sector by relaxing restrictions on the sale of farm produce and enabling farmers to sell directly to bulk buyers. The laws also allowed for the stockpiling of essential commodities and enabled farmers to enter into contract farming agreements with buyers.
The first of these laws, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, allowed farmers to sell their produce outside of state-regulated marketplaces known as "mandis". This meant that anyone could buy agricultural produce directly from farms. The second law removed restrictions on the stocking and movement of essential commodities such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onions, and potatoes. Finally, the third law enabled farmers to enter into contract farming agreements with buyers directly, bypassing the mandis and providing local dispute settlement mechanisms.
The Indian government projected these laws as major reforms that would benefit small and marginal farmers by removing middlemen and improving their bargaining power. However, farmer unions and opposition politicians argued that the laws were anti-farmer and would leave farmers vulnerable to corporate interests, potentially jeopardizing their livelihoods. They demanded the creation of a minimum support price (MSP) bill to protect farmers' incomes and provide stability in agricultural markets.
The protests against these laws began in September 2020 and continued for over a year, with farmers from major agricultural states such as Punjab and Haryana participating. The protests included marches, strikes, and the blocking of roads and railways. Despite multiple rounds of talks between the government and farmer representatives, an agreement could not be reached. Finally, in November 2021, the Indian government announced the repeal of the farm laws.
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Farmers demanded a minimum support price (MSP) bill to ensure corporates cannot control prices
Farmers in India have been protesting against three farm acts, or farm laws, passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020. These laws were projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector, aiming to remove middlemen and enable farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country. However, farmers feared that these laws would dismantle price supports for key crops, leaving them at the "'mercy of corporates'", and jeopardising their livelihoods.
One of the key demands of the protesting farmers was the enactment of a law that ensures a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for all crops. Currently, the government announces MSP for only a select few crops, leaving others vulnerable to market fluctuations and potentially lower prices. A legal guarantee of MSP would provide farmers with a more stable and predictable income, protecting them from the risks of market unpredictability. It would also ensure that corporates cannot control prices, addressing the farmers' fears of a corporate takeover of India's agrarian economy.
The MSP system is crucial for farmers as it represents the minimum price paid by the government when it procures crops from them. The MSP is announced by the state-run Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) for more than 22 commodities on an annual basis, after calculating the cost of cultivation. However, with the virtual disbanding of the mandi system, farmers feared that they would not receive an assured price for their crops and that the "arthiyas" or commission agents would lose their business.
While the Indian government maintained that the laws would make it easier for farmers to sell their produce directly to big buyers, farmers demanded the withdrawal of these laws, seeking legal assurance that the MSP system would continue. They proposed that this could be achieved through an amendment to the laws, ensuring that corporates cannot control prices. In November 2021, after nearly a year of mass protests, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced the repeal of the three farm laws, recognising the determination of the farmers who opposed the reforms.
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The protests centred on the capital, New Delhi
The 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest was a demonstration against three farm acts passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020. The acts were described as "anti-farmer laws" by many farmer unions and opposition politicians, who argued that they would make farmers vulnerable to corporate power and leave them with no price control or protection.
In December 2020, the Supreme Court of India received petitions asking for the removal of blockades created by the protesters around Delhi. The farmers refused, stating that the implementation of the farm laws needed to be repealed, not merely paused. The farmers camped at the borders, blocking inter-state mobility until the government finally repealed the farm laws after a year.
In January 2021, tens of thousands of farmers protesting agricultural reforms held a parade with a large convoy of tractors and drove into Delhi. The farmers were barred from entering the central part of the city, where the official Republic Day parade was taking place.
In February 2024, tens of thousands of Indian farmers again tried to march to New Delhi to demand guaranteed crop prices for their produce. Police fired tear gas and detained some farmers who tried to break through barricades. Clashes between farmers and police left one protester dead.
In March 2024, thousands of farmers protested in New Delhi, demanding a law guaranteeing minimum crop prices. They had been blocked from entering the city for weeks, with authorities barricading highways into the capital with cement blocks, metal containers, barbed wire, and iron spikes. The farmers rode crowded buses and trains to the protest, as police banned the use of farm vehicles.
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In November 2021, the Indian Prime Minister repealed the farm laws
In 2020, the Parliament of India passed three farm acts, often referred to as the Farm Bills. These acts were:
- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020
- The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020
- The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020
These acts were intended to deregulate the country's agricultural sector and provide a framework for contract farming, facilitate barrier-free trade, and regulate the supply of certain food items. However, many farmer unions and opposition politicians viewed these laws as "anti-farmer", arguing that they would leave farmers at the mercy of corporates and lead to the end of government-guaranteed price floors.
In response to these new laws, Indian farmers initiated a year of sustained mass protests, with tens of thousands of union members marching towards the nation's capital, Delhi. The protests demanded the creation of a minimum support price (MSP) bill and the implementation of the Swaminathan Committee's recommendations to improve farmers' income and welfare. On 12 January 2021, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the farm laws and appointed a committee to look into farmer grievances.
Finally, on 19 November 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government would repeal the three farm acts. On 29 November 2021, the Indian parliament passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, repealing the three farm acts without debate in both the lower and upper houses.
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