The Indian agriculture sector could be considered the country’s economic rock, yet it’s powered by some of the poorest, most underprivileged people living there. Despite India being the largest cultivator of several different kinds of produce consumed all over the world, the farmers there often find it difficult to make ends meet where their own families are concerned. In 2020, 41.49 % of India’s workforce is known to be employed in agriculture, and up until September of 2020, the rights of these workers were somewhat protected by the law; however, a set of three laws passed in September now makes them an open target for corporate exploitation. Since then, tens of thousands of Indian farmers came out on to the streets to protest against these new laws that threaten their livelihoods.
Practices that were previously considered illegal may now take place with less obstacles, legal and otherwise. In order to purchase goods from farmer’s markets (mandis), private buyers/companies no longer have to follow the standard procedure – they may do so through direct contracts with the farmers. This means that business can be done privately across state borders. Traders can buy enough produce to store it for a time when prices have risen significantly, such as the pandemic we’re currently in. They can then resell it for a profit through hoarding, something that negatively impacts the farmers’ income.
Since farmers are now encouraged to sell directly to companies, the prices of their crops are no longer protected by the government. This is due to the fact that previously, these crops were sold in government-regulated markets, where farmers were guaranteed certain prices. While the government continues to give their word regarding prices, there is no longer any legal security in the matter. This allows for easy exploitation of India’s entire agriculture sector by private companies. This sector not only makes up a huge chunk of India’s overall economy, but also exports huge amounts of goods to several other countries all over the globe, which makes this a cause of concern for everyone.
According to Modi, these new laws free the farmers of the dictatorship of middlemen – this stance is flawed in the sense that the so-called “dictatorship” is what provided them with a certain kind of assurance as far as their land and crop prices were concerned. Under the old laws, the state earned revenue from whatever produce was sold at the mandis, since they were government regulated markets. When those sales were impacted, so were the state revenues. That is no longer an issue. Furthermore, the language of these laws becomes another justified reason for everyone involved to be concerned. Written contracts are no longer required, allowing for subjective comprehension. This, in turn, means that the law may be twisted to be in favor of whatever party has more power.
Misleading information is also being spread all over social media to camouflage the lack of concern shown by certain people in power, such as a fake screenshot of a tweet by Kamala Harris showing support for these protests. Remarks passed by the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, were also declined by the Indian government. There are countless efforts being made to downplay the true impact of these protests, which makes it even more difficult for the people protesting to get their message across.
Just outside New Delhi, farmers from all over India gathered to protest against these laws, despite the progressively worsening status of COVID-19 in the country. In different interviews, farmers expressed their concerns about how these laws could exacerbate their living conditions. Their already limited income can take a huge blow if people stop buying their produce, considering that the land that they own is at risk of being taken from them at any point. The lack of legal security they now have both in terms of crop prices and land makes for a very unstable source of income.
Before these laws were passed, the very people whose income they could threaten were neither informed, nor asked the opinion of. Moreover, the protests that the farmers have every right to take part in are being stopped by the police. This means that not only are they being pushed out of the economy, but their rights to legal political practices are also being interfered in. The farmers believe that due to their place in one of the largest agricultural sectors in the world, they deserve more respect and their pleas must be answered by the government in a way that satisfies everyone involved – they must repeal these laws.
India has one of the highest farmer suicide rates in the world with over 10,282 suicides in 2019 alone. Apart from how these laws adversely affect these statistics and violate their basic human rights, no one can be held accountable for the damage due to having been granted immunity under Section 13 of The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020.
Furthermore, 70% of the world’s spice produce and 62% of the global demand for vaccines is fulfilled by Indian farms. Not only is India a supplier of one of the largest number of FDA approved plants for medicine, but is also the 3rd largest producer of pharmaceuticals, and the largest for cotton production. So if you use pepper, chili, garlic or even turmeric in your food, if you have ever been vaccinated or if you even wear clothes, this concerns you. Disruption to farmers’ livelihoods and the stockpiling by big companies will undoubtedly be a detriment to the supply of these products across the globe, which will further impact smaller businesses and individual consumers.
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