Roundup: Indian farmers protest in Delhi

Delhi was rocked by protests yesterday, as tens of thousands of farmers took to the streets in a long-running protest over three controversial new farm bills. Here at the Asia Media Centre, we take a quick look at what’s been happening.

In September 2020, India’s Parliament passed three new farm bills.

The bills were brought in with the aim of deregulating the agricultural sector. The central government stated these new bills would give farmers greater power to sell their produce wherever and to whomever they liked and bring greater private investment to the industry.

But the new bills drew strong resistance from many farmers and farming unions. The bills were labelled ‘anti-farmer’, as opponents said they gave too much control to corporates and risked weakening smaller farms, among other criticisms.

Since September, unions and the government have gone through several rounds of negotiations, with minimal movement on each side. Many farmers have been protesting over the last few months, beginning mostly in Punjab, with anti-bill sentiment spreading through the country.

On January 26, farmers and unions planned to hold a huge rally, with tens of thousands gathering in Delhi to take part. Some protestors had been on the outskirts of the city since November, voicing their disagreement with the government’s moves.

The rally coincided with India’s Republic Day – a national holiday honouring the date India’s Constitution came into effect.

To keep things peaceful, the Delhi Police permitted protestors to hold their rally only after Republic Day celebrations had wound up and set up three routes for them to follow.

But among the protestors, some started early and broke away to take their own paths through Delhi. Clashes broke out as they ran into police and the violence escalated, even reaching the Red Fort. Here at the Asia Media Centre, we’ve gathered up a roundup of media coverage to get you up to speed on what’s been happening:

See pictures of the day here

A day of protests:

A timeline of what happened at the R-Day protests - The Deccan Herald

Famers’ Republic Day tractor parade violence: who said what - Times of India

Union leaders make appeal, divert blame after anarchy reigns - Hindustan Times

Farmers broke pre-decided conditions for tractor parade, many personnel injured: Delhi Police - The Deccan Herald

The new bills and the leadup to protests:

What agitating farmers want and why the Centre may not oblige - India Today Insight

Farmers protesting the three new ordinances - The Quint

India's protesting farmers aren't going anywhere - The Diplomat

New Zealand media reporting:

India’s farmers attract worldwide support - Asia Media Centre