Suppressing dissent with violence: The 2024 farmers’ protest in India
The ongoing 2024 farmers' protests in India have garnered significant national and international attention due to their scale, persistence, and response from Indian government authorities.
In 2020-21, farmers, primarily from the States of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, took part in a series of protests against three agricultural laws enacted by the Indian government which would have deregulated agricultural markets, allowing greater involvement of private players, which farmers feared would undermine their livelihoods and leave them vulnerable to corporate exploitation. Whilst these protests, which went on for 16 months, were successful in pressuring the government to repeal the laws, farmers have since claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has failed to fulfill its promise to them.
After unsuccessful negotiations between farmers’ representatives and government officials on 12 February 2024, where representatives had demanded a guarantee on assured floor prices for crop production, the protests began on 13 February when farmers from multiple farm unions assembled at State borders seeking to march to the National Capital region of New Delhi.
The agricultural sector plays a crucial role in India's economy, employing a significant portion of the population, particularly in rural areas, with agriculture accounting for 23% of GDP and employing 59% of the country's total workforce in 2016. For decades, the government has implemented various policies to support and regulate agricultural practices, including procurement at guaranteed prices through the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). However, the introduction of the three farm laws – the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act – sought to overhaul and dismantle this system, sparking the earlier successful protests among farmers.
Farmers are now seeking legal guarantees of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed at least 50% higher than the cost of production of any crop; waivers off farm loans; and rollbacks on any detrimental policies. Additionally, farmers are protesting against the planned privatization of the electricity sector (which they claim would threaten the subsidized electricity they receive currently from the state) and requesting compensation for the deaths of farmers during previous protests.
Despite multiple rounds of negotiations between farmer unions and the government, a resolution has not been reached, leading to a prolonged standoff. As the protests continue, there are growing concerns regarding the authorities' response, which has been marked by allegations of excessive force, suppression of dissent, and violations of human rights.
When the protesters taking part in the 'Delhi Chalo' (Let's go to Delhi) march on the morning of 13 February, reached the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border roughly 200 km north of the capital, they found blockades of sandbags, barbed wire, cement blocks and metal containers, with police having drilled nails and iron spikes into sections of the road to the capital to prevent vehicles from advancing.
Protesters who managed to breach the blockades were met with water cannons, drones dropping tear gas canisters and rubber bullets, raising concerns about the disproportionate use of force and violations of the right to peaceful assembly.
Despite this, protestors have defended their right to march peacefully and sought to protect themselves and counter the security weaponry with kites, sling-shots and snare guns to ward off drones, and soaked jute bags to contain teargas canisters, with some using bulldozers and excavators to try to push through the barricades.
Moreover, the death of protester and farmer 22- year-old Shubh Karan Singh allegedly due to police firing on 21 February resulted in Amnesty International issuing a statement on the protests, with Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India, condemning the death, urging the government to "respect, protect and facilitate the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in line with its international human rights obligations.”
Following the death and a new government offer to resume talks on 21 February, farmers agreed to pause their march for two days.
Critics argue that the Indian government's response to the farmers' protests reflects a broader trend of suppressing dissent and curbing freedom of expression. In addition to deploying heavy security forces to deter protesters, the authorities have blocked internet access in protest areas, and allegedly unlawfully arrested several protesters.
Social media platform ‘X’ also stated on February 22 that it had reluctantly complied with orders by the Indian government to take down certain accounts and posts, which local media reports assert are linked to the ongoing protests. This also comes as a narrative conflating protesting Indian farmers with the Khalistani Sikh-separatist movement, which seeks to establish a Sikh-controlled nation state within India’s borders, has become widespread on social media and on Indian TV news channels, mirroring a similar trope spread against protesters during the 2020-21 protests.
Like the 2020-21 farmers’ protests, the 2024 farmers' protests in India represent a significant challenge to the government's policies and have sparked a national debate on agricultural reform, democracy, and human rights. As Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prepare to fight the Indian general elections in April/May 2024, his popularity will be crucial in deciding his electoral success, with farmers constituting a powerful voting bloc.
The use of excessive force, suppression of dissent, and violations of fundamental rights raises concerns about the Indian government's actions and may risk further exacerbating tensions.