The ongoing protests of contentious agriculture laws to deregulate the farming sector gained some international momentum with Tweets from both Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Farmers in India fear that the new laws will threaten decades-old concessions, such as assured prices, and weaken their bargaining power, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by private companies. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has offered to suspend the laws but the farmers want them repealed. According to the 2016 Economic Survey, the average annual income of a farming family in more than half of India’s states was a paltry Rs 20,000 ($271).
Internet access remained blocked Monday in several districts of a state bordering India’s capital following violent weekend clashes between police and farmers protesting controversial agricultural reforms … The internet restrictions came after violent scenes last week as demonstrations continue against three agricultural laws passed in September.
