Name: India's farmers vs. Modi's government: Who is right? | DW News
Uploaded: 2020-12-21T18:55:18.000Z
Duration: 8 min 58 s
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For almost a month now, thousands of farmers in India have been camped just outside the capital Delhi, protesting against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Farmers say three new agricultural laws passed in September could make them worse off.

The government says the farmers are wrong.

These opposing views have led to a deadlock.

Despite several rounds of negotiations between both sides.

DWS name Misha, Jess Well and Scherick Mammoth met thes farmers for their view on what's at stake.

Three weeks out in the winter, cold passions are still running high at this protest.

Thousands of farmers have occupied this main highway to Delhi, where the simple ultimatum repeal the new farm laws.

President that we call has worked tirelessly at a free kitchen to feed the protesting farmers.

She wants to teach her young daughters what it means to fight for their rights.

We've come here to show our kids how to protest, to struggle.

When they grow up, they should no way air seeks.

Beyonce Sing believes the new farm laws will likely slash margins on his sugar cane crop.

The new legislation allows farmers to sell to cooperates, but Singh believes this will eventually undermine the security off a minimum support price guaranteed by the government.

He's also frustrated that farmers were not consulted before the laws were passed For him, it is an unwanted gift theme.

Government is trying to explain to us why these laws there for our benefit, they aren't listening to us.

What they don't understand is that a farmer who takes a crop from seed to harvest knows everything.

It is this determination to make the government listen that has made this protest a growing force.

The border of Delhi on this 12 kilometer stretch peppered with free medical camps on food kitchens, is a temporary home for thousands of farmers.

This is the protest village, veteran rural affairs journalist, peace sign.

Earth is out here to talk to the farmers.

In his view, the negotiations collapsed because amending what he calls fundamentally bad laws won't change their content.

He also says this government's lack of consistency on promises made to farmers over the years has increased their distrust.

He acknowledges that the current system needs reform, but he feels these laws failed to do that.

Even if you repeal these laws, which I think you should, what, you haven't sold the agrarian crisis.

The agrarian crisis has been on for 28 years.

Yeah, 330 0 farmers have taken their own lives.

For now, the young and the old have come together, determined to make their voices heard.

Despite the bitter cold on the deadlock, their spirits are high.

For 69 year old soak Wansink Jima, this protest is a celebration.

Cheema has tilled land since childhood, and he says the time has come to teach the government a much needed lesson.

We've been protesting in Punjab for three months now.

The prime minister could have said something to us then.

Now that we've come to his home, he's run away.

Is that how you treat guests were ready to stay for six months?

Theme government insists that the farmers are misunderstanding the intent of the law.

However, the farmers say they haven't faced water cannon and baton charges for cause they don't grasp.

They are adamant they will not give up till the more the government backs down.

Yeah, and joining me for more now is a JV jacker.

He's a farmer himself and chairman of the Parrot Chris Cox Image Farmers Organization in India.

Now, Despite assurances from the government to the contrary, farmers are still convinced that they will be worse off under the new farm laws.

See various governments over the last many, many years in a bit toe keep food.

Inflation in control have artificially suppressed farm gate prices for years, literally for decades on.

Now, the majority of farmers who are not getting a short prices want assurances for their produce.

While the few farmers who get a short prices are worried that they will lose the benefits now, these fears are not unfounded.

In the run up to these 33 acts that have bean formulated by by the parliament, there have been many indications from government functionaries on government offices about limiting or doing away with support price mechanisms as they exist.

The C S C P, which sets the support prices or the central bank, the Reserve Bank of India or a union minister have all said in somewhat clear terms about the possibility off how support prices are not sustainable.

But the overall argument coming from the government side, as it appears to be that farmers will have more choice.

They will not be bound by the government marketplaces where they get these a short support prices that you're referring to.

I mean, all that sounds quite reasonable, doesn't it?

See, now I'll just give you an example off.

What these combination of these three builds do now imagine a stock exchange, which, without a regulator where share transactions are not recorded, where data is not collected, where the aggrieved party, in this case the farmers are being denied, read, wrestle recourse off civil courts.

No farmers have a choice if traders come toe one platform.

This segregated markets don't increase competition, but they increase monopoly as even price discovery becomes impossible for farmers.

In such a situation, terms of trade will become worse for farmers on Over the longer term, the choices will vanish.

One point of agreement, at least between the center on the farmers and that is that Indian agriculture requires an overhaul on the government is adamant that these laws help to do that.

So what you are saying is that that is not the case, and the government's intentions are perhaps less than noble.

I think the government's intentions are very noble.

They want to do good for the majority of the people.

But the way the bureaucracy has gone about enacting these laws, the trust efficient between the government and farmers has increased.

These officials have not only misled the prime minister's office, they did not consult farmers or state governments before notifying these ordinances.

So rather than focus on processes, they have bean fixated on outcomes.

And whenever that is done, the end result is never is never a good one.

But there have been at least five rounds of negotiations with the government, and the government has a short farmers that look these minimum prices off support will be available.

The farmers get minimum support price is it's it's farmers feel that these bills will take away whatever little benefits they have off the markets.

It's it's the government's responsibility to be magnanimous, to listen to the farmers toe, win their trust, have empathy.

It's necessary that farmers returned to the village is not feeling that they have lost a battle, but with reassurances that the central government is working for their benefit on not working for oligarchs and corporate houses.

I think the ball is in the central government's court toe.

RJ, how do you see these protests ending?

I hope the government stops listening toe their bureaucracy.

I hope the government starts listening to the people who elected them on Duh.

I think it's in the hands of the government now.

As I said, the government has good intentions.

Now it needs to find a way to translate those intentions in tow into actions.