Farmers across India are out in the streets protesting in the middle of this pandemic. With the new farm bills being passed, will there be MSPs for crops, or will farmers be left at the mercy of big corporates — that’s their apprehension.
A few days ago when the three contentious agricultural bills were passed in the Parliament in the backdrop of farmer agitations, PM Narendra Modi had touted these bills as a watershed moment for India’s agricultural sector while also warning farmers against what he called “misinformation” from those who are raising “false alarms” about how farmers won’t get the right prices for their produce.
But then why have the farmer protests only intensified since the bills were passed? Why are farmer organisations holding Bharat Bandh, Rail Roko and Chakka jam protests in thousands and thousands? Why are they worried about losing their leverage in the…