Farmers’ Protest
In late 2020, farmers from India’s breadbasket state of Punjab started streaming towards the capital New Delhi to protest against three new farm laws that the government had enacted in September.
Eventually, tens of thousands of farmers came to occupy three large protest sites outside the capital city, posing one of the biggest political challenges for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has refused to roll back the laws.
On January 26 2021, the protests turned violent after some protesters rode tractors into Delhi and clashed with police. But after a brief lull, the agitation gathered further momentum, spreading into the politically-influential state of Uttar Pradesh, where sugarcane farmers joined the stir.
Tractors to Twitter: India's protesting farmers battle on highway, online
In a standoff between farmers from India’s northern breadbasket and the government that has convulsed the country, the farmers have a 21st-century ally: a handful of supporters scattered around the world running a Twitter handle.
Within hours, Indian farm protests turned from carnival to violent clashes
Within hours, the huge tractor procession that started in a carnival spirit had smashed through barricades, reached the heart of the city and turned violent.
Full story here.
Indian protests against agriculture reforms attract new supporters
Thousands of farmers in a politically important Indian state on Friday rallied in opposition to new agricultural laws, signalling growing support for a months-long campaign to have the government reforms scrapped.