Farmers have become increasingly restless in India for years, now finally coming to a boiling point after the government's implementation of the three new agricultural laws. The BJP didn't see the world's largest protest taking place in the capital because they were banking on continuing to take advantage of agricultural workers.

Over 50% of working Indians are farmers, and yet the farming industry is insignificant when looking at the country's GDP. Farming plots and farmer incomes have been decreasing, pricing for goods have become unpredictable and inconsistent, the process of trade isn't regulated efficiently, meaning a good portion of profit is lost on middle-men. This is a direct result of the government's plan to commercialise the agricultural industry, forcing us to question if there was an agenda to cut the welfare of the farmers out completely. This includes purposefully excluding them from policy building, to not equipping them with what they need to farm successfully in this modern era and ignoring their general welfare issues.

The only thing the BJP has successfully done is ensure that agricultural work becomes less and less dignified for farmers. The surge of debt farmers have to face, the alcohol and drug abuse prevalent within the community and farmer suicides attests to this. There's a lot of dialogue within India pertaining to the idea that the current protests taking place are being influenced by opposition parties and those who are in general anti- Modi. This is not only disingenuous but a clear attempt to sway the public from the real and more importantly justified reasons as to why farmers are protesting.

The protestors do not have a political leader, this movement is purely being driven by the agricultural workers and non-political farming unions. To believe that the farmers will heed for less than what they are demanding is an absolute misconception.

Delhi has already tried appeasing them with a promise MSP with a "written assurance", but this doesn't touch on the three laws that catalysed these protests nor the continuation of free power. With rations and food to last the duration of 6 months and braving sleeping in open shelters during a very cold Indian winter, the farmers epitomise determination, courage and resilience.


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