Скачать или смотреть India farmers celebrate U-turn on contentious laws

(19 Nov 2021) Farmers in India celebrated a surprise announcement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday that controversial agricultural laws which sparked yearlong protests are to be withdrawn.
The decision is a major climbdown by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party government, which enjoys a brute majority in Parliament but has been often accused by opposition leaders and constitutional experts of ramming through laws without enough consultation.
At Ghazipur, one of the demonstration sites on the outskirts of New Delhi, celebrations were subdued even though some farmers distributed sweets and burst firecrackers.
"We are happy, but us farmers don't trust the government so much," said farmer Jai Kumar Malik.
Farming unions welcome the announcement, but have said the protests would continue until the government assures them guaranteed prices for certain essential crops - a system that was introduced in the 1960s to help India shore up its food reserves and prevent shortages.
The decision also came ahead of key elections in states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, and on the day of the Guru Purab festival, when Sikhs, who made up most of the protesters, celebrate their founder Guru Nanak's birthday.
Modi made the announcement during a televised speech that was broadcast live.
He urged the protesters to return home and said the constitutional process to repeal the laws will begin in December when Parliament sits for the winter session.
The laws were passed in September last year and Modi's party refused to extend the debate despite repeated requests from the opposition.
For a year, the government defended the laws, saying they were necessary reforms to modernize India's agricultural sector and boost production through private investment.
But the farmers protested, saying the legislation would devastate their earnings by ending guaranteed pricing and force them to sell their crops to corporations at cheaper prices.
Farmers form the most influential voting bloc in India.
Politicians have long considered it unwise to alienate them, and farmers are particularly important to Modi's base.
Northern Haryana and a few other states with substantial farmer populations are ruled by his party.

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