Stay updated with breaking news from Jokhu ray. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
“We’re not going anywhere. We are ready to sit here for years if needed. The government has to listen,” said Balwinder Singh, 50, who normally grows rice and wheat on 3 acres of land in Punjab. He has been protesting since Nov. 26 on the Singhu border, the epicentre of the demonstrations outside Delhi. “We can survive the coronavirus but not these laws.” Behind the protesters’ fears and the government rhetoric is a reality that the country somehow needs to reshape its agricultural system or face the environmental consequences of overproduction and a fiscal calamity from ballooning farm subsidies. Get the reform right and it could raise millions of agriculture-dependent families out of poverty and propel India to the forefront of global food exports. Get it wrong and it could force tens of millions of people off their land and degrade up to 90% of the nation’s water supply. ....
Modi’s fight with farmers is a pivotal moment in India’s growth SECTIONS Modi’s fight with farmers is a pivotal moment in India’s growthBy Pratik Parija, Bloomberg Last Updated: Feb 13, 2021, 10:45 PM IST Share Synopsis Behind the protesters’ fears and the government rhetoric is a reality that the country somehow needs to reshape its agricultural system or face the environmental consequences of overproduction and a fiscal calamity from ballooning farm subsidies. Agencies Hundreds of thousands of farmers are swelling protests along arterial roads into the capital and other cities across India. The police and paramilitary forces have deployed up to 50,000 personnel, as well as barricades, barbed wire and riot-control vehicles. The United Nations is urging restraint. And each day, more farmers and tractors arrive to join the disgruntled ranks. ....