Between September of 2020 and November of 2021, India faced widespread protests by farmers. Farmers from across the country especially in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh came together with trade unions to oppose 3 farm laws passed in the Lok Sabha in early 2020 which would have effectively ended MSP (Minimum Support Price) which granted a price floor for crops. What followed would be a combination of severe misinformation, religious bigotry, police violence, and international sensationalism from celebrities, politicians, and environmental activists. The farmers protest ended with the farmers being seen as victorious after the 3 farm laws had been repealled after more than a year of protests. This has established farmers as an important voting block and challenged what many see as growing egoism from politicians.
The 2024 farmers' protests demands are expansive yet different compared to 3 years ago. While MSP is one demand made by protesting farmers to be expanded across multiple crops with a rise in price, it also involves demands for better land conservation, efforts in adivasi development, changes to MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) that expand employment and wages, and even withdrawal from Free Trade Agreements to protect farmers and ensure fair competition from foreign brands.
While many have supported the protest’s demands due to its connection to the larger topic of agricultural protection and business ethics, journalists and netizens were quick to note how many prominent pages and social media accounts that were reporting on the protest, were blocked due to legal demands. Netizens have also commented on the grand irony that while reporters have been blocked, many who have engaged in disinformation campaigns that consist of predominantly politicians, and right wing trolls, continue to be active. Just 3 years ago, these very trolls and politicians slandered protesting farmers as seditious and given a communal spin of them being fanatical sikhs despite the fact that the protestors come from a multitude of backgrounds and faiths, and many had even served proudly in the army .
While the protests have been largely documented with video and photographic evidence of violence especially with the death of a 21 year old protestor shot dead by the police, this protest is especially important due to the use of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence to pump out disinformation at an alarming rate, and the protest taking place months before national elections. The protests 3 years ago have proven that governments can’t ignore their rural populations should they have demands for economic sustainability. This was evident in 2022 where support for the BJP(Bharatiya Janata Party) declined across rural areas and the added loss of an alliance with the SAD(Shiromani Akali Dal) with the 3 farm laws being credited as a major reason amongst voters. This protest, as many political analysts have implied, can influence national elections particularly the trust towards candidates from rural populations. It will go on to show that the party with the best engagement with rural populations will be successful in office.
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