Farmers attend a Maha Panchayat or grand village council meeting as part of a farmers' protest to press for the better crop prices promised to them in 2021, New Delhi, India, March 14, 2024.Living in furnace-like conditions in the middle of a national highway as they braved gusts of heatwave that fiercely beat against their burnished faces, hundreds of Indian farmers have been camping for over 100 days between Punjab and Haryana states to demand better prices for their crops.
However, security forces in riot gear, used teargas and water cannons to force them to halt about 200 km short of their destination, where they have camped since, dwindling to just hundreds. A medical relief tent at the site has been working overtime, providing first-aid to those suffering heat-related illnesses.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, following a similar year-long protest, repealed some farm reform laws in 2021 and committed to setting up a panel to find ways to ensure support prices for all produce. Farmers accuse the government of going slow on that commitment.