The way the government is spreading planned lies and violence is condemnable<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Farmers are demanding the withdrawal of laws passed by parliament in September 2020. They say these laws will favour large corporations, devastate the earnings of many farmers, and leave behind those with small plots.<\/p>\n
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The long-running protests have largely been peaceful. But violence erupted on 26 January, India\u2019s Republic Day. Tens of thousands of farmers riding tractors and on foot stormed the 17th-century Red Fort in a brief but shocking takeover. Clashes between the protesters and government forces left one protester dead and nearly 400 police injured.<\/p>\n
Officials didn’t say how many protesting farmers were injured. But television channels showed many of them bloodied after police in riot gear hit them with batons and fired tear gas. Police also filed cases against journalists, activists, and opposition politicians, accusing them of sedition and inciting violence.<\/p>\n
Repeal now<\/h5>\n
Modi and his leaders have claimed the laws are necessary to modernise Indian agriculture. However, farmers have vowed to stay at protest sites until the legislation is repealed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Since November, tens of thousands have hunkered down at the edge of the capital while multiple rounds of talks with the government have been unsuccessful.<\/p>\n The protests by farmers, the most influential voting bloc in India, pose the biggest challenge to Modi. They brought together 16 opposition parties on 29 January when they boycotted the president\u2019s address to parliament.<\/p>\n Sporadic clashes between protesters, police, and unidentified groups shouting anti-farmer slogans have broken out since the tractor rally on 26 January<\/p>\n On 29 January, a group of around 200 people, claiming to be local residents, barged into one protest site despite heavy security. They threw stones at farmers and damaged their tents. The group demanded that farmers leave the area. And they said the farmers had \u201cinsulted\u201d the national flag during their tractor parade on Republic Day.<\/p>\n The farmers alleged that the vandals were largely made up of members of a Hindu nationalist group that has close ties with Modi\u2019s party.<\/p>\n By The Canary<\/a><\/p>\n\n This post was originally published on The Canary<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The hunger strike coincides with the anniversary of the death of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.<\/p>\n![\"Protesters](\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/61d90815abafc4395472e46e28a6ed41Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNjEyMDc5MTQz\/2.57760573.jpg?w=640\")
Backlash<\/h5>\n