Over the past few days, farmers, mainly from Punjab, have arrived at the borders of Delhi, hoping to be able to meet Central government leaders and persuade them to roll back the three agriculture laws passed in September. Their agitation has been met with violent action from police, who have attempted to turn them back by using water cannons and tear gas.
The farmers fear that the new laws will put them at the mercy of large corporations and remove the minimum support price they receive on important crops.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill were passed on September 20. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill was approved in a chaotic voice vote in Rajya Sabha on September 22. The three Bills received President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent on September 27.
On Sunday, the protesting farmers rejected Home Minister Amit Shah’s proposal for conditional talks, declining to shift to the government-designated protest site in North Delhi. The farmers have said that they will continue to proteston the borders of the national capital until they are allowed to go to Jantar Mantar, near the Parliament in Central Delhi.
Indian cartoonists have been making sharp comments about the situation.
To being with, the police decision to dig up a highway to prevent farmers from moving towards Delhi inspired some cartoons.
Stopping them! #FarmersDilliChalo pic.twitter.com/Cv0RlfxMhE
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) November 29, 2020
Farmers cross all barriers imposed by @narendramodi
— vinaysreenivasa ವಿನಯ (@vinaysreeni) November 27, 2020
Super cartoon by Karnataka's P Mahamud @cartoonist_PM #DilliChalo #FarmersDilliChalo pic.twitter.com/5qigzZa6g3
The brutality of the police, captured in this photo tweeted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, also elicited some reactions – especially after footage emerged of protestors serving policemen lunch.
बड़ी ही दुखद फ़ोटो है। हमारा नारा तो ‘जय जवान जय किसान’ का था लेकिन आज PM मोदी के अहंकार ने जवान को किसान के ख़िलाफ़ खड़ा कर दिया।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 28, 2020
यह बहुत ख़तरनाक है। pic.twitter.com/1pArTEECsU
Farmer! @newssting1 cartoon #FarmerProtest #FarmersDilliChalo pic.twitter.com/dXnQgdBclK
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) November 28, 2020
This cartoon is quite apt for the farmers protest. #mainbhikisan / #मैंभिकिस pic.twitter.com/1zLPhKlPO7
— GhadarParrty #MainBhiKisan (@GParrty) November 28, 2020
This photo of a farmer hit in the face by a tear gas shell also prompted a meme.
This 70-year-old farmer from Punjab was hit by a tear gas shell today. It hit him below his left eye. When NDTV Journalist asked him if he could come to the ambulance with him he turned and said, “Beta the most important thing is happening in front of us will look it later” pic.twitter.com/8jKvvP4r9C
— Shahid Wani 🕊 (@shahidjourno19) November 29, 2020
Farmers Protest
— Deshdeep Dhankhar (@DeshdeepDU) November 30, 2020
Art by Mir Suhail #FarmersProtests pic.twitter.com/SMfnFV3pLz
#FarmersBill2020 #FarmersProtests
— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) November 30, 2020
My #cartoon for @firstpost
More Cartoons: https://t.co/LQ00VjL7tv
Telegram: https://t.co/0zuidcPdqY
FirstCut: https://t.co/d7EQajuG8i pic.twitter.com/hNQP0wTxZ7
किसानों को पता नहीं क्या कि हम लड़ाकू रफ़ाल विमान ले आए हैं? @sajithkumar pic.twitter.com/dFIDAUh1Un
— Om Thanvi (@omthanvi) November 28, 2020
Prim Minister Narendra Modi’s seeming indifference to the farmers’ demands caught the attention of some commentators.
— out of context aditi mittal (@awryaditi) November 28, 2020
#FarmersProtest cartoon @DeccanHerald pic.twitter.com/Iez21Haxc2
— sajithkumar (@sajithkumar) November 30, 2020
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The Political Fix: What unites protesting farmers and critics of RBI’s corporate banks proposal?
Concrete barriers set up at Ghazipur, Delhi-Ghaziabad border as farmers refuse to move
