Bloody struggles for agrarian reform in India: 8 killed as farmers clash with pro-government militants

Farmers and the Opposition organized this Monday Demonstrations Eight people were killed in clashes between politicians and farmers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in various parts of India in northern Asia on Sunday.

Of the eight dead, four were farmers, including the son of Indian Deputy Minister Ajay Kumar Misra, who ran by a convoy. It happened during a protest on Sunday in a village in Uttar Pradesh.

The other four were in a vehicle and are said to have lost their lives after being killed. Dozens of people were injured in the accident after the incident, which took place in the framework of a farmers’ protest against three laws that liberalize the Indian market.

Ruins in various parts of the country

Dozens of members of the opposition Congress Party (INC) of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty staged a protest in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist Party-controlled regional home in New Delhi on Monday.

INC shared pictures of an event attended by members of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), one of India’s leading agricultural organizations, on its social media.

Other cities, such as West Calcutta or North Chandigarh, witnessed protests organized by opposition parties and farmers’ unions.

In addition to the rallies, several politicians tried to visit the village where the incident took place.

This is the case of Priyanka Gandhi, the Congress leader who was arrested last night while trying to go to the village, or Akhilesh Yadav, the former government leader of the region and Samajwadi Party leader. Arrested.

Signs and promises for investment

As tensions escalated, officials promised financial compensation for the deceased and an investigation into the incident.

Uttar Pradesh Police Director General Prasanth Kumar said the government would pay 450,000 rupees (about $ 6,000) in compensation to the relatives of the dead and 100,000 rupees (about $ 1,300) to the injured.

Kumar promised an inquiry, accompanied by Rakesh Tikaid, one of the key leaders of the agrarian movement, at the immediate press conference.

Indian Deputy Home Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra told reporters that the allegation that his son was running in a car that attacked farmers was baseless.

During a press conference compiled by the Indian Express newspaper, Misra confirmed that farmers had killed three BJP members and the driver of a vehicle.

Peasant Protests

Yesterday was a day of heavy casualties, mostly due to peaceful protests.

Moreover, the incident took place in Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 200 crore people in India, so it is sending more delegates to Parliament, where Modi’s BJP and Opposition will hold key regional elections early next year.

The event on Sunday gave new impetus to the struggles of farmers that began in November last year, leaving, in their opinion, producers at the mercy of an unrestricted market with no guarantee of safety.

The Government of India, however, states that these regulations seek to provide farmers with the ability to negotiate prices and production directly with buyers, without restrictions or intermediaries.

After several months of struggles, the Supreme Court last January suspended the implementation of the reforms and set up a panel to discuss the impact of the measures with various parties.

(With information from EFE)

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