Intensifying farmers’ protests confront PM Modi ahead of Indian polls: Guaranteed MSP Demand Remains

India’s farmers from Punjab state are intensifying their protests as elections begin across the country. Thousands have occupied railway tracks, disrupting train services in a bid for police detainees to be released. This year’s demonstrations pale compared with last year’s massive farmer uprising that lasted over a year and resulted in the repeal of three farm laws by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government due to popular backlash. Although protesters have been constrained at the border points, prominent political activists remain largely absent this time round despite widespread support for farmers from various opposition parties manifested during recent polling processes in India’s states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not acknowledged demands by protestors to guarantee minimum prices for agricultural produce, which is a major concern among the 250 million people employed within this sector constituting approximately forty-five percent of India’s workforce. Elections observers such as political scientist Yogendra Yadav and pollster Sanjay Kumar believe that farmers’ demands are likely to have an electoral impact, especially given the BJP government’s heavy-handedness in dealing with protestors during last year’s uprising. A recent survey revealed 59% of respondents viewed farm protests as legitimate and 44% wished for a reelection of Modi’s administration due to its perceived “good work.” However, Kumar suggests that the BJP is unlikely to suffer significant electoral losses in this year’s polling process. Farm leaders have accused authorities of attempting to confine demonstrations within Punjab and Haryana states while farmers from other areas are detained during attempts to reach Delhi via public transport as opposed to private vehicles, which were banned last time around. Some protestors have also traveled from Tamil Nadu state in solidarity with their fellow agriculturists but a small group of them was reportedly arrested by police forces. The foremost demand made by farmers is for guaranteed minimum support prices (MSP) aimed at shielding producers against market volatility, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission on Farmers over ten years ago which suggests MSP should be set according to a 50% profit margin above production costs. Other key demands include loan waivers and pensions for farmers aged sixty or more, higher wages (approximately two-three times current rates) as well as employment guarantees of approximately 200 days per annum. However, some economists have criticized these proposals arguing that they would be detrimental to the agricultural sector and could potentially destabilize India’s economy if implemented. Farm leaders maintain their demands are not new but rather longstanding political promises from prominent figures such as Modi in past election campaigns.