Indian growers are continuing their protests against the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the country’s Land Acquisition Law.
More than 50,000 people gathered in New Delhi on Sunday to voice their disapproval of the amendments, which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said are aimed at gathering land for long-stalled development projects.
According to Chanel News Asia, the disgruntled farmers are viewing the move as a cover for offering less money for land acquisitions. The sentiment is shared by India's Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi, who has returned to the public eye after a self-imposed two-month break. “The same Prime Minister who loudly said development for one and all has totally abandoned the poor, farmers and labourers,” Gandhi told Chanel News Asia.
The protests come as growers battle heavy rains, which have decimated production across the country. Chanel News Asia reports that a large number of growers are now concerned about how they will repay loans used to fund the planting of this season’s crops.
The protests took a turn for the worse on Wednesday when a farmer from the state of Rajasthan took his own life in front of demonstrators at a rally addressed by the chief minister of New Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, according to the BBC.
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