India: Right to peaceful protest under threat due to mounting restrictions and escalating crackdown on farmers’ march
Amnesty InternationalFeb 14
India: Farmers Pause Protest March as Government Talks Continue
The Facts
Indian farmers have held off their planned protest march to New Delhi, intended to push the government to set a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, until another round of talks with government ministers concludes on Sunday.
This comes after the third round of talks between farmers’ organizations and government officials on Thursday failed to reach an agreement, with protesting farmers continuing their demand for the immediate implementation of MSP.
The Spin
Narrative A
Farmers’ unions throughout India are coming together to demand basic changes, yet the Indian government is abusing its power and stifling the right to protest. After successfully protesting in 2021 to promote necessary reforms, Indian farmers are reigniting their movement because the government hasn’t kept its promises. Instead of keeping its word, the government is now weaponizing security forces and demonizing the very people who feed India.
Narrative B
Rabid protesters are resorting to violence and disrupting the lives of thousands to strongarm the government into caving to their demands. Some of these people are throwing rocks at police and blocking major roads, yet key government ministers are still willing to hold multiple meetings to resolve this conflict. Government officials are doing all they can to appease the mob, but they can only give away so much.
Nerd narrative
There's a 45% chance that there will be a non-BJP Prime Minister of India before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.