Several districts in New Delhi were blocked following violent clashes between police and farmers who were protesting over controversial agriculture reforms. Now environmental activist Greta Thunberg has backed the farmers in the protest.
She tweeted: “We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.”
However, the activist has been attacked by Chinese state-affiliated media.
China Daily chief columnist Chen Weihua replied to her tweet: “Who are ‘we’?”
Before adding: “Please read it as it is.
“I’m always curious who is advising her, why not call for the release of Julian Assange, whose fate was linked to Sweden.
“Otherwise I support climate cause, having written extensively on it and covering COP in Cancun and Madrid.
“I also support Indian farmers.”
Other celebrities have also shown their support for the Indian farmers.
READ MORE: Greta Thunberg to expose ‘climate secrets’ in pub on 18th birthday
Mukut Singh, the president of a farmers union in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, said: “We are trying to be wary of Covid but we don’t have an option – it is a question of life and death.
“We are the ones who have provided food, milk, vegetables when the whole country was in lockdown – we are still toiling in the fields.
“It is the government who has put us at risk by introducing these laws during Covid.
“There is a lot of anger among farmers.
“We don’t get even the minimum support price that is presently declared – removing these protections and making it easier for corporates to enter will completely buy us out.”
Under previous laws, farmers were forced to sell their goods at auction at their state’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee.
They were guaranteed to get at least the government-agreed minimum price and there were restrictions on who could purchase at auction and were capped for essential commodities.
However, Mr Modi’s new laws dismantle the committee structure, CNN report, and allows farmers to sell their goods to anyone for any price.
Mr Modi said increasing market competition would be a good thing as it fulfils farmers’ demands for higher income.
He said: “The farmers should get the advantage of a big and comprehensive markets which opens our country to global markets.”