This weekend sees the final votes cast in India's general election, with months-long protests by farmers in Punjab one of the main weak points in Narendra Modi’s campaign for re-election as prime minister.
The farmers, who are demanding state-backed price guarantees for their crops, have clashed with the authorities over recent months. Attempts to march to Delhi have been blocked, leaving them camped at the capital’s borders.
Arpan Rai speaks with the farmers about their protest and how many see India's general elections, in which Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third term in power, as their chance to force change.
The farmers, who are demanding state-backed price guarantees for their crops, have clashed with the authorities over recent months. Attempts to march to Delhi have been blocked, leaving them camped at the capital’s borders.
Arpan Rai speaks with the farmers about their protest and how many see India's general elections, in which Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third term in power, as their chance to force change.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 But no one is paying attention to them.
00:02 Because they want to take our land away.
00:05 That's why they don't look at the farmers.
00:07 They have been given 10 years.
00:09 It will be a big stupidity of the people.
00:11 Who will give them another chance?
00:13 You were not made to sit on power because you will kick our livelihood.
00:18 We will not forget this.
00:19 That's why we are angry.
00:29 In February this year, farmers from India's northern breadbasket states Punjab and Haryana
00:34 launched their biggest protest since 2020.
00:37 They camped outside three of the main highways entering Delhi
00:41 to protest against a series of contentious agricultural laws
00:45 hastily passed by the Narendra Modi government.
00:48 Now three months later, they are fired up to send a message at the ballot box.
00:52 They are determined to oust Mr. Modi's party from Punjab.
00:56 When we go to the border and fight, they say that our Punjabi is brave.
01:03 They fight with the enemy on the border.
01:07 When the blind man comes, the farmer, we are the workers.
01:11 When the blind man asks for his right, then they shoot.
01:16 Then they shoot us.
01:18 Then they attack us.
01:20 They didn't let us go to Delhi, Rajdhani, our Rajdhani, our country, our Rajdhani.
01:25 Look, blind law.
01:27 The protests continue on Punjab's borders as Mr. Modi has not followed up on his 2021 promise
01:33 to agree on a minimum support price, or MSP, for farmers on 22 mandated crops like wheat and mustard.
01:41 MSP is the guaranteed minimum price at which farmers sell their crops to the government.
01:46 When Modi came, he said that he would make a guarantee law for MSP.
01:53 He said that he would implement the land rights commission, he would forgive the farmers' loans.
01:58 He has forgiven the corporate loans of 16 lakh crores in 10 years.
02:03 And the farmers have about 13-14 lakh crores in loans.
02:07 But no one is paying attention to them.
02:10 Because they want to take our land.
02:13 That's why they don't look at the farmers.
02:15 Today is the 108th day of this protest.
02:19 And the protest will continue for a long time.
02:22 As long as the government doesn't pay attention to these demands.
02:26 No matter if Modi goes or someone else comes.
02:29 No one wants to put a hand in their neck.
02:32 They are forced to do it.
02:34 Because every year they think that this time it will be paid off, this time it will be paid off.
02:38 But the loan that is paid every day, it keeps increasing.
02:42 It doesn't take the name of payment.
02:44 That's why they are taken for suicide.
02:50 Mr. Modi has a political rival in Punjab.
02:53 Arvind Keshriwal, the AAP chief or the Common Man's Party's chief,
02:58 has sensed a political anger and vacuum in Punjab.
03:01 He is holding a roadshow right now to undo the damage that he claims BJP has done.
03:07 Earlier there were no places in the south, this time we are closing places in the north.
03:14 Haryana, Punjab, Himachal.
03:16 Congress, the government of the India Alliance and the MPs are going to Delhi.
03:21 And they are going to keep our issues on top.
03:23 Mangal Chatur says that we are not safe.
03:31 Which is not safe?
03:32 Is Mangal Chatur safe?
03:33 BJP is not safe.
03:35 BJP is not safe, we are safe.
03:37 We have given them 10 years.
03:39 It will be a big stupidity of the people.
03:41 They will give them a chance.
03:43 They have put up fences for the farmers.
03:48 Just now there was a big farmer movement.
03:51 How did it happen with our farmers?
03:53 700 farmers died.
03:54 Everyone in Chandigarh is a witness.
03:56 Everyone in India is a witness.
03:58 What have they done for the farmers?
04:00 We are not allowed to come to Delhi.
04:04 We are not allowed to say our own thing.
04:07 So where will we say our own thing?
04:09 We will say it in our own battlefield, where we are.
04:12 You are not welcome there.
04:14 We will not give you a red carpet welcome.
04:19 You go.
04:20 You are welcome.
04:22 [Music]