Sita Kumari

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Farmers organisations especially from North, East, Central and Western India have been protesting for 21 straight days against new farm bills. Farmers says the three new bills threaten to do away with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) offered by the government that the farmers rely on to sell their produce at a fixed price rate. Given the lack of proper irrigation in a large part of India, yearly floods and losses incurred due to weather changes, the MSP is a way for farmers to earn some profit of their produce. But with the removal of MSP and government owned markets (mandis) where the grains are sold, farmers will be at the mercy of corporates who will have the freedom to stock up on grains as much as they want. When the prices rise, they will have the freedom to sell it at a higher price. The farmer will sell it a lower price while the end consumer will buy it a higher price. 

Farmers called for a countrywide shutdown (bandh) on December 8 which was largely successful. This video report filed by Video Volunteers community correspondent Sita Kumari from Araria, Bihar shows political parties joining the farmers led protest as they demand of a complete rollback of the farm bills. Araria is an agrarian district of Bihar producing wheat, rice, corn, nuts and other crops.