Police in India clash with farmers during protest march over minimum price demand for crops

NEW DELHI — Indian police on Friday used tear gas against hundreds of farmers taking part in a march to New Delhi to demand guaranteed crop prices in a repeat of 2021 protests.

Clashes broke out near Shambhu, a border crossing between northern Punjab and Haryana states, where multiple entry points into the capital have been sealed with metal barricades and barbed wire. The authorities also suspended internet service in some districts of Haryana to prevent communication among the protesters.

The farmers, who began their march in Haryana and Punjab, are seeking guarantees, backed by law, of more state support or a minimum purchase price for farm produce. A similar protest three years ago resulted in tens of thousands of farmers camping on the capital's outskirts for more than a year.

The government protects agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices by announcing a minimum purchase price for certain essential crops at the beginning of the sowing season, taking into account the cost of production. But state agencies often buy only rice and wheat at the support level, and farmers want minimum purchase price for at least more than 20 essential crops.

The farmers are also pressing the government to meet its promise to double their income, complaining that costs of cultivation have jumped over the years while incomes have remained stagnant. They have further asked the government to waive their loans.

Farmer leaders say they will protest in New Delhi where the Parliament is in session.

In 2021, Modi repealed a set of agricultural laws that the protesting farmers said would hurt their incomes. The withdrawal of the laws was seen as a major retreat by the government, which was shocked in January that year when tens of thousands of farmers stormed the historic Red Fort in New Delhi.

After withdrawing the laws, the government said it would set up a panel of farmers and government officials to find ways to ensure support prices for some essential farm produce.

Multiple meetings since then have made no progress and farmers accuse the government of not fulfilling that promise.