Farmers in India have been protesting due to the new, market-oriented rules. The highest court in India stopped the implementation of the new laws on Tuesday. The laws are suspended until government officials, a committee of experts and farmers can find a solution to the dispute. The farmers have been calling for a repeal of the laws and it is unclear if the suspension will appease them, however a lawyer representing some of the farmer unions called this step a victory.
Tens of thousands of farmers have created well-organized protest camps over ten miles of the capital’s main entrances in New Delhi. The protest has been ongoing for over six weeks. The laws being protested were passed in September to ease government regulations and encourage private investors to deal with farmers directly. The farmers have been since struggling with debt and they fear the new laws will remove the protection they have enjoyed and will leave them vulnerable to competition with corporations.
Read more: India’s Top Court Suspends Farm Laws That Prompted Massive Protests