Advertisement

India farmers stage nationwide protests

Indian farmers took to the streets once again on Monday (September 27) in nationwide protests, one year on since the government introduced reforms which they say will they say threaten their livelihood.

Video footage showed police clashing with protesters as they tried to force barricades down in the city of Chennai.

Others were forcibly detained.

Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on major highways around the capital, New Delhi since the legislation was introduced in September last year.

The new law allows farmers to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets, where growers are assured of a minimum price.

Small farmers say the changes make them vulnerable to competition from big businesses, and that they could eventually lose price supports for staples such as wheat and rice.

The government says the reforms mean new opportunities and better prices for farmers.

Earlier this month, more than 500,000 farmers attended a rally in Uttar Pradesh.

It was the biggest yet in the protest campaign, to step up pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to repeal the laws.

The protests have been generally peaceful but police and farmers clashed in New Delhi in January during a tractor procession and one protester was killed and more than 80 police were injured.