NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of agitated farmers in India faced tear gas and baton charge from police on Friday as they resumed their march to the capital to…
NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of angry Indian farmers protesting against new agricultural laws were allowed to enter the national capital late Friday after they clashed with police who had blocked them at the outskirts of the city. The farmers, who fear the new laws will reduce their earnings and give more power to corporations, will be escorted to a protest site in New Delhi, police in a statement. It was not immediately clear where the protests would be held. For the last two months, farmer unions unwilling to accept the laws, which were passed in September, have camped on highways in Punjab and Haryana states. They say the laws could cause the government to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices and result in their being exploited by corporations that would buy their crops at cheap prices. The government has said the laws are aimed at reforming agriculture by giving farmers the freedom to market their produce and boosting production through private investment. The farmers began their march to the capital on Thursday to mount pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to abolish the laws, but were stopped by large numbers of security personnel in riot gear on the boundary between New Delhi and Haryana state.
