Indian farmers and peasants have faced immense challenges in the post-independence era. Lack of adequate support, debt crises, and climate change have contributed to their ongoing struggle for survival and livelihood security.
Neoliberal reforms introduced in India since the 1990s and ferociously implemented by Narendra Modi’s regime have significantly undermined the livelihood security of Indian farmers. The dismantling of the state-led agricultural support system, including the reduction of subsidies and price supports, has exposed farmers to the volatility of global markets. The emphasis on export-oriented cash crops over food security has forced many small and marginal farmers to shift away from traditional subsistence farming. This, coupled with reduced credit availability, has led to a rise in farmer indebtedness and distress. Promoting contract farming and corporate control over the agricultural supply chain has increased farmers' vulnerability to exploitation by more extensive agribusiness interests. The lack of adequate social safety nets has exacerbated the crisis, with farmer suicides reaching alarming levels in many parts of the country.
On Truecopy’s invitation for this year's Independence Day Speech, Ashok Dhawale, Politburo member of CPI(M) and national president of All India Kisan Sabha, elaborates on how the neoliberal policy framework has systematically eroded the economic and social resilience of the Indian peasantry, posing a grave threat to their livelihoods and food sovereignty.