Thousands of Indian farmers were packing their belongings and dismantling tent cities on Saturday as they headed home from the Delhi outskirts following a year-long protest against the government's agriculture policies. In a rare retreat last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced and pushed through parliament the repeal of three contentious laws that farmers claimed would let private companies control the country's agriculture sector. Hundreds of farmers danced and celebrated the victory early Saturday as they began removing roadblocks and dismantling thousands of makeshift homes along major highways. The government said the laws were a necessary reform but farmers opposed the move, saying it would leave them at the mercy of big corporations. Farmers started local protests in northern Punjab and Haryana -- India's breadbasket states -- before tens of thousands headed to New Delhi to press their demands.

Source: The Express Tribune December 11, 2021 19:55 UTC