In September 2020, the Indian government had passed three farm acts that that would have expanded the scope of trade areas, promoted e-trading, removed middlemen in the supply chain and gave the centre authority to regulate for certain resource items during times of crisis.

Ongoing protests began from October as farmers believed that these laws would reduce their bargaining power since they will be at the mercy of the corporates and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be waivered which might result in their economic losses and, hence millions of farmers travelled to Delhi, the capital to hold talks with the government to repeal the farm laws.

So what?

Since the protests began in Delhi, there has been numerous attempts of a crackdown on such protests, with roads being blocked and barricaded, water canons being used to disperse the protestors, internet being cut off for safety precautions that even culminated in violent clashes between the farmers and the police in the last week of January that resulted in dozens of injuries and death of a protestor.

So far, 11 rounds of talks between the government and the farmer groups have failed to reach a peaceful conclusion. But, the measures that central government has taken and the regulatory authority they have imposed in a socialist, democratic country points to the fact that they are exerting greater control on the proceedings. The involvement of corporates in the supply chain might or might not threaten the livelihood of the farmers, but nonetheless signifies how a greater control by the central authority with certain organisations is being imposed.

Does this signify a Discipline trajectory that a growing economy is undertaking in a bid to keep things normal? If so, what will the government do next to align itself further to this trajectory?

Watch a video which explains the Discipline trajectory
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