Three new laws regarding farming (environmental, transportation, and one other) were passed in 2020. Farmers say it’s big gov’t trying to run their lives - in a nutshell.
Is this an Indian “Green New Deal”?
The laws regarding the environment is because of the enormous pollution that cloaks N India when the farmers burn the stubble in the fields to save money. It is cheaper than tilling it out. The Supreme Court has asked the Govt to stop farmers doing this and there are many incentives avaialble for it . But typically the farmers take the money and still burn the stubble. Hence codified into law.
The transport part pertains to subsidised Diesel which then is mostly used for fuelling their vehicles as a majority of pumps are electricity driven - again the electricity is subsidised and many farmers run power intensive small industries in their fields.
The main reform is to allow farmers to sell their crop to whomever they want to, not just at gov't owned markets. While 28+ territories have no problem with it, middlemen in Panjab, Haryana fear their influence - and thus their income - weakening as they cannot exploit the farmers much longer. Also, the state market officialdom loses their power to take ginormous bribes. Add in Khalistani seperatists (why Canadian minsters and pols are in India) and Opposition party leaders (who actually wrote the legislation in 2012 but backed out - lots of videos of the explaining the legislation), and there is a potent mix.