Farmer protests in India escalate into massive strike involving 300 mln people

Ten major trade unions in India are holding a nationwide strike today, February 12, 2026. According to The Times of India, around 300 million people (30 crore) are expected to take part.

Farmer protests began in November 2026 against three new agricultural laws, drawing support from several opposition leaders in Parliament.

“These new farm laws, passed in Parliament in a brazenly anti-democratic manner without structured debate and voting, threaten India’s food security, undermine Indian agriculture and our farmers, pave the way for dismantling the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and place Indian agriculture and markets at the mercy of multinational agribusiness corporations and domestic conglomerates,” lawmakers said in a statement.

After negotiations with the government failed to yield results, protest leaders called for a “Bharat Bandh” — a nationwide shutdown. The strike has been backed by ten agricultural and industrial trade unions, as well as representatives from the energy sector. Workers from the banking, insurance, and transport sectors are also expected to join, halting work for 12 hours in support of the protest.

In addition to demanding the repeal of the three farm laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and amendments to the Essential Commodities Act — protesters have expanded their demands to include the repeal of four labor codes, the Electricity Act, and the Seeds Act. They are also calling for the restoration of the old pension system and the introduction of a statutory minimum wage.

The situation has been further complicated by the recently concluded trade agreement between India and the United States. Farmers fear that lower import tariffs could lead to cheaper imports and negatively impact domestic producers.

Tags: India, protests, agricultural products, USA