Affirming the global stature of India's farmers as they protest farm bills

THE storied saga of Indian farmers is worth retelling at a time when they have gathered in New Delhi in the thousands to protest the passage of agricultural legislation in September that they fear will destroy their livelihoods.

It is these same pilloried farmers that have helped Indian agriculture attain a high global stature. The farmers currently agitating against the new farm laws have toiled hard to give India the second rank in the world in agricultural output with a global share of 8 per cent, after China in first place, and the United States in third.

In contrast, India's celebrated services sector ranks 11th in the world with a share of 2 per cent, and its manufacturing sector places even lower at 12th, according to International Monetary Fund and United Nations data.