Spatial Analysis on the Indian Farmer's Protest
In June 2020, the central government of India proposed three temporary agricultural laws, all of which were passed by both the houses of the parliament. These three laws incited a response from farmers in India that led to one of the largest protests ever seen. Approximately 250 million farmers organized in protest of the laws’ suppression of their autonomy. This paper records a spatial analysis of the protests from 2019 to 2021 in Indian states, focusing on the scale of news reporting and the categorization of reported events (e.g., nonviolent or violent) with respect to the percentage of the agricultural population of that state. Spatial models found systemic differences in reporting patterns within Indian states based on national versus regional news sources, as well as changes in the spatial intensity of violence reported in a state in relation to its agricultural population. These findings provide insight into the range of the farmer’s protests and draw attention to the various factors that affect the lens of media reporting in India. Future research should examine the impact of labor unions on the scale of farmer's protests and the incorporation of new population census data. This research is integral to further understanding the complex nature of these protests and using this research to inform changes to public policy.