Disappointment with mainstream media’s portrayal of farmer protests has given rise to new independent journalism. One group has introduced a grassroots, volunteer-run newspaper to cover the demonstrations.
The Shaheed Bhagat Singh library is seen at Delhi’s Tikri border
The Shaheed Bhagat Singh library is seen at Delhi’s Tikri border, where protesting farmers have been camping for over 100 days
A small structure made of wood and sheets of tarpaulin sits in the middle of thousands of tractors and trolleys, stationed along the outskirts of New Delhi by protesting farmers.
The tent, which sits under a Delhi metro pillar, serves as the Shaheed Bhagat Singh public library and the headquarters of the Trolley Times, a grassroots newspaper run by a small group of volunteers.
“We strive to bridge the gap between the ground reality at protest sites and the politically motivated narratives peddled by mainstream media outlets in the country,” a Trolley Times editor told DW.
Founded by a photojournalist, physiotherapist and a screenwriter, the newspaper arose from the need to offer stories from India’s massive farmers’ protests.
Celebrities including singer Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg, US lawyer and activist Meena Harris — the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris — and lawmakers in the UK and the US have backed the protesting farmers in posts on social media. The Indian government slammed them for endorsing the huge farmers’ protests against new agricultural laws.
Celebrities including singer Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg, US lawyer and activist Meena Harris — the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris — and lawmakers in the UK and the US have backed the protesting farmers in posts on social media. The Indian government slammed them for endorsing the huge farmers’ protests against new agricultural laws.
In September 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government passed three controversial agriculture bills aimed at liberalizing India’s farming sector. While the laws were hailed as a watershed moment by the government, some farmers say the new legislation leaves them at the mercy of corporations.
After months of holding sit-ins in their home states, thousands of farmers marched to New Delhi following a nationwide strike on November 26. Over the next three months, they braved the cold and rain in temporary shelters outside of the national capital.
Initially, farmers faced a number of unfounded allegations: they were called secessionists and paid protesters, and were accused of being misled by opposition parties.
Many mainstream media outlets questioned their legitimacy with queries like: “How can they speak English? How can farmers wear jeans?”
The founders of the Trolley Times, who all hail from farming backgrounds, found these accusations insulting. The coverage of the protests seemed superficial. There were no stories coming out from within the demonstrations or about the people who were physically there.
“We had an advantage here — we were a part of the protest,” editor and photojournalist Navkiran Natt told DW. “We knew the language that the farmers used — in this case, Punjabi — but we also knew English and Hindi, which allowed us to reach a wider audience.”
While a number of niche media organizations were also seeking out stories, a lot was lost in translation. They did not speak the same language as the farmers leading the movement.
“Their primary platform is social media,” Natt said. “But our audience is an old farmer, for whom media is synonymous with a physical newspaper.”
The Trolley Times, a newspaper run primarily by volunteers, is now published weekly, highlighting stories from each protest site. The Trolley Times is now published weekly, highlighting stories from each protest site. DW
