'Ready to die': Angry farmers camp outside Delhi in showdown with Modi govt

Farmers want govt to repeal three laws passed in September that allow them to sell crops directly to private firms instead of licensed middlemen at state-controlled markets

As India’s virus numbers swell and the economy stumbles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has another crisis to deal with: Tens of thousands of angry farmers vowing to camp outside the capital for months.

The farmers -- mostly from Punjab, often called India’s bread-basket -- want him to repeal three laws passed in September that allow them to sell crops directly to private firms instead of licensed middlemen at state-controlled markets. While Modi has said the laws will help them earn more cash, farmers fear those companies won’t give them minimum prices set by the government.

“Modi has joined hands with