Agitated farmers took over a highway in Alwar, India on December 13 as part of their demand to reverse a law that they believe threatens their livelihood.

Q: Why are farmers so angry right now?

A: New laws seek to deregulate India’s enormous agriculture sector by allowing farmers to sell their produce to private buyers beyond government-run wholesale markets, where farmers have been assured a minimum price for their crops.

Q: What do farmers in India think will happen?

A: The farmers say the laws threaten their livelihoods and will only benefit big corporations, leaving growers at the mercy of a free market.

Q: What are the farmers doing in response?

A: Taking a hunger strike, organizing sit-ins across the nation and taking over major highways, as seen in this footage.

“We have given a call for protests in all the districts all over India. Main leaders belonging to different farmer organizations will observe fast as a means of protest against the new agriculture laws,” Darshan Pal, a farmer leader, told international media, adding that if the government invited them again for talks, “we will consider it positively”.

Q: What does the government say in response?

A: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi the legislation was needed to boost the agriculture sector, and that the new laws would benefit the farmers and “liberate” them from the tyranny of middlemen.

Farmers' agitation against the Centre's three new farm laws entered its 18th day on Sunday with the central government remaining hopeful that the next round of talks could end the deadlock. This despite more and more farmers joining the stir from different parts of the country, especially from Punjab and Haryana.

Haryana Police on Sunday placed barricades near Jaisinghpur Kheda village in Rewari on National Highway-48 that connects Delhi and Jaipur after farmers from Rajasthan started assembling there and blocked the highway. Fire brigades and riot control vehicles were brought in as well.

While the farmers have warned of intensifying the stir in coming days amid a deadlock in talks, several Union Ministers have repeatedly alleged that the farmers’ protests have been hijacked by Maoists, Leftists and anti-national elements, a charge denied by the union leaders spearheading the agitation.