The cameras come with a 360-degree view as well as facial recognition. Some farmers even install night-vision cameras with up to 2.4 meters of vision.
In September last year, the Indian Parliament passed three farm acts that farmers considered detrimental to their lives. Farmer unions as well as their representatives demanded that the acts be revoked and began protesting against them.
On November 26, 2020, over 3,000 farmers set up bases at the Singhu border between Haryana and Delhi to protest against the new farm acts, which were described as “anti-farmer laws.” However, the protests have faced many challenges.
According to The Indian Express, to protect themselves and monitor the crowd, farmer unions have installed CCTV cameras. These cameras come with a 360-degree view as well as facial recognition. Gurdeep Singh of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha from the CCTV department said:
“These cameras give us a bird’s eye view of the protest since there are so many people coming in now. We come to know of incidents where people with ulterior motives try to create problems. This way, we can keep a record of what is happening and counter any narrative to blame us for any anti-social activity.”
Other farmers have even installed high-tech cameras with night vision and the ability to record clear footage from a distance of up to 2.4 meters. Currently, the positions of the cameras remain a secret and the main focus is to record what happens where large crowds gather.
Fifteen volunteers are monitoring these cameras, two of whom manage the cameras at a time. The cameras were bought with funds from donations and protesting farmers. The cameras are expected to keep protesters safe, but we need to wait and see.
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