These days it has become a common invective to denounce particular popular actions as ‘political’ or ‘politicized’ in order to delegitimize them. This is a tactic that has traditionally been employed by all ruling parties in India’s political history, but has become an especially handy tool for the Bharatiya Janta Party and its supporters within the media and public. The[Read More…]
The Three Farm Laws passed by the Central Government will be burdensome for the agricultural labourers, city poor and other marginal sections of the society along with the farmers. Presently, Punjab Government under the Public Distribution System, distributes 420 million, 69 thousand and 500 quintals of wheat on 3.6 million and 57 thousand ration cards, and it covers nearly 14[Read More…]
After several rounds of talks between the representatives of Kisan organisations and a group of ministers the deadlock continues. There is no further progress towards settling the issues/demands raised by the Kisan movement. This Impasse is causing a lot of hardship for the participants in the cold and harsh winter weather. It has already taken life of several farmers, more[Read More…]
With over 800 million people, rural India is arguably the most interesting and complex place on the planet but is plagued by farmer suicides, child malnourishment, growing unemployment, increased informalisation, indebtedness and an overall collapse of agriculture. Given that India is still an agrarian-based society, renowned journalist P Sainath says what is taking place can be described as a crisis of civilisation[Read More…]
It is a very important part of the quest to create a better and safer world that just as we should know what to adopt, similarly we should know what to avoid. All ideologies based on a mix of inter-faith hostility ( called communalism in India), fundamentalism and sectarianism should be avoided like plague. Whether ideologies based on sectarianism, communalism,[Read More…]
Written by Sandeep Pandey, Simran Kaur and Harleen Sandhu The Bhartiya Janata Party and its historical ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh have used religion in manipulating the sentiments of the masses to gain political mileage, strengthening its grassroots presence as well as skyrocketing its electoral mandate. A mosque was demolished a few decades ago to mobilize the Hindu votes in[Read More…]
The farm laws will lead to the corporatisation of agriculture and its control by foreign agribusiness corporations. Our very food sovereignty and thus the sovereignty of the country itself is at stake. As we write this, lakhs of peasants – men, women, youth and children – are camping at entry points to the country’s capital, demanding the scrapping of the[Read More…]
Devraj Singh Kalsi gives a unique perspective on the Farmer’s Protest in India The nation knows them as truck-drivers, transporters, dhaba-owners (eatery-owners), soldiers, and farmers who made the nation green with revolution (and envy) half a century ago. They perform these jobs so well that nobody in India wants them to do anything else. It would be a waste of time and resources[Read More…]
Governments in many countries grapple with the challenge of retaining the support of farmers who are considered important in electoral politics. At the same time several of these governments work under the impact of powerful business interests. From the narrow point of view of these governments the skill is in somehow managing to keep both business interests and farmers happy.[Read More…]
1 Each system has its own underlying dynamics which propel it forwards and also aid in its preservation and perpetuation. In India, the advancement of neo-liberalist/finance capitalist system through privatization/corporatization, which is being linked to the phenomenon of neo-imperialism, is also no exception. Since 1991, the neo-liberalist/finance capitalist system has been at the heart of the country’s policies in open[Read More…]
Women Farmer Day is being celebrated at leading protest site Kundli as well as some other protest sites of the courageous farmers’ movement today on January 18. A large number of women arrived from several villages of Haryana and Punjab as well as other places on Sunday. They are taking over many duties today and will be participating even more[Read More…]
The following excerpt is taken from Bhagat Singh’s “Letter to Young Political Workers” (The Bhagat Singh Reader, pp. 224-245), written on February 2, 1931: The real revolutionary armies are in the villages and in factories, the peasantry and the labourers. But our bourgeois leaders do not and cannot dare to tackle them. The sleeping lion once awakened from its slumber[Read More…]
In the murky netherworld of the mafia the Godfather is the one who speaks softly, but whose words carry the deadliest intent. On 15 January as yet another round of talks between agitating farmers and the Indian government failed the International Monetary Fund, an institution that heads the Mafiosi of global finance, put out a bland and very measured statement.[Read More…]
Stepping back to November 2020, farmers marched peacefully on Delhi on Constitution Day with the aim of reaching Ramlila Maidan to hold a rally objecting to the three new farm laws. Government flexed its muscle military-style to stop them, by digging up the national highway and installing heavy obstacles and razor-wire concertinas. When farmers breached the obstacles, police used tear-gas[Read More…]
Parliament, despite its Constituent power under Article 368 to amend the Constitution, cannot legislate on state subjects, even if two-thirds of its members and half of states agree. Leaving agriculture to States is substantive part of federal character which is basic feature of the Constitution. The doctrine of basic structure laid down by Supreme Court in 1973 prevents Parliament to[Read More…]
On the night of Friday, January 15, the members of Indians Abroad for Pluralist India (IAPI) came together to reject controversial Indian laws . To mark the 92nd birth anniversary of the towering US civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr., they burnt copies of the contentious Indian farming law, besides Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the draconian Unlawful[Read More…]
In a short video on the empirediaries.com YouTube channel, a protesting farmer camped near Delhi says that during lockdown and times of crisis farmers are treated like “gods”, but when they ask for their rights, they are smeared and labelled as “terrorists”. He, along with thousands of other farmers, are mobilising against three important pieces of farm legislation that were[Read More…]
I am Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, former Chief of the Naval Staff . I served the country in Uniform for 45 years and came straight to this village from Delhi after retirement. First of all let me begin by offering shraddhanjali to all those who have paid with their lives during these two months of peaceful protests camping in the bitter[Read More…]
The ninth round of talks between the farmers’ movement and government representatives on January 15 again did not yield any breakthrough, but kept some hopes alive by scheduling a next round of discussions—the tenth one—for January 19. In the meanwhile the farmers’ unions and organizations will be deliberating on the course of actions during the next few days. As they[Read More…]
During the hearing of the farmer movement, the Supreme Court expressed concern towards the elderly and women and asked them to withdraw from the movement which is revealing the court patriarchal mentality towards women as well as the movement. Supreme court is directly trying to disturbed unity and organization of the movement. Chief justice of India said That “We do not[Read More…]
On 5 January, British MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi wrote a letter to Boris Johnson urging him to convey to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “heartfelt anxieties” of MPs’ constituents (many emanating from Punjab) regarding the treatment of protesting farmers in India. The letter was signed by more than 100 MPs and Lords and had cross-party support. Dhesi stated that[Read More…]
The stalemate in resolving key issues relating to farmers’ movement continues, even though millions and millions of people in the country want the prolonged stalemate to end on a note of satisfaction for farmers. Although attempts are being made repeatedly to depict the farmers as being unreasonable and obstinate, in fact they have displayed remarkable maturity as well as foresight[Read More…]
The Supreme Court has been unusually aggressive with the government on the three farm bills. The Chief Justice of India made tough talking about this and said that he is going to form the ‘expert’ committee and will stay the implementation of the bill. And today, the court decided that a four member panel will speak to the farmers and[Read More…]
South Asian activists came together on Sunday, January 10 in Surrey, to remember more than 60 farmers, who have laid down their lives during the ongoing agitation in India. Organized by Indians Abroad for Pluralist India (IAPI), the vigil was in protest against the recent deaths of farmers who have been holding a demonstration near New Delhi to press upon[Read More…]
The ongoing farmers’ movement in India has evoked strong feelings on both sides. This has been praised to an awesome extent; on the other hand very unfair criticism has been inflicted on it repeatedly. It will be useful at this stage to attempt an unbiased appraisal of this movement. Strengths of Movement The most persistent demand of this movement for[Read More…]
Tempo building up for spark to turn into a prairie fire on January 26th tractors March in Delhi to protest laws representing neo-fascism of Narandra Modi led BJP A protracted war of resistance is being waged by the peasant organizations on the border of Delhi protesting the three agricultural laws. In the manner of preparing for a great war a[Read More…]
The ongoing farmers’ movement has led to the coming together of many farmers’ organizations and this unity has been sustained despite several efforts to divide them. As many farmer representatives have stated repeatedly, the mobilization of farmers on Delhi borders would have seen even greater participation from various parts of the country but for the fact that travel conditions in[Read More…]
Disappointing the very large number of people who had high hopes that the stand-off with farmers’ organizations will be resolved soon, the government has not accepted this main demand after even 44 days of peaceful and disciplined protests by farmers at five places on Delhi border. The talks today on January 8 were particularly dismal as the farmer representatives, judging[Read More…]
Almost all social movements set a lot of emphasis on their immediate demands. These are obviously very important and often the success or otherwise of a movement is almost entirely judged in terms of the realization of these demands. Such a view, although very common, is not entirely correct. The achievements of social movements can also be very important, sometimes[Read More…]
It is easy to have very wide agreement on the obvious fact that food and farming sector is one of the most important sectors, perhaps the most important sector, of human efforts and needs. But while the realization of this importance should lead to very caring and careful attitudes, the realization of the importance is actually being interpreted by very[Read More…]
In many countries with varying levels of development, a large number of farmers have been losing their land , sometimes to the extent of even losing their status as independent landowning farmers. Various economic, technological, social, political, legal and other factors are involved, and one is hesitant to generalize or oversimplify a complex situation. Nevertheless this much can be stated[Read More…]
Recently Sant Seechewal, saint and award winning eco-activist of Punjab, visited protesting farmers at Delhi border with the precious gift of a truckload of healthy food. However the message he brought him was even more precious—he called upon them to shift to natural farming and mutually cooperative farming in order to find more reliable and sustainable solutions to their problems.[Read More…]
One of the most widely prevalent beliefs of development discourse is that the number and share of farmers and farmer households in total population must inevitably decline in the course of progress. This is based on historical experience as also the fact that technological change and rising productivity make it possible to produce necessary food and raw materials by a[Read More…]
The category of ‘farmers’ is a hasty one, an entity perceived as homogenous by consumers in urban settings. This erases class, caste, gender and geopolitical differences which exist within the category of ‘farmer’, varying from large scale landholders, moneylenders and middlemen, to small or landless farmers and farm labourers. This is discounting agrarian producers not themselves involved in farming, but[Read More…]
High hopes reposed in the talks between the representatives of farmers’ organizations and the government on January 4 were not fulfilled and the entire issue got postponed to the next round of talks scheduled for January 8. This is very disappointing. Why is the stalemate persisting? The statements made by both sides after this round may help us to understand[Read More…]
The last week too, the mainstream media published a large number of articles and opinion pieces, dismissing the farmers’ protests (2020-21). While arguments have been offered in support of the farm laws, the opposition parties have been slammed for indulging in petty politics. From attacking subsidies on agriculture and MSP (Minimum Support Price) to praising the technology, completion and[Read More…]
As India debates the repeal of three controversial farm laws and critical negotiations for this are scheduled to take place today on January 4, it needs to be asserted that in democracy when a government take a decision to repeal unpopular laws, its true respect and honor among people are likely to increase, not decrease. However this is true only[Read More…]
With fresh bouts of farmer protest gaining momentum, currently the Modi government is riding the high Horse of arrogance and the farmers are equally determined to conduct the ‘Ashwameda,’ the Vedic Yag of horse sacrifice. The current farmers protest is much deeper than the repealing of the three farm laws and fixing MSP prices. The bottom line is that the[Read More…]
The last round of talks between farmer and government representatives had ended on a note of partial optimism, with some negotiators from farmers side saying that they expected a clincher agreement in the next round of talks in the new year on January 4 Monday. Even ministers on the government side voiced expressed high hopes of final agreement, one Minister[Read More…]
A girl walks on her house terrace In the transient sunlight in winter Talking to a bird. On the border, an old peasant in the make-shift camp Shivers in the wind’s chill. A cloud climbs down to cover him with a white blanket. The light green of the new-born leaves of a lemon tree Asks the breeze to whistle[Read More…]
The last five weeks of 2020 were dominated by a re-assertion of social movements in India. Can the country build further on this strength in the new year 2021? To answer this question we must look first at the overall situation in the country. The foremost concerns of people appear to be economic ones. A very large number of people[Read More…]
The farmer-government talks on December 30 indicated that some progress on a negotiated settlement is being made. This is good for farming and good for democracy. However even at this advanced stage of negotiations there is no clear reference to two very crucial issues. It will be very useful if at least a reference regarding their importance and a commitment[Read More…]
An appeal of Progressive Organization of People (POP) to the people of India Farmers’ agitation against the three agrarian laws of the Modi government has snow balled into a major political challenge to the regime. When important institutions of the state like the parliament, and the criminal justice system including judiciary have been systematically hollowed out, and opposition political parties[Read More…]
After many distressing developments in the country some good news had to simply emerge during 2020 to end the year on a note of hope and it has finally emerged in the form of a growing unity of farmers and workers. This will strengthen our democracy and increase the ability of people to defend themselves and crucial national interests from[Read More…]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously attacking the opposition regarding the ongoing farmers’ movement at the borders of the capital. He has constantly made accusations that the opposition is misleading the farmers against the three agri-laws to gain its lost political ground. Especially by showing them fear of losing their lands due to the new laws. Modi’s attack is[Read More…]
Draft prepared ahead of round of talks scheduled for December 29, 2020 Note from the editor: In a recent response to an RTI plea filed by Jatin Desai, the central government revealed that it had no record of meetings or discussions with farmer associations ahead of finalizing the three new farm laws. The farmers on protest, however, seem deeply conscientious[Read More…]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that the left parties did not implement APMC Act is firmly being refuted by Kerala government and farmer’s union. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while announcing PM-KISAN scheme questioned the opposition parties who have extended their support to the protesting farmers in Delhi but ignored the non-implementation of APMCs in states like Kerala. “The groups who[Read More…]
New hopes of resolving the important issues raised by the farmers emerged on December 26, with both sides agreeing to restart of talks, after stalemate- like conditions had emerged following the breakdown of the earlier round of negotiations. Now this new opportunity of resolving the stand-off should be clinched, with the new year beginning on an optimistic note for the[Read More…]
It is a threat to food security. It has potential to make owners of agriculture land up to five acres, slaves and sub-servants of corporate agricultural contractors. It deprives annadaatas of the State support. Illustration by DOMINIC XAVIER, Courtesy : Rediff.com The majority of population did not understand these simple consequences, so-called educated are refusing to apply their minds, but[Read More…]
As Punjab was selected for early introduction of green revolution and the accompanying investments and subsidies, and the state also receives more remittances from family members who work abroad or have settled there, there has been an exaggerated perception of farm-related prosperity in Punjab, while the reality for many of the small and marginal farmers has been that of[Read More…]
India being an agrarian economy owes its development progress and emergence at global level to the unquestionable devotion, extreme hard work and selfless service of its farming community in making India not only self-sufficient in food grains but also a surplus food grain country. The Indian farmers have hardly ever been involved in demonstrations, protests or major agitations over the[Read More…]
In 1991, when I was 12 years old and in 8th class in my village high school, the Government of India led by the Congress Party launched new economic reform programmes. I vividly remember reading local newspapers, which carried news on the reduction of agricultural subsidies on seeds, fertilisers, electricity and irrigation. It also started dismantling the universal approach to[Read More…]
The farmers’ protests against the three bills that have been passed by the government has now moved far beyond merely being farm bills. Fact of the matter is despite wide ranging support from different parts of the country, it is mainly a protest led and supported by the Sikhs wholeheartedly. Had it not been so, it would have been difficult[Read More…]
Does the multitude signal the birth pangs of change? The coalition of agricultural workers, marginal landholders, oppressed castes led by rich peasantry surrounding Delhi constitutes a counter-power. Coming alive and united in its opposition to the Farm Bills; a pan Indian gathering calling to account the dominant tyranny enthroned in Delhi and Nagpur. Camped on the highways leading to Delhi[Read More…]
“If among the band of robbers, knowledge of robbing is obligatory, is a pious man to accept the obligation? So long as the superstition that men should obey the unjust laws exists, so long the slavery will exist”- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Hind Swaraj, 1909) With the new ‘farm laws’ democratic India’s saga of forced marriages remains in continuity. India remains[Read More…]
Introduction It is rare for any legislation to become the rallying point of such large-scale and prolonged opposition as the three farm laws enacted together this year in India have become. The biggest farmers’ movement of recent times in India has emerged to protest against this ‘kala kanoon’ or black laws as these three laws have been repeatedly labeled by[Read More…]
I am Aniketh Brian Madhok from Kolkata, West Bengal, The Republic of India. I am 17 years old and in the 11th Grade. I would like to take this opportunity to present my work in support of the Farmers’ Agitation which is currently on-going in India as of December 2020. The following are my own SHORT YouTube clips on the[Read More…]
Modi and His Washington Masters in Dismantling of Agricultural Economy and Food Security in India The surge of wealth of Indian billionaires and the Modi led BJP government’s onslaught on poor, marginalised and farmers continue to grow simultaneously as masses face annihilating pandemic of Coronavirus. There is 90 % rise of Indian billionaire’s wealth over last one decade. It is[Read More…]
Ten leading economists of India wrote a letter to the Union government and supported the farmers’ demand to repeal the Farm Acts. The letter dated December 17, 2020 is as follows: To Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India. Dear Sir, Sub: Serious concerns from economists regarding the recent Farm Acts, which merit[Read More…]
Statement of POP in solidarity with farmers struggle Last 25 days thousands of Farmers are protesting at the Delhi border along with their wives and children in the coldest winters of Delhi against the anti- farmer laws and the electricity bill enacted by the BJP central government. These laws are(1) the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act,[Read More…]
It would perhaps not be incorrect to say that the overview of the recently passed farm bills is to say that the farmers, rotting in the clutches of the APMCs, will now finally be liberated by the corporates. Seemingly, the farmers in this country will now have wings to fly, out in an open market, exercising choices. But what have[Read More…]
All sections of society — farmers, agricultural labourers, small shopkeepers — must oppose the new farm laws and hold the central government accountable for trying to jeopardise the country’s food security. Farmers across the country are agitating in a single voice for the rollback of the recently enacted farm laws. The new laws have the potential to restructure Indian agriculture[Read More…]
Farmer protests throughout the country have now been going on for quite a while without any ending in the sight. These protests came into force when government introduced 3 new farm bills: Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill. Government’s rationale behind[Read More…]
The recent death of Baba Ram Singh, who shot himself in protest against the repression of agitating farmers in India, has revealed the true colours of those in power. Singh was associated with the Sikh sect of Nanaksar in Karnal, Haryana. On Wednesday, December 16, he shot himself dead, leaving behind a suicide note explaining the reason behind his action.[Read More…]
To appreciate what is happening to agriculture and farmers in India, we must first understand how the development paradigm has been subverted. Development used to be about breaking with colonial exploitation and radically redefining power structures. Today, neoliberal dogma masquerades as economic theory and the subsequent deregulation of international capital ensures giant transnational conglomerates are able to ride roughshod over[Read More…]
US president Trump dismissed Christopher Krebs, director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Reason? Krebs had disputed Trump’s contention that the presidential election had fraudulent ballots and software glitches that changed millions of votes. Krebs spoke his “truth”, which did not match president Trump’s “truth”. Krebs paid the price by losing his job. In our country in recent[Read More…]
K.P. Sasi is a film maker, Cartoonist and a writer SIGN UP FOR COUNTERCURRENTS DAILY NEWSLETTER
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Dec 15 Tuesday said that a conspiracy is going around Delhi. The PM was speaking at the inauguration of mega energy projects in Kutch, in his home state Gujarat. The PM’s statement came even as the farmers’ agitation across the country entered its 20th day. Five rounds of talks between the government and the farmers[Read More…]
I simply do not have an adjective in the dictionary to sum up the intensity of the farmers resistance in Delhi. History continues to be re-written like an inextinguishable light. It is reminiscent of a protracted war launched by an army against unflinching odds, confronting the enemy in the very belly. Each and every day it is further consolidating. With[Read More…]
In democracies leaders are called upon time and again to resolve protests of people. In fact this is a primary responsibility of democratically elected leaders and the sense of responsibility should be all the greater for leaders who have received enormous respect and trust of people, like a leader like Shri Narendra Modi of India. Time and again people of[Read More…]
Since the beginning of the farmers’ agitation against the three new agri-laws, there has been a series of allegations and counter-allegations between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and opposition parties. The pace and volume of allegations and counter-allegations between the government and the opposition increased significantly after the opposition actively supported the Bharat Bandh called by the farmers’[Read More…]
Instead of listening to the grievances of the farmers and objectively reporting the concerns raised during more than half a month-long farmers’ demonstrations being held around the areas in and around the national capital Delhi, the media is busy maligning them. The pages of newspapers are filled with the negative stories and anti-farmers opinion pieces. The farmers continue to[Read More…]
These kisans are an ungracious lot. What a bunch of ignorant fools! We give them concessions. They say they need rights. We offer Ambani’s bazaar. They prefer mandis. We offer Adani warehouses. They prefer MSP. We pass bills without asking. They pass resolutions that jolt us. We praise Kisans are good for country. They troll us in wedding songs. We[Read More…]
It is inexplicable why the union government is taking so long to resolve an issue which is so simple to resolve . Millions and millions of people including farmers put their faith in wisdom of Narendra Modi in the last general elections; he was without doubt the biggest vote catcher for the BJP and the NDA. This faith is now[Read More…]
Jan Adhikar Mancha supports the ongoing farmers’ movement. Mancha condemns state repression and false propaganda against the movement From the very first day of the call of “Delhi Chalo” programme of the All Indian Kishan Sangarsha Samiti to the observation of International Human Rights day of 10 December, we have been observing the Goebbelsean propaganda of misinformation and disinformation unleashed[Read More…]
The Indian rightist government, intoxicated by its power induced due to number of seats occupied by its party in the Lower House of Parliament which enabled it to form the government without the need for a political alliance, has assumed power to be absolute. Although it has a dummy alliance under the umbrella named as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA),[Read More…]
The Modi government is facing one of the strongest oppositions since it came to power. And it is not from its biggest rival Congress. Rather it is from the people that Modi government promised to make the life easy for- the farmers of India. The seeds of this massive protest were laid on 27th September 2020 when the president gave[Read More…]
In the last one decade we are witnessed three major protests in different issues, but the outcome of each protest was the same. The protesters became popular but the issue lost in between the crowd of protesters. The issues are carved to harness more and more crowds irrespective of the issues. The three major protests at least indicate a pattern[Read More…]
Government is on the backfoot with determined farmers, especially from the northern states, protesting peacefully against the Farm Laws. They are joined by farmers and workers countrywide. Whatever the official obfuscations, this is a People’s agitation/ protest against laws which they well understand will do them harm. In present times, barring ritual voting in elections, the will of We the[Read More…]
‘Sarkar ki asli majburi; ambani, adani, jamakhori’ (The Compulsions of the government is Ambani, Adani and hoarding cum corruption). This is the slogan that the protesting farmers are raising these days in the course of their nationwide struggle for their dignity and rights. Though very brief, but this slogan expediently and succinctly captures the issue, the farmers are foregrounding. On[Read More…]
In the context of a massive farmer agitation to protect the agrarian productive mass self-respect and future of their age old occupation, it is important to see whether the ruling Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology has any scope for developing agriculture as against its pro-business ideology. If one looks at the policy documents of the RSS right from 1925 it’s Cultural[Read More…]
First they came for the corner shops And I did not speak out Because I was not a shopkeeper Then they came for the taxis And I did not speak out Because I was not a taxi driver Next they came for travel agencies And I did not speak out Because I was not a travel agent Then they came[Read More…]
Enlarged farmers’ protests at Delhi that succeeded in mustering active support from adjoining states have forced the Modi government to leave its earlier stand that the Farm Act would bring ‘bonanza’ for the farmers. And in a way of confessing its error, the government has come down with a negotiating proposal for amending the Acts. But by exhibiting trust-deficit in[Read More…]
Today women and men in the farmers’ struggle are standing shoulder to shoulder at the Delhi borders. This movement is a symbol in the history of India—a symbol of freedom, of voices, of ideas, of protests, of slogans, of resolutions. This is not just a farmers’ struggle; it is a joint campaign of all of us, of children, women and[Read More…]
It is not every day that one needs a doctor, a lawyer, a policemen or a priest, but everyday, three times a day, you need a farmer. Farmers are not a homogenous community. There are caste and class differences because, among land-owning farmers, the socio-economic spectrum of farmers is huge. At one end are wealthy, university-educated farmers with large land-holdings,[Read More…]
New farm bill 2020: Why farmers are protesting? Farmers from several Indian states are protesting against three new Agriculture Reforms Acts, that the government says will open up the tightly-controlled agriculture sector to free-market forces. It is claimed that the bills, passed by India’s parliament make it easier for farmers to sell their produce directly to private buyers and enter[Read More…]
The most prominent feature of world farming in recent decades has been that of growing corporate control, and this has often been at the expense and interests of farmers. It is important to understand the wide-ranging adverse implications of this corporatization of farming for the sustainability of farming systems, for the welfare of ordinary farmers and for food-security of the[Read More…]
As the farmers protest has grown powerful and looking for a long haul, the BJP as well as its ‘information network’ has gone overboard to discredit them. Whatever things happen at the ground, the social media trolls and disinformation has its impact even if we deny them or mock at them. Travelling in the train from Uttar Pradesh give you[Read More…]
They didn’t raise their voice And we called them under privileged By our own choice Do you eat food? Of course, from when you were born But today you are being unjust With the ones that provide. A doctor, a teacher and even a parent, We need them but not all the time, A farmer, we just cannot do without.[Read More…]
Delhi right now is witnessing an unprecedented outburst of long suppressed agony and muffled voice of the Indian farmers. The protest that started in August 2020 against the three Agricultural Laws bring forth by the NDA government is projecting a shift in its vigor and valor since this November 25th, when the farmers from Punjab and Haryana have decided to[Read More…]
In fact “these people ( the bureaucrats ) have even made the Prime Minister give wrong statements about the Acts,” says leader of BKS. It shows how the State functions and ruling politicians have to toe the line and sell it to the public. It bulldozes any dissent, even if it is from its own camp. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh[Read More…]
1. Armed Forces Veterans are closely following the unfolding situation of the farmer’s peaceful agitation to repeal the three laws passed by Parliament. We are also aware that workers across sectors have supported the demands of farmers, in addition to peacefully raising objections to amended labour laws. 2. The purpose of this statement is to inform protesting farmers that Armed[Read More…]
~ Complete Bandh in some states, huge protests all over India ~ More than 50 Lac people participate in 20,000 places to make Bharat Bandh Successful ~ All Sections of common working class people and white-collar workers join Bandh; city streets and markets deserted ~ Organised and Unorganised Sector workers involved in supporting Bandh; Daily wagers sacrifice to make Bandh[Read More…]
(Report of the Virtual Meet of All India Peoples Front held on 5.12.2020) In order to save the corporate economy undergoing a period of deep economic crisis, the Modi government legislated three anti-farmer acts by passing them in a highly undemocratic manner in Parliament. Similarly, by creating anti-worker Labour Code, all the rights acquired after long struggles have been trampled. Even provision has[Read More…]
There is growing unease at the inexplicable delay on the part of the union government in accepting the well-justified demands of the farmers’ movement. It is by now widely recognized that the three controversial farm laws are not justified and were somehow pushed through with undue hurry. The government representatives have already accepted the need for several amendments and the[Read More…]
AIKSCC APPEALS FOR SUPPORT & SOLIDARITY WITH “BHARAT BANDH” ON DECEMBER 8 – CALLS FOR MASS PROTESTS BY ALL DEMOCRATIC & PROGRESSIVE MASS ORGANISATIONS, TRADE UNIONS, TRADERS, ASSOCIATIONS & GUILDS This is an appeal from All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) to all democratic & progressive mass organisations across India including trade unions, students’ organisations, women’s organisations, teachers’ organisations,[Read More…]
Withdraw the 3 Pro-Corporate, Anti-Farmer Laws: Uphold Farmers Sovereignty Over Agriculture Historic Farmers Resistance is a Struggle to Reclaim Democracy from Fascists National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM) expresses its complete solidarity with ongoing farmers’ nation-wide protests and endorses the Bharat Bandh on 8th December. The call has come after several rounds of failed negotiation between the protesting farmers in[Read More…]
Oppose the Modi Government’s farm laws meant to favour the big business and buttress the Centre’s autocracy The UCCRI(M-L) supports the call for a Bharath Bandh on December 8, 2020 given by the various farmers’ organizations to oppose the Modi Government’s farm laws. These farm laws are meant to favour big business houses to enter into production and distribution of[Read More…]
On December 5 the 5th round of talks of farmers’ representatives with the government in Delhi was not successful, but the situation was redeemed somewhat by a statement made by the Union Agriculture Minister at the end of the 5 hour talks. Speaking in a very gentle voice he told media persons that he would like to thank farmer leaders[Read More…]
The peasantry of Punjab belonging to 32 different organisations of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Co-ordination Commitee have literally written a new chapter in history after igniting a spark into a Prairie fire. Arguably in the entire world has a farmers movement hit such a crescendo. There is hardly a adjective in the dictionary that can do justice to the[Read More…]
We, the Core Group members of the Vikalp Sangam, stand in solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ protests for the repeal of the newly enacted farm laws – The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. We[Read More…]
The movement of farmers, with its epicenter on the borders of the capital city but also having manifestations in many parts of the country, has attracted widespread attention. This is clearly a very important movement. It is attracting a large number of farmers and getting strong material and emotional support from several sections of society. However attracting a large number[Read More…]
The farmer is the provider of food (Anndata) to the world, but in today’s system, he often has a craving for grains. People thrive in towns and cities using his earnings, but only disasters come in his share. The crop dries due to droughts. Floods submerge fields. But a big disaster over these two comes when the price of the[Read More…]
You shove us, you beat us, you bury us alive. Yet we, the farmers of this country are reborn like that one resolute corn plant. You cringe, you grin, you plead for our votes and notes. If WE made you win, WE can make you fall too! We’re the fields, we, the crops, then why are we the prisoners of[Read More…]
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties is committed to the defence and promotion of civil liberties in India, irrespective of differences regarding the political and economic institutions that maybe suitable for the country. The aim of the PUCL is clearly to uphold and promote by peaceful means the democratic way of life throughout India. To us it is an article[Read More…]
Ongoing farmer protests that turn into an encirclement of New Delhi, the power-center are no longer confined to the securing of assurance of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat and rice in Punjab and Haryana. They have sharpened the sting against Indian policies of neo-liberalism. These policies have already led to the finance-capital control and privatization of health and education[Read More…]
On Saturday December 5 the Government of India is scheduled to hold the 5th round of talks with protesting farmers’ movements. There are at least 21 compelling reasons why the government should accept the main demand of farmers for repealing the three controversial laws. These reasons relate mainly to the fact that acceptance of this key demand will be good[Read More…]
The Agricultural Trade and Commerce Act, Farmers Price Assurance Act and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act were enacted by the Union Government in October 2020. These laws have triggered nationwide protests, which include huge participation of women farmers. They believe that these laws will make them vulnerable to exploitation by corporations, erode their bargaining power, and weaken government’s MSP system, putting[Read More…]
The ongoing siege of the national capital New Delhi by hundreds of thousands of farmers represents, perhaps, the biggest revolt against ‘Company Raj’ since India’s First War of Independence way back in 1857. While a century and half ago it was the rapacious British East India Company that was the target of the Indian masses this time their ire today[Read More…]
Ever since the Punjab farmers’ agitation has picked up in India, the followers of the currently ruling right wing Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have started labelling the agitators as separatists. Since the famers from Punjab are predominantly Sikhs, Modi’s troll army and some of his apologists in Bollywood have begun attacking them on social media,[Read More…]
The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has supported the farmers’ peaceful democratic protest in Delhi and hoped that a solution would be found out. Now, this has ‘hurt’ the sentiments of ‘liberal’ ‘deshbhakts’ and they have started questioning Canada’s locus standi on the issue. A great editor even tweeted how Canada, which is ‘inconsequential’ for world politics matter for India.[Read More…]
An important farmers’ movement has emerged in India around the opposition to the three recent controversial farm legislations which are widely alleged to advance corporate interests at the expense of jeopardizing a fair deal to farmers. This has support of many important farmers’ organizations and in addition sections of other social movements have also extended support to the demand for[Read More…]
The #FarmersProtest has brought into limelight the dangers of ‘corporatisation’ of agriculture which the farmers organisations know but our ‘economists’ sponsored and funded by big companies continue to provide us ‘data’ of the efficacy of the ‘private sector’. The three bills that the farmers are protesting, particularly from Punjab and Haryana will actually bring death knell to the Minimum Support[Read More…]
While the farmers continue to hold demonstrations near the national capital against the recently-enacted Farm Laws that have facilitated the entry of big corporate players in the agricultural sector, several Hindi newspapers are busy demonizing the movement and linking it to the Khalistani terrorists. Several narratives are being constructed by the media to portray the Farmers’ Protests as unruly, violent,[Read More…]
PUDR condemns the Haryana Government and the Police for filing cases against farmers protesting against the three farmers and Electricity Act. As per various news reports, Haryana Police have registered cases at Sadar Ambala PS, Baldev Nagar Ambala PS and Dabwali PS against Bhartiya Kisan Union and other farmers’ organizations for allegedly breaking police checkpoints and entering Haryana during the[Read More…]
After the anti CAA protest at Saheen Bagah in Delhi, the farmers protest is the second protest in Delhi that is currently underway in 2020. Thousands of farmers from Haryana and Punjab have marched towards Delhi to press the central government to repeal the recently enacted farm laws. They are stopped at Haryana Delhi border by the Delhi police using[Read More…]
On 26 November, an estimated 250 million workers from different sectors belonging to 10 central trade unions and hundreds of workers associations struck work in what may be the biggest nationwide strike. It is not coincidental that lakhs of farmers of several states chose the same day to march towards Delhi from all directions, opposed by Police at multiple places.[Read More…]
A revolution is happening in India. As usual, the revolution is not being televised. Tens of thousands of farmers are marching to the national capital New Delhi. After preventing them from entering the city for two days, the government was forced to allow their entry. Most of the mainstream media are either ignoring this revolution or calling the agitating farmers[Read More…]
The police brutality on the farmers protesting against the farm bill passed by the Parliament need to be unconditionally condemned. The farmers are agitating againsnt these bills since they were passed without proper discussion in Parliament. The fear is that the bills will pave the way for corporatisation of agriculture and will leave the farmers atg the mercy of corporate[Read More…]
Adopted by an assembly representing the farmers of India on the occasion of the historic Kisan Mukti March organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee Delhi, 30 November 2018 WE, THE FARMERS OF INDIA, The producers of primary agricultural commodities; Including Women, Dalit, Nomadic and Adivasi farmers; Landowners, Tenants, Sharecroppers, Agricultural Labourers and Plantation Workers; Fishworkers, Milk Producers,[Read More…]
Around 100,000 farmers from across the country converged and marched to the parliament of India in New Delhi demanding a special session to discuss their problems. They were stopped near Parliament Street Police station in the national capital, where their leaders addressed the protesters. The farmers, who have been camping at the Ramlila ground since Thursday, began their march to[Read More…]
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