Indian Farmers’ Protests: Why they matter to British Indians
British Indian: Farmers and their families seemed to protest in India for months. Moreover, camped out in Delhi exhibit over the government’s new farm laws which they think will damage their livelihoods.
However, the promoter of the laws says improvements are badly needing, as thousands of Indian farmers are fighting. Young British of Indian fall may be almost five thousand miles away, but it’s affecting many of them and their families.
In addition to Kiren, it is seeing her parents and grandparents bonded to the TV. However, it getting angry and upset, which made it hit home. “That’s our extraction,” she explains. “We’re not so many generations down the line that we’re not connected to India.
What are the New Farming Laws?
The three new farm laws were brought in last summer.Â
They release the rules around the sale, pricing, and storage of farm. On the other hand, produce means farmers can sell immediately to private buyers. Instead of government-controlled markets where they get a minimum guarantee price.
The government says the changes will leave farmers better off by making markets more efficient and attracting more investment. But in January India’s supreme court put the laws on hold “Until further notice”.
Kiren says, “There is real respect in our culture of where you come from”. Moreover, there are the ones who are providing food internationally – the grains, the turmeric, the wheat… a big proportion of it does come from India.
India’s government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), says these new laws are necessary to increase farm incomes and productivity. The leaders say they are listening and negotiating with the farmers – and that the new laws double farmers’ income which a promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016.
They have criticised celebrities and others outside India for their “neither accurate nor responsible” comments – and top ministers and celebrities tweeted against “propaganda” that threatened India’s unity. Several Bollywood Stars and Cricket Players have come out in support of the Indian government.
India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants.
Indians know India and should decide for India. Let's remain united as a nation.#IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 3, 2021
‘There’s a Need for Reform’
We spoke to a man from Nottingham, who’s Hindu. He didn’t want to be named over worries he’d be attacked online. However, his parents gave up farming to move to the UK – and says, most of his family have since had a sell-off land back in Punjab. “There are middle-men who take a big chunk of profit from the farmers,” he explains.
On the other hand, “there’s a need to protect them from that and also to give them a better deal”. Moreover, he’s mostly worried about the protest causing religious divisions more than 40% of people in India work in agriculture.
Bulrah Purewal, 20, says if he was there right now he’d be a farmer. All my family is. It’s just not fair. They’re taking the minimum wage away, he says.
In addition, a recent tractor rally by farmers led to violence which left a protester dead and hundreds of police officers and protesters injured. Some demonstrators stormed Delhi’s historic Red Front on India’s Republic day and occupied it until the police chased them away. This was seen as an attack on India’s sovereignty.
