Opposition of Indian farmers: Why should you take care of the thousands of people who are protesting


The laws have a direct impact on Indian farmers, but they can also have a significant impact on consumers globally, relying on India for many key items such as turmeric, chilli and ginger.

More than half of India’s working population comes from the agricultural sector. According to India’s latest census of 2011, the average Indian farmer earns Rs 10,329 (approximately 140 140) per month from 2011-201-19, according to Hindustan Times analysis. Of these 263.1 million workers, many rely solely on farming to put food on their own table and on the roof above their heads.

Opposition leaders said last month farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh came by tractor and on foot to New Delhi, where they set up roadblocks and set up makeshift camps. Some slept on the road or in their tractors, and many places of worship fed the protesters.

It affects your pantry

Opposition is not specific to India.

People around the world are protesting to show support for farmers and to stay away because the protest is about “the people who feed us all” and their just behavior, said Simran Jitsingh, a scholar of religion and history at a recent Union seminar. . Keller Term Member.

“The epidemic showed us that there are two economies,” he said. “Essential workers around the world are struggling. The farmers of India represent it all, and their resistance to the unjust legislation that Uber-rich corporations enjoy is a resistance that speaks to many around our world.”

India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, producing about 68% of the world’s spices, according to the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Spices Board. Of India.
In 2019, the top 10 importers of Indian spices included the US, China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Thailand, the UK, the UAE, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
Exports include pepper, cardamom, chilli, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic, curry powder and anise.
According to the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority of India, India is a leading exporter in the global market for basmati rice and the world’s largest milk producer, with the main production taking place in states like Punjab, Haryana and Delhi – where there are farmers. Also protested.
The country is the world’s largest producer of rice, wheat and other grains, second only to China in the world’s fruit and vegetable production.

For those who practice homeopathy or ayurveda, herbs and medicine go together, an ancient Hindu medicine based on the idea of ​​balance in your body built on the foundation of herbal treatment, yoga and breathing.

At some point, ginger is served for arthritis and digestion, cinnamon to increase fat and raise blood sugar, and fenugreek to fight infections – all exports of the country.
There are thousands of plants in India, but some of them are known for medicinal uses and are used, according to data from the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomidicin. Similar data say that about 25% of drugs are taken from plants.

It affects your closet

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, India is the world’s leading producer of cotton, behind China – and that’s why something has been made in India’s cupboards.

Even though the yield in India is lower than the global average, the area under cotton in India is under cultivation of another country, which accounts for about 0% of the world’s total.

What does the law say?

For decades, the Government of India has offered farmers guaranteed prices for certain crops, creating a stable guide for decisions and investments for the following crop cycles.

Under the previous law, farmers had to sell goods at the auction of their state’s agricultural produce market committee. The minimum price agreed upon by the government for the items was set and the auction was regulated by restrictions on who could buy with expensive caps on requirements.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the new law gives farmers the opportunity to set their own prices and sell directly to private businesses such as grocery chains, by cutting off intermediaries, which in this case is the state’s agricultural produce market committee.

Farmers argue that Modi’s new laws help big companies reduce prices. Even if there is demand, farmers sell crops at lower prices, on the contrary, they may struggle to meet the minimum price in years when supply comes to the market.

Simran Singh said that in the past, when Indian agricultural workers protested for fair prices and working conditions, the Indian government responded with violent crackdowns that included documentary torture, human rights violations and extrajudicial killings.

“It is crucial that, in this moment of peaceful protest, we keep an eye on India’s response, and ensure that they do not again use repressive tactics and repressive tactics as a way to counter the protest.”

Sounds on the ground

People have shown solidarity in the last two weeks – France, Germany, California, New York, Texas, Canada, the Netherlands and London.

As a Sikh Punjabi woman, the fight for Ramanpreet Kaur in New York is about her “grandparents and parents who have kept the farming culture alive in our families to provide for us.”

“Even if you don’t feel any personal connection with India or the many farmers there, as a human being living on earth, you should worry about the exploitation of the people who feed you every day,” he said.

Ramanpreet Kaur protested in Queens, New York on December 5 and was joined by about 150 others.

Manveer Singh said he still feels the impact of India’s new laws on farming by his cousins ​​in Vancouver, Punjab, Canada.

“The whole world should take care of this issue, because we are all connected in a globalized society,” he said. “Everything from turmeric to basmati belongs to Indian farmers.”

Manveer Singh joined a demonstration outside the Indian Consulate in downtown Vancouver on December 5.

“And above personal interests, we need to take human values ​​above corporations. That in itself is the central policy that continues to be the greatest opposition in human history.”

Rajbir Singh of Amsterdam said it has always been the only way for his family to make money – and for some of them it still is.

Protest against Dan Haag in front of the Indian Embassy on Tuesday, December 8th.

“It is not acceptable for me to see that all Indian farmers have to indirectly work for these big corporations,” he said. “That is why I am protesting and urging the rest of the world’s farming communities to stay with Indian farmers.”

What happens now and how to help

According to the Indian Farmers Union, Indian farmers on Wednesday rejected the government’s proposed reforms.

Darshan Pal, President of Krantikari Kisan Sangh of Khedut Sangh The protests will intensify and there are plans to block the highway between New Delhi and Jaipur, the capital of the western state of Rajasthan, on December 12, with a nationwide protest by December 14 calling for a rally outside India’s regional offices. Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Organizations such as the international humanitarian relief group, Khalsa Aid, have a team working on the ground with opposition organizers.
Sahaita, a volunteer-based humanitarian nonprofit, is collecting financial donations to help affected families.
And cultural clothing brands, such as Reganful and ZHK Designs, are donating profits from their trade and art to organizations focused on aid.

CNN’s Julia Hallingsworth, Swati Gupta, Esha Mitra and Manveena Suri contributed to the report.

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