Tens of thousands of Punjabi farmers are protesting the Indian Government in New Delhi due to unjust farmer laws recently passed that benefit large corporations and harm local citizens. These laws essentially take away farmland and that is owned by private citizens in Punjab and sell them to large corporations for a minimum price without the consent of the farmers themselves.
This directly benefits the Indian government and its corporations but essentially kills the livelihood of an entire state in India. Punjab heavily relies on agriculture — it is ingrained within their culture and religion. If you take away their private land, you are taking away their livelihood, basic rights, and way of life.
When Punjabi farmers marched to the capital of India to protest, they were met with tear gas and water cannons. When others came to join in, the roads were blocked by Indian police and were attacked. If you are not familiar with Indian history, this may seem bizarre — however, this is more so a deja vú moment for Punjabi's.
Here is an excerpt from a CNN Op-Ed that really delves into this.
The Indian government hasn't ever been known for immense support of Punjab and its citizens, most notably in 1984 when "Punjabi leaders initiated a campaign for equal rights, Punjab Bandh, which blocked the transport of crops and withheld taxes from the federal government. It was a part of a states' rights movement against the central government in New Delhi.
In response, the federal government deployed 100,000 army troops to the state.
Within a month, the Indian government would launch a military attack on the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple, a religious center for Sikhs) of Amritsar. The Indian government justified the military action as a matter of national security, though journalists and independent sources report mass civilian casualties in the thousands."
Shocking isn't it? Even now, the Indian government is silent when it comes to Punjab and its struggling. These farmers are the breadbasket of India and yet are continuously disrespected and silenced by their own government.
What's even more confusing is that this protest is receiving minimal media coverage.
If you are curious as to how you can help or support the Punjabi farmers protesting right now, here are a few ways:
1. Post and spread knowledge, whether it's through this article, infographics, or any other way. The world needs to know about this.
2. Contact your legislators and urge them to contact Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has already done so!
3. Consider donating for the meals for these protestors via this GoFundMe page.
