Punjab Farmer Protests

Currently there is a crisis going on in India regarding Punjab’s farmers. They are
protesting unjust laws imposed on them by the Indian government. These laws will
essentially privatize agriculture, meaning it will strip the power from the farmers and
instead give it to private entities, who will decide the worth of various crops. This will
essentially cripple the lives of these farmers who have been growing these sorts of
crops. These concerns are being either ignored or dismissed by the Indian government,
hence the farmers essentially began dropping everything, despite the pandemic, and
marched to New Delhi to have the government (mainly Prime Minister Modi) hear their
grievances (Singh). While doing so, the farmers are being met with all types of
suppressions- from water cannons being hosed down, barricades, and police brutality.
In response to farmers' protests, Modi's right-wing government has lied about
and defamed its own people. According to Time the protestors were labeled
"anti-national" and" "goons'' by senior politicians. International icons such as Rihanna
and Greta Thunberg have used their platforms to demand greater international scrutiny
over Indian authoritarian tactics against Punjab protesters. As a result, the toolkit linked
to Thunberg’s tweet was investigated by the Delhi police, who even filed a First
Information Report (FIR).
Along with these dismissive responses from the Indian government, many
tragedies have been occurring as well. Recently, nine reporters revealed that police
officers in India shot and killed a protester. The Committee to Protect Journalists issued
a statement regarding this matter. Ken Roth, an Executive Director for the Human
Rights Watch, states “The Indian authorities’ response to protests by farmers has
focused on discrediting peaceful protestors, harassing critics of the government, and
now prosecuting journalists who are reporting on the protests and recent Delhi violence”
(Singh). However this is not the only violence occuring during the protests. Dhanna
Singh, a farmer from Khiali Chahlan Wali village in Mansa district, was going to Delhi
prior to getting killed in an accident near Bhiwani. “The Haryana Police registered a
case against a truck driver who hit the tractor-trolley in which Singh was seated. Two
others were injured in the incident” (Hindustan Times). Additionally, in Haryana, the
Indian police have been using tear gas as an attempt to disperse farmers when
protesting the Singhu boundary against Centre's Farm laws (Asian News International).
Despite the tragedies and various compression, the protesters have been making
slight developments. The commissioner of the Delhi police announced that the farmers
would be permitted to enter the national capital and they are allowed to protest at the
Nirankari Samagam Ground in the Burari area. The farmers who are protesting have
now crossed the Tikri frontier into the national capital.
Overall, the Punjab protesters are using their voice to speak up against the
unjust laws given from the government. Which in response, the Indian government has
been foolishly dismissing their concerns and instead responding with violence. The
protesters are treated poorly, as they are getting tear gassed, abused, and some are
even killed. Although it is harder to show support here in America, we must continue to
educate ourselves and others on this issue as well as donate or sign petitions to help
make a difference and hopefully reach a fair solution.
 Works Cited

“Farmers Protest Highlights: More Punjab Farmers Enter Haryana for Protest.”

Hindustan Times, 27 Nov. 2020,

www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/farmers-protest-live-updates-punjab-farmer

s-to-resume-dilli-chalo-march/story-tG2IZgUDNfo4xSLPjvMAxI.html.

Singh, Simran Jeet. “The Farmers' Protests Are a Turning Point for India.” Time, Time,

12 Feb. 2021, time.com/5938041/india-farmer-protests-democracy/.

“[Take Action] Stand with the #FarmersProtest!” Sikh Coalition, 2021,

www.sikhcoalition.org/take-action-stand-farmersprotest/.

“Why India's Farmer Protests Matter.” The Aspen Institute, 11 Feb. 2021,

www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/why-indias-farmer-protests-matter/.