Farmers Protest Part 1
DISCLAIMER: I am aware that there are multiple opinions regarding this topic. This is just my point of view and some may agree, but some may not. If you disagree please feel free to stop reading at any time. If my facts are not correct, please feel free to reach out with the correct facts (evidence included please). No negativity or vulgarity will be tolerated. This is just part one of a multiple post series regarding various aspects of this topic.
For those who know me I’m very rarely at a loss of words, as I have been for the past couple of months due to the events unfolding in India. The Indian Government, spearheaded by Prime Minister Narinder Modi who seems to be greatly influenced by business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, has enacted 3 laws regarding the farming industry. These 3 black laws have been put in place to give large corporations more of an advantage in the business world which from the governments end may seem like a winning situation for all. However, as the rich will get richer, the farmers in India will lose their livelihoods as large corporations are able to negotiate how much the farmers will get paid. Think about working for minimum wage 7 days a week, then having a larger corporation take over just to decide that what you make in one day you will begin to make in one week. The farmers are already suffering with farmer suicides constantly on the rise due to changes in their industry and now the government is trying to take away what they have left. Hence, the protests in India’s capital- New Delhi. These laws were put into motion without any notification to those who they would effect the most. How could the government pass laws that would effect such a large portion of its hardworking citizens without even thinking about them?
The farmers of india, specially Punjab have for decades felt as though their voices were not being heard. So, as time went on they decided to exercise their right to peacefully protest in hopes that the government would understand how much these laws would adversely effect their livelihoods. Farmers of all ages, including women, children and elders flooded the streets outside of the capital and were met with roads broken by police, barricades, water cannons and tear gas. Entire villages have been living on the streets, sleeping on the cold, wet ground in the rain, sleeping in tractors, struggling without restrooms or drinking water. Many go to sleep wondering if they’ll wake up the next morning or even see their families again, only in the hope that they will be able to keep their basic rights to make the money they deserve by growing food for the world and country on the land that was passed down to them by their ancestors. Unfortunately, many have passed away during these protests and conditions. You may ask why they choose to risk their lives in order to protest. After centuries of oppression, of taking the route of filing paperwork, pleading with their elected officials, nothing ever gets solved. So, the farmers of Punjab and many other areas of India determined that there was no other way to get the governments attention. In a country who’s government is known for an insane amount of corruption, how else does one get their point across? In a country where your ancestry determines your value in life, where so many spend their lives on the streets due to their caste, where CHILDREN and innocent women are gang raped and the rapists run free while the victims are punished, citizens are TIRED. They are tired of being mistreated, taken advantage of and abused. The government may be deaf hearing their cries, but they certainly can’t be blind, right? Yet for months they have turned a blind eye to these protests. What kind of a government watches in silence while millions of their citizens are clearly trying to get their attention. They call the country “Mother India”, but explain this- if a child is hurt or being treated badly and is crying, no actually SCREAMING in pain, will the mother just ignore it? This is just another example of India trying to silence those requesting their BASIC rights.
The country these farmers feed and send their sons to fight for just takes from them but never gives back. The people are TIRED. The farmers are tired. The poor are tired. Those who are considered low caste are tired. All they expect is to be heard in a place where promises are made during election time but when it’s time for those promises to turn into action the elected officials laugh in their faces.
Bribery and corruption have seeped into every little crack in the Indian government to the point where if they’re suddenly removed, it’s entire infrastructure would crumble. And India’s citizens are paying the price.
