The Farmer’s Movement in India

SUNDAY MORNING AT THE MARXIST LIBRARY

Sun, Jan 17, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Farmer’s Movement in India

Present protests of farmers have grown with tens of thousands in opposition to the three farm laws government of India passed in the parliament where the ruling BJP has majority, taking advantage of the Covid pandemic lockdown period which restricted the movements and thus also protests. These 3 laws have the purpose of denying fair prices to farmers, to the advantage of big (capitalist) privately owned corporations both Indian and foreign. They will be allowed to take over agricultural land, to hoard agricultural produce and sell them at much higher prices making huge profits at the cost of consumers and farmers. Hence there are widespread protests all over the country by all sections of farmers and farm workers. But in Delhi those states which are located close to the Capital of India, New Delhi, farmers unions have mobilized to march to the capital and protest over 2 months back. They have been stopped at the border of Delhi State, a central government territory by the police. Now these farmers are choking Delhi by blocking all highways into the city. The Modi government has come forward with some amendments which are cosmetic. Farmers are firm in demanding repeal of laws. The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has intervened, which is permitted in India for the SCI when the issue is a large public interest one. The SC has ruled to suspend these new laws, and has created a committee to study and provide it the advice of the committee. But farmers have rejected this committee. Over 70 farmers have died in the harsh winter outdoor living on the roads. The crisis is unresolved.
Our speaker, Mr. G. N. Nagaraj, is an agronomist based in Karnataka State in South India. This state is now ruled by BJP but was ruled by the Congress Party in 1983. He resigned from his state job in 1983 over what he saw was unfairness to the farmers. He then worked with farmers unions. He helped found an organization of farm workers as they suffered most because of their social situation as Dalits and economic situation as landless agricultural labor.

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