Farmers’ Protest: 55 groups from 25 countries ask Government of India to repeal 3 laws

International organisations and individuals from more than 25 countries, extending their solidarity to the ongoing farmers’ agitation, have called it “a beacon of hope to the millions of Indians who have been ridden over roughshod by the current government”, said India’s premier civil society network, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), distributing a statement by tens of groups from across the world. 

The statement, signed by 56 people’s organisations, civil society groups, social movements and concerned individuals, said, they consider the enactment of the three farm laws as “subversion of democratic norms”. Calling the three laws “pro-corporate” against “farmers, workers and toiling masses”, the signatories urged the Government of India (GoI) to talk to farmers and repeal the three laws immediately.

The statement comes close on the heel of the wide global coverage of the agitation in international media and demonstrations organized in several European and North American cities by Indian diaspora and others, as also questions raised in the British Parliament on the way the farmers’ protests have been treated by the GoI.

Text:

We stand in solidarity with the ongoing historic farmers protest in India and extend support to their demands. On June 5, 2020, amidst the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of India hastily passed three ordinances namely Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
By September 2020, these ordinances were made into law without sufficient parliamentary discussion or any talks with the farmer’s representative and its possible ramifications on their lives.
It is worrying to see the subversion of democratic norms and enactment of pro-corporate laws against farmers, workers and toiling masses. India already witnessed a huge humanitarian crisis in wake of the strict lockdown and millions of migrant workers, small and marginal farmers were left to fend for themselves, as the institutional mechanisms were not set in place to safeguard them.
There is an unfolding economic crisis but rather than taking steps to help people, another set of anti-people laws have been passed further affecting millions of people again
The farms bills are going to affect not only the farmers of India but also the agricultural workers, small traders, and common people and promote large scale corporate control of the farming sector impacting the food security and sovereignty.
Farmers and workers have been protesting these laws since its inception and then passage in the Parliament. With the demand to repeal these three farm laws, Thousands of farmers from across India started their march towards Delhi on November 25, 2020. They were stopped at the State borders, brutally lathi charged, and faced tear gas shells and water cannons on the way.
They are camping for two weeks now at the borders of Delhi and were joined by trade unions, small traders associations, feminist organisations and others in their call for all India strike on December 8th. Support from different parts of the world has been pouring in too and farmers protest have also stood with the political prisoners in India, broadening the ambit of the struggle for social justice.

We urge the Government of India to talk to farmers and repeal these anti farmer laws. We stand in solidarity with the farmers and agrarian workers in their strike for justice, freedom and sovereignty.

. Aid/Watch, Australia

2. Asia Europe People’s Forum, Asia-Europe
3. ATTAC France
4. Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
5. CEDETIM (Centre d’études et d’initiatives pour la solidarité internationale) France la Solidarité
   Internationale), France
6. Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo SJ” (CSMM),
   Ecuador
7. CERAS (Centre sur l’asie du sud/South Asia Centre), Canada
8. City University of New York, USA
9. CLEAN (Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network), Bangladesh
10. Emmaus, Sweden
11. EU Liberal Indians, Netherlands
12. Federación de Villas, Núcleos y Barrios Marginados, Argentina
13. FIAN Suisse, Switzerland
14. Food Security Network- Khani, Bangladesh
15. Friends of india, Texas, USA
16. Global Diaspora Alliance, UK
17. Global Sisterhood Network, Australia
18. Haki Nawiri Afrika, Kenya
19. India Solidarity Germany, Germany
20. Indian Alliance Paris, France
21. Indian Solidarity Finland, Finland
22. International Alliance of Inhabitants, Zimbabwe
23. International Human Rights Council- IHRC, Hong Kong
24. International Peace Research Association, USA
25. International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India), Indian diaspora across
    continents
26. Intersindical Valenciana, País Valencià
27. Junta Cívica Paraje El Pinar (Fuente Clara), Colombia
28. Katajamaeki Ecocommunity, Finland
29. Kilusan para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (KATARUNGAN), Philippines
30. Kowloon Union Church, Hong Kong
31. National Family Farm Coalition, USA
32. National Fisheries Solidarity, Sri Lanka
33. New Zealanders United to Save the Indian Constitution, New Zealand
34. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Pakistan
35. Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, Pakistan
36. Progressive India Collective, USA
37. Rob Dreaming, UK
38. Scottish Indians for justice, United Kingdom
39. SeedChange, Canada
40. Students Against Hindutva Ideology, United States of America
41. Svalorna, Sweden
42. Tampadipa Institute, Myanmar
43. The Humanism Project, Australia
44. The Liberal indians – France
45. The London Story, Netherlands
46. The Oakland Institute, USA
47. The Swallows India Bangladesh, Sweden
48. Transnational Institute, Netherlands
49. Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Ecuador
50. Universidad y Compromiso Social de Sevilla, Sweden
51. Voices Against Fascism in India, United States
52. WomanHealth Philippines
53. Women and Haelth Together for Future, South Africa
54. All India Union of Forest Working People, India
55. Indigenous Women India Network
56. People’s Responsible Organization of United Dharavi(PROUD), India
    Individuals
57. Asad Rauf, Netherlands
58. Bruce Van Voorhis, United States
59. C Jhonston, PhD Candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Canada
60. Caitilin McMillan, USA
61. Cecelia Heffron, United States
62. Cesare Ottolini – Global Coordinator, International Alliance of Inhabitants
63. Chandana Vasanth, Germany
64. Dr P A Azeez, India
65. Dr. Christophe Golay, Switzerland
66. Elizabeth Gilarowski, Canada
67. Emilio Mentasti, Italy
68. Haroon, Australia
69. Helena Paul, UK
70. Hiranmay Dhar, India
71. Judy Rebick, Canada
72. Karin Gabbert, Germany
73. Mabrouka M’Barek, Tunisia
74. Mara Bonacci,australia
75. Marco Bruni, Italia
76. Matti Korhonen, Finland
77. Natalie Lowrey, Australia
78. Nick Buxton, United States
79. Olli Tammilehto, Finland
80. Patrick Bond, South Africa
81. Phyllis Wong, Hong Kong
82. Rudy Turnstone, USA
83. Sadhu Binning, Canada
84. Tessa Burrington, England
85. Virginia Vargas Valente, Peru