Humanity Needs to Stand Up: Farmers’ Protest

The longest protest in recorded human history

Farmer protests have completed more than 100 days of protests in India. That is the longest protest in recorded human history. Millions of Indian farmers, laborers, and allies have flooded over at the border of Delhi to protest against the new agricultural bills. I am a resident of Delhi. But another fact is, I too belong to a farmer family in India.

The government introduced new agricultural bills in the complete lockdown. Because they wanted no protest to these bills. They did it because they thought they can take action against anyone if there is any protest. The government thought that if people come to protest, they will name that a violation of lockdown rules. I do not want to go deep more about the new bills. Here is a well-written article by Anittha on Farmers’ protest. So I thought not to write a similar article again.

Because so far everyone already knows it. Bills are not in favor of farmers that is why farmers are protesting. The government is blaming the opposition for this. Even farmers are now called by different names like terrorists and the goons of opposition parties by the ruling government’s ministers. The proponents of the agricultural bills claim that these bills will modernize Indian Agricultural, While farmers claim these bills are an anti-farmer and are more likely to a death warrant of farmers. The data might not be accurate. But some source claims it that 58% of the Indian’s population near about 800 million directly belong to agriculture. While except China no other country has that population.

My question is-

When farmers do not want these bills. For them, these bills are not in favor, then why the government is claiming it as a benefit to farmers? In simpler words, it is like you want to favor me, but I do not want to take the favor of yours. Then why you will force me to take your favorite? A forceful favor is not an actual favor. The government is planning something big. They are hiding behind the curtains of bills. The conspiracy is that bills will comprise the small farmers and get the contract with the corporate and businessmen. Here is the point. If a small farmer does contract with a corporate, then what is his loss? Let me clarify. There is a certain clause in the bills. In any dispute, a farmer cannot go to court. They only can go to SDM (A higher authority police officer). Everyone knows about the Corrupt system of India. Don’t we know how Police ill-treats the poor?

Today there are millions of farmers are protesting to scrap bills. But our government is still deaf. They neither want to have a talk to them nor dismiss the bills. Millions of farmers are going unheard of this time. So what do you expect SDM will listen to a single poor farmer later?

Modi Government always gets criticized to favor their three or four corporate. In November, When farmers started the protest. The government denied clearly recognizing them as farmers.

Tear gas has been used on the farmers as if they are enemies of the state.

In shivering cold water cannon was also used on them, treating them with cruelty and atrocities.

Mainstream media are like the spokesperson of the Narendra Modi Government.

Farmers have been called by so many different names by the ruling party government, and mainstream media too. Let me introduce you to that-

Farmers are called opposition leaders. They have been called terrorists. They have been called Khalistani (separatist). The protest has been claimed to be funded by China or Pakistan. Initially, they have been called anything except farmers. Water supplies were cut. Protesters have to survive without water for days. Electricity was cut. The internet was disconnected.

At a temperature of 1.1-degree farmers were sitting on the roads. Even, more than 200 farmers who could not survive that died.

I remember one incident. A retired Army officer while at the protest had to show the medal to Indian Mainstream Media. “I am not funded from Pakistan or China. I am a retired army officer. Here is my medal” said the ret. Army officer.

More than 200 farmers died in the protest. A population like Australia and England is protesting at the Delhi border and not getting anyone’s attention worldwide.

In India, there is a word called for Farmers “ANNDATA’’(food provider). But when those ‘’ANNDATA’’ are asking for their rights, they have been called terrorists.

A few celebrities came forward to support farmers by tweets, such as Rihanna, and Greta Thunberg. But Indian celebrities were also pressurized to tweet something against Rihanna or Greta.

I have also once participated with farmers at Ghazipur one of the borders of Delhi too. Note- I too am a responsible citizen of India. I truly respect our laws, and our government. But this bill is certainly not the best decision by the government. The farmers are fighting for their rights. This is not wrong from any point of view.