PanamaTimes

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Indian farmers stand in defiance of new laws - 'we'll never leave the battlefield'

Indian farmers stand in defiance of new laws - 'we'll never leave the battlefield'

A mini township with hundreds of tractors and trucks have blocked a main highway, almost choking India's capital.

"Even if I die, even if I am beheaded, or killed by bullets - I will not back down. Our community will never leave the battlefield and run away."

"We will take our rights back, these laws have to go," Gurjit Singh, an ex-military man and now a farmer, tells Sky News.

He is among thousands of farmers, mainly from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, protesting the three laws passed by the Modi government in September.


Gurjit Singh says he wants to take his rights back


Denied entry into Delhi to protest, they have all camped on most of the major roads and highways leading into the city.

They have been supported by farmer organisations from other states who are joining in.

The Singhu border is the nerve centre and has the largest numbers of farmers gathered.

It is like a mini township with hundreds of tractors and trolleys, pick-up trucks and vehicles that have blocked this main highway, almost choking the capital.

It is one of the largest farmer protests in recent times. The government has been taken by surprise by the resilience, tenacity, and support for the farmers, not only from within but also from other parts of the world, due the large Sikh diaspora worldwide.

Farmer Sukhmer Singh Cheema, 82, from Punjab says: "In my lifetime I have never seen such a protest. Despite the pandemic, cold weather we have camped here against the laws, it's not only for ourselves but for every section of this country."


Clinics have sprung up at the protest site


Langars - or free communal kitchens - have sprung up everywhere providing hot meals, tea, coffee and snacks to thousands of protestors and anyone who wants them. The Sikh community is known for such services to society.

There are a number medical stations manned by doctors, nurses and volunteers who provide free consultations, medicines, and masks.

Many protestors are elderly - camping out in the bitter cold in their makeshift homes on tractors and in tents.

Pritam Singh heads the United Sikh aid organisation conducting a blood donation camp here.

"There are far more people donating blood than we can handle, we asked them to come back tomorrow. They all want to serve humanity even while protesting," he says.


Protesters are continuing to donate blood


Farmers argue the three federal laws will deregulate crop pricing and eventually dismantle the minimum support price system that guarantees them an income and leave them vulnerable to large private companies.

The government argues the laws will abolish middlemen and improve farmers' incomes, as they will have a wider market to sell to.

The farmers here are not convinced of the laws, nor the government's intentions of doing it during the coronavirus pandemic.

There is a gaping trust deficit which is widening by the day. Talks between leaders of the farmer unions and the government, led by the agricultural minister, have so far had no results, as both sides have dug into their demands.

Amarjit Singh, a farmer from Haryana, says: "These laws are like a warrant against farmers and the more the government delays in revoking them, the more it is harming itself. We will fight till our end."

Security at the Singhu border is unprecedented. Shipping containers, trucks filled with earth, rows of concrete blocks chained to each other topped with razor wire, anti-riot and water cannon vehicles and many buses are stationed here.


Protesters say they have enough supplies to last them several months


ll manned by a posse of Rapid Action Force - a specialised paramilitary wing that deals with riots and crowd control backed with a large number of Delhi Police personnel.

The farmers say they are here for a long haul and have provisions and resources to last a few months. They have developed a relay system where a few of them head back to tend to their fields and homes while a new group take their place with new vigour.

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×