I.S. Saluja

The first week of December witnessed  in New York and New Jersey enthusiastic support for agitating farmers in India, and a damning condemnation of Modi government’s anti-farm sector policies. States of New York and New Jersey  on the East Coast have a sizeable population of Indian Americans , many of whom come from farming families. The ones from Indian States of Punjab and Haryana, where  the major chunk of population depends on agriculture , have been fuming at the Modi government policies recently announce in the form of three ordinances  which are the reason why the farmers from all over India have come together to demand repeal of the anti-farmer ordinances. It is a decisive battle the farming community is fighting against an insensitive to farmers government of India which seems more inclined to kill them rather than protect their interests. The protests which had started some four months ago immediately after the promulgation of the ordinances -The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020 and  The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020, on June 5, 2020, remained confined to Punjab chiefly, but when the government of India turned a deaf ear to their protests and demand for repeal of ordinances, Punjab farmers marched towards Delhi. They were later joined by farmers from Haryana  Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and  other states. The protest has turned into a movement, the like of which Modi government has never faced. The overseas Indians coming from families of agriculturists,  and justice loving Indians abroad have lent their support to agitating farmers. Even leaders of other countries have supported the agitating farmers in India and condemned violence against the peaceful protesters. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau took the lead in suggesting to government of India to be civil to peaceful protesters. It is another matter that government of India did not approve of foreign interference in “domestic policies”.

In New York, groups of demonstrators have held rallies in front of the Indian Consulate. The one on December 1 is being followed by a larger group with participation from all gurdwaras in the two States.

A protest march was held on Long Island on December 3 in which 300 vehicles and around 500 protesters participated. Reports of protests against government of India and support for the agitating farmers in India are coming from different parts of USA, particularly from California where there is a large population of  Sikh agriculturists. The coming days will see a more vigorous response even as the agitating farmers in India have decided to burn the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi all across the country on December 5, followed by a call for BHARAT BANDH (total closure of India) The Indian Panorama reporters spoke to  a cross section od the Sikh community in New York to know what exactly , according to them is the solution. Without exception, all wanted immediate repeal of the anti-farmer ordinances, in the first place.  Here are pictures of  protests in New York on December 1,  and Long Island , on December 3.