Extending solidarity with the ongoing farmer protests against the three farm laws in India, more than75 civil rights, legal, and community organizations from across the world published a full-page advertisement in The New York Times on Tuesday.
"To Indian farmers: You have ignited one of the largest protests in human history. From the fields of Punjab to the villages of Kerala, to the streets of New Delhi, your voices echo around the world. Now we raise our voices in solidarity," read the statement in the advertisement.
Activists urged people all over the world to condemn the abuses against farmers, laborers, and protesters in India. "Use your voice to call on India to respect the core principles of democracy, including the rights of all people to protest peacefully, demand accountability, and envision a safer, healthier, and more just future for all people on the planet," they said.
Justice for Migrant Women, the US-based civil rights organization, led the initiative supported by among others 18 Million Rising, Amnesty International, Thenmozhi Soundararajan's Equality Labs, Valarie Kaur's The Revolutionary Love Project, several South Asian and Asia Pacific organizations, trade unions, and farm worker unions from the US and around the world. Actresses Kerry Washington, America Ferrera, Eva Longoria, Pallavi Sharda; comedians Ahir Shah, and Hari Kondabolu; YouTube star Lilly Singh, journalist Van Jones, The Polis Project's Suchitra Vijayan, writer Kiran Desai, and New York City lawmaker Zohran Mamdani are among the signatories who expressed their solidarity with the farmers.
The organization also published video supporting Indian farmers on their social media pages.
Along with the 75 organizations, several journalists, activists, and entertainers extended their support to the protesting farmers.
The Sikh Coalition thanks
Welcoming the publication of the ad, the Sikh Coalition said this open letter is the latest show of ever-growing solidarity and support for the farmers' movement and condemnation of the Indian government's anti-democratic response, following a flurry of international activist and celebrity messages in the last two weeks. "The increasing number of non-Sikh organizations speaking out and broader public awareness of this issue underscores the importance of protecting the human rights of Indian farmers-and the need to hold U.S. officials, including congressional offices and the White House, accountable for taking greater action."
Farmers' Rail Roko (Stop) Protest
As farmers protest entered 85th day Thursday, the farmers protesting against the Centre's three contentious farm laws gathered at railway stations across the country and blocked train tracks as part of a four-hour nationwide 'rail roko' protest, in an attempt to pressurize the government to repeal the new agriculture laws. The Railways deployed 20 additional companies of RPSF troops across the country ahead of the protest, Press Trust of India reported.
The 'rail roko' protest was announced by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitations, last week. The railway blockade was third major demonstration by farmers, following the Republic Day tractor rally and the 'chakka (traffic) jam' on February 6.
The Agenda Behind Modi Farm Reform
For anyone with even a slight idea of these corporate behemoths, it is clear that the interests and welfare of India's estimated 650 million farmers are not the priority, says well known author, William Engdahl.
In an article titled, the WEF agenda behind Modi farm reform published by the Counter Current, Engdahl pointed out that the Modi reforms were motivated by a well-organized effort of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its New Vision for Agriculture, part of Klaus Schwab's Great Reset, the corporate side of the UN Agenda 2030.
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