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.

More details on the farm laws as explained by renowend journalist P Sainath here: https://thewire.in/rights/farm-laws-legal-rights-constitution 

Indian movements, trade unions, and all progressive organisations are supporting this strike : https://napmindia.wordpress.com/2020/12/07/napm-supports-the-bharat-bandh-on-8th-december/