Women participated in the farmers’ action in India
More than 20,000 women in India took part in the actions of farmers protesting the new agricultural laws in New Delhi.
In India, more than 20,000 women from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh participated in the actions of farmers protesting the new agricultural laws in New Delhi. Thousands of women wearing yellow covers representing the mustard fields organized marches on March 8, International Women’s Day and chanted slogans against the new agricultural laws.
Veena, 37, who comes from a farmer family, said, “Today is an important day in terms of showing women’s power. If women unite, I believe we will reach our goals faster.”
Activist Kavitha Kuruganti said, “Today it will be led by women, the speakers will be women, many feminists will give speeches and there will be discussions about what these laws mean for women farmers.”
Thousands of farmers protesting the new agricultural laws in India blocked a major highway outside the capital, New Delhi, on March 6, the 100th day of their protest.
ABOUT PROTESTS
The government of India enacted 3 regulations in September 2020 that brought liberalization to the agricultural sector and ended the base price and support purchase policies. Farmers argue that the new agricultural laws will reduce their earnings, give more power to middlemen, and eventually leave them landless.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi government argues that the new laws will encourage agricultural growth through private investment by giving farmers the freedom to market their produce.
After the law was passed, the farmers who moved from Punjab and Haryana to the capital, carried their protests to the capital, New Delhi.
As part of the protests, there is a clash between the police and farmers from time to time.
NEGOTIATIONS WERE NO LONGER
11 rounds of negotiations between the government and the farmers were inconclusive.
The government’s proposal to suspend the laws for 18 months was also rejected by the farmers.
Farmers announced that the protests would continue after the negotiations that remained fruitless.
It was noted that more than half of the farmers in the country were in debt, and 20 thousand 638 farmers committed suicide in 2018 and 2019.
