Today marks the 48th day of Indian farmers’ protests over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new farm laws they say were designed without their knowledge, stripping them of earning potential and allowing major conglomerates to come in and crush their businesses.
Modi’s administration disagrees with these protesters and insisted the new laws are urgent and allow farmers to increase earning potential. The New York Times reported one of the protests includes farmers who have used their heavy equipment to block four main entries into New Delhi.
Ajay Veer Singh, who has joined the protest with his grandfather, told the paper that Modi’s government “sold everything else. Only the farmers are left… Now they want to sell the farmers to their corporate friends, too,” he said.
Economists reportedly support Modi’s deregulations, which affect the country’s 146 million farms.
India, like most countries, has been dealing with the adverse effect of the coronavirus on its economy, which is expected to contract by a record 7.7 percent according to government projections. The Associated Chambers of Commerce of India, or Assocham, released data on Sunday that offered some reason to be optimistic: it showed “decisive signs” the country will benefit from a “V-shaped” recovery.
“With India about to roll out its vaccination program with approvals of the two vaccines, the accruals of the economic benefits would be significant, especially to sectors such as hospitality, transportation, and entertainment, which were hit hard during the pandemic,” Deepak Sood, the secretary-general of Assocham told The Times of India.
The paper reported the outdoor protests have shown few signs of slowing, describing a scene in the village of Singhu:
“In between rain showers, which significantly worsen the impact of winter temperatures dipping below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, young protesters tried to drain puddles as the elderly sought to stay dry. At night, they curled up in the back of their covered trucks, or by the hundreds in large, often leaking shelters.”
At least 25 farmers died during the protests, mainly due to natural causes and from being outside in the elements.
The Financial Times reported farmers generally produce a low quantity of goods, and the country’s agriculture minister vowed a higher earning potential for these workers under the new laws. The agriculture industry used to provide a third of the country’s GDP, but that output has dropped to about 15 percent.
The paper asked Singh if he is concerned about his grandfather coming down with coronavirus since many farmers are packed so tightly together. Singh said his grandfather “doesn’t fear corona… he fears for our future.”
TRENDPOST: Yesterday, India’s top court condemned Modi’s government over its handling of negotiations with farmers’ unions. The court is planning to create a special committee to work through the impasse and is considering ordering a stay on the laws. On 15 January, the government and farmers are scheduled to meet. It will be the ninth round of talks between them.
TREND-TRACKING LESSON: The success of the farmers’ protests is evidenced in their resolve to peacefully fight for their rights without backing down. As Gerald Celente continues to note, one of the most important elements of protests is to continue with them day after day, night after night, week after week, month after month… however long it takes to win the battle.
Unlike India’s farmers, who work with their hands and are strong and hearty, today’s demonstrators in the Western world take to the streets one day, make a big deal about it, and they go home. For success to be achieved, the resolve to protest must continue until demands are satisfactorily met.
Indeed, the Berlin Wall began to fall in 1989 when protests sprang up across eastern Europe opposing Soviet Union control. Then, a month after protests began in East Germany, around half a million people gathered in Alexanderplatz in the heart of East Berlin, refusing to leave until the wall came tumbling down.
