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Eight protesters were killed in northern India when vehicles drove into them while they peacefully marched on a road last week, sparking a new round of outrage in the country since the son of a government official is accused of being in one of the cars.
The Wall Street Journal reported that two-thirds of the country lives in rural areas that depend on farming for survival. As we have been reporting, it has been a year since India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismantled long-standing rules that gave farmers a guaranteed minimum price for their crops.
As a result, fearful that deregulation laws will sink them into poverty, the farmers have launched massive, ongoing protests. They complain that the farm laws were designed without their knowledge, stripping them of earning potential and allowing major conglomerates to come in and crush their businesses. The government said the law is needed in order to modernize farming and increase production.
The Killer
A chilling video emerged online that showed a group of protesters walking slowly along a road and getting hit from behind as though they were bowling pins. Uttar Pradesh police issued an FIR (First Information Report) for murder against Ashish Mishra, a government minister’s son. He is accused of planning the deadly assault.
CBS News, citing Rakesh Tikait, the public face of India’s farmer’s protest, reported that farmers demanded that authorities place the man and his father under arrest or face nationwide disruptions. The report said the driver of the first vehicle and two employees of the country’s Bharatiya Janata Party were beaten to death on the spot by protesters. A journalist also died.
Reports said that Mishra is accused of firing on protesters and leading the convoy to the protesters. The Indian government tried to ease the tension by suspending internet service in the area. Schools have been suspended and residents were told to stay inside due to the threat of violence.
The Trends Journal has reported extensively on these protests for over a year. (See “MODI VS. INDIA’S FARMERS: LOST FREEDOMS FEARED,” “I INDIA: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TAKE TO THE STREETS,” and “INDIA’S FARMERS KEEP FIGHTING.”)
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.
The alleged homicide that occurred in northern India will inspire more focus, especially since a privileged son of a government official has been tied to the incident.