This week, Brothers We Stand have signed on to the Fair World Project’s Statement of Solidarity with India’s Farmers and Farmworkers. Here’s why:
Over the last few months, India has been in the spotlight over three new farming laws that prime minister Narendra Modi pushed through parliament in September. Agricultural reforms are needed to modernise India’s inefficient agricultural market - a market that provides huge quantities of cotton for our clothing. However, the small farmers are in danger of being overlooked and their livelihoods threatened by these new laws. In short, the laws scrap the current minimum price of goods set by the government, but allow small farmers to sell privately. This could bring greater prosperity to small farmers, but it could also allow large farmers to dominate the market with their cheaper costs.
In light of the recent protests, we stand with the small farmers and demand that their voices be heard and their needs be taken into account. Alongside many other organisations, we condemn the government-sanctioned violence and human rights violations that we have seen broadcasted from the streets of India. It is imperative we protect and support farmers in the right way, without whom we would not have food on our table or clothes on our backs.
To find out more, here are a few links we found helpful:
- Modi's fight with farmers is a pivotal moment in India's growth - The Economic Times
- Why are Indian farmers protesting? - The Economist
- India's government is undermining its own agricultural reforms - The Economist
Photo credit: Altaf Qadri/The Associated Press
