Campaign for the Support of Farmers in India

INDIAN GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO LISTEN TO FARMERS IN REFORMING AGRICULTURE IN INDIA 

1. Three new farm acts in India are proving to be the last straw for about 90 million small-holders and their families. This has grave implications for about 800 million rural dwellers who are directly or indirectly dependent on farming for their livelihood. In addition, food security of the entire nation with 1.35 billion population is at risk.

2. Indian government maintains that these farm laws will usher a new economic revolution in the ailing farm sector.

3. Whereas farmers are opposing as they fear losing their land – only source of their livelihood – to corporate backed agri-enterprises.

4. The protest and persistence by farmers have opened up an opportunity for a dialogue between farmers and the government and for a new beginning. This has potential to reform small-holder agriculture but in close consultation with the farmers.

5. However, the rights of these farmers and many associated organisations are being severely crushed by inhumane and callous response from the Indian government, so far.

6. Democratic rights have been brutally crushed (reported globally in media). Human rights of these farmers - freedom to protest, express, speak, exchange views on internet etc. are grossly violated daily. Internet is blocked, hashtags are suppressed, members of public and journalists face charges of sedition for posting their views online. Paramilitary forces with barricades, barbed wires, cement walls are deployed to crush farmers.

7. We the undersigned demand immediate action by the Indian government to end this stalemate.

8. Start a civilized dialogue in consultation with farmers to reform Indian agriculture and restore democracy. 

We hereby declare that we, the undersigned, 

- have signed signed this document as an individual, 

- have signed this document as a concerned citizen,

- have not signed this document as a representative of any political party or any such organisation,

- do not represent views of our employers, and 

- have expressed our personal views and opinions.

 

Signed by 

Name Country Name Country Harpinder Sandhu Australia Ravneet Kaur Canada Sukhbir Sandhu Australia Balraj Singh Aulakh India Sanna Sandhu Australia Bhupinder Singh Canada Zorawar Sandhu Australia Jaswant Kaur Aulakh India Simran Sethi USA Maninderjit Kaulr Malhi India Janvi Sharma Australia Gian Singh USA Anupam Ravi India Parkash Kaur USA Arshinder Pasricha India Manmmet Kaur Canada Dr. Jose Luis Vivero Pol  Italy Kuldeep Kaur Canada David Gould USA Jagmeet Singh Canada Gurmeet Sandhu New Zealand Harsimran Singh Malhi Canada Chenab Khakh USA Mansher Singh USA Sukhjit Khakh USA Ramanjit Singh USA Avikar Khakh USA Kawaljit Kaur USA Rabinder Khakh USA Thermanjit Kaur USA Jaideep Monga Australia Manpreet Singh Canada Ajay Bal Australia Lovepreet Sandhu Canada Keeratpal Singh Australia RavPuneet Kaur Khakh Canada Sagar Singh Australia Raghbir Singh Sandhu India Shailesh Tyagi Australia Tanveer Singh Sandhu India Japneet Kaur Australia Baljit Kaur Johal India Prabhnoor Khakh  India Prajal Pradhan Germany/Nepal Lucinda Griffin Australia Ranjit Kaur Khakh India Isabela Daloia Australia Sham Singh  India Lucy Oneil Australia Navpreet Sandhu India Ruby Crammond Australia Jaswant Singh Sohi India Ella Farmer Australia Sukhbir Kaur Sohi India Adiba Kabir Australia Samreet Kaur India Holly Good-Smith Australia Navdeep Kaur India Kate Frankham Australia Sukhdeep Kaur Singapore Alice Mina Australia Manveer Singh Sidhu Australia Lila Witt Australia Adele Jones UK Xavier Wright Australia The Sustainable Food Trust UK Elise Fitzgerald Australia John Roblin USA Reenee Trouptsis Australia Zara Marais Australia Ella Peake Australia Kristen Incorvaia  USA Cameron Niblet Australia Sarita Benesch USA Lucy Fidock Australia Cole Johnston USA Clementine Miller Australia Ifrah Ansari USA Alice Golding Australia Olivia Krawitt USA Camille Roberrtson Australia Sukhmani Kaur USA Jedd Ward Australia MacKenzie Vick USA Sahanash Kumar India Dustin Liu USA Neha Vangapati India Penelope Campos USA Cait A. Australia Susan Rifkind  USA Esme Kitching Australia Swati Thakur Australia Grace Mcgowan Australia Morgan Schebella Australia Wil Yeates Australia Sophie Petit Australia Raymon Riar Australia Delene Weber Australia Scarlett Ho Australia Justin Payne Australia Maanasa n. Australia Craig Styan Australia Sunny G India Tom Raimondoa Australia Vaishy  India Gulzar Singh India Nia X. India Harjit Kaur India Anjum Pakistan Mukhtar Singh India Mushahid Ali Baigal Pakistan Manjeet Kaur India Kartik Sharma Australia Manvir Singh India Madhav Khanna Australia Amandeep Singh India Manmohit Singh Australia Karanbir Singh India Zora Dhillon Canada Khushbir Singh India Sarab Sohal India Ramandep Kaur India Sannia Khakh  Australia Gurpreet Singh Sandhu India Saiqa Perveen Australia Sukhdev Singh India Surjit Malhi USA Balwindr Singh India Khush Aulakh India Sital Singh Sandhu India Nadia El Hage Italy Sanjiv Kumar India Sumit Lodhia Australia Bikram Singh India David Rifkind   USA Sewak Singh Sandhu India Shelsey Vazquez  USA Gurjit Singh India Rafi Kumar Australia Harry Sandhu India Anandpreet Singh Australia Jaspal Singh India Anmol Johal Australia Gurmeet Brahampura India Daljit Singh Sandhu India Manjeet Kaur India Parmjit Kaur Sandhu India Harpal Singh India Jagdev Singh Sandhu India Jagroop Bhullar India Satwant Kaur Sandhu India Gulzar Singh Sidhu India Bhawandeep Singh Sandhu India Navjot Sidhu India Harmandeep Singh Sandhu India Harpreet Kaur Pannu India Sukpreet Singh Sandhu India Jasbir Kaur India Karanpreet Singh Sandhu India Navdeep Mann India Harbans Singh Sandhu India Sandeep Sharma India Rajneet Kaur India Nani Khan India Sarmukh Singh India Satnam Singh India Bhupinder Singh India Harbhajan Singh India Manjit Singh India Amandeep Singh India Devinder Singh India Umbar Sandhu New Zealand Hardev Singh India Ana Sandhu New Zealand Santokh Singh India Ish Sandhu New Zealand Harnek Singh India Amarjit Sandhu New Zealand Bhupinder Kaur India Sarah Mackenzie  New Zealand Surinder Kaur India Rajdeep Kaur Australia Balkar Singh India Lauren Baker Canada Satnam Singh India Robert McGhee USA Dalbir Kaur Sandhu New Zealand Jean-Pierre Chedid  Australia Jasbir Kaur India Roger Edmonds Australia Varinder Kaur India Aruna Rodrigues India Avtar Singh Aulakh India Cerasela Stancu New Zealand Harjinder Kaur India Navpreet Kaur India Sukhdev Singh Sandhu India Amritpal Singh India Nishaan Singh Sandhu India Sampuran Kaur India

Harbhajan Singh India Simranjit Singh Riar Canada Kirandeep Kaur India Philip Riordan UK Amandeep Bhagat India Karlheinz Knickel Italy Sandip Bhagat India Job Mwakibinga Tanzania Pawandeep Khera India Rajwinder Kaur India Tarlochan Sandhu India Kabal Singh India Amarjit Kaur India Mehtab Singh Sandhu India Joginder Bobby India Ramandeep Kaur India Harman Jihal India Navjot Singh Sandhu USA Amrinder Sandhu India Preety Bajwa USA Gurpreet Singh  India Ranjeet Singh Sandhu Canada Manbeer Gill India Dahlia Khaira Canada Sarab Bath India Mandeep Singh Sandhu India Jaskeerat Singh India Karamjit Kaur India Rajkaran Mann India Gurnam Singh Sandhu India Patrick Holden CBE UK Yadwinder Kaur Australia Lucy Thompson Australia Rajinder Kaur India Daniel Crammind Australia Gurjant Singh Sandhu Canada Charlotte Soren Australia Puneet Kaur India Abby Patterson Australia Daljeet Kaur India Femika Snel Australia Manjeet Kaur- India Geet Australia Gurtejpartap Singh India Lana Mikah Australia Loveleen Kaur India Sophie Mansen Australia Ramanjeet Kaur Canada Raza Sidhu Canada Anmoljeet Kaur India Eleanor Auricht Australia Guntaj Singh Sandhu India Karana Singh India Ranjeet Kaur India Dr Rajneet K Gill India Rupan Virk Australia Sarah Park  USA Anika Virk Australia Dristi Talukder USA Kunwar partap Singh Virk Australia Sandhya Ganesan USA Harmohit Singh Australia Winnie Ho USA Satnam Singh Australia Janaki Parthasarathy USA Sarabjeet Singh Australia Nicole Lehman USA Sarabjeet Kaur Australia Daniel Maher  USA Simranjeet Singh Australia Carly Turkiewicz USA Harcharan Singh Australia Sarah Hughes  USA Ranpreet Singh Australia Dalton Price USA Kamaljot Singh Australia Mary Maxon Grainger USA Jeff Conor Australia Elyse Perruchon USA Manjit Singh Malhi India  Adaeze Okorie USA Kulwant Kaur India Patricia DiFranco USA Prabhneet Kaur Canada Anna K.  USA Navneet Kaur Australia Bill K.  USA Kuljit Singh India Janice Burton USA Balbir Kaur India Ranjodh Sran Australia Jasbir kaur USA Musfra Aslam Australia Jasmitter Singh Deol USA Sukhmanpreet Kaur Australia Jaspinder Deol USA Gurleen Singh Sandhu Australia Rajwant Kaur India Manvi Gandhi Australia Jagjeet Singh Sandhu India Hishmi Jamil Hussain India Jaskarn Singh Sandhu USA Navreet Kaur Canada Gursharanjot Singh Sandhu Canada Bhavtaran Singh Australia Harmanpreet Kaur Canada Paul Holmbeck Denmark Jaspreet kaur Canada Amit Godara Australia Parul Goyal India Hayate Yamada Australia Shahbaz Brar India Tony Taylor Australia Jaspreet kaur Riar India Kashif Khaqan UAE Amanpreet Kaur Randhawa India Divyesh Shikhada Australia Navdeep Singh India Ade Brian Mustafa China Gurpreet Kaur India Bijay Khanal Australia Samra Ehsan Australia Henry Atemnkeng Belgium Komalpreet Kaur Randhawa India Annu Solanki Australia Gurmeet Kaur India Deepika Rajwar Australia Kashmir Singh  India Labeeb Ahmed Australia Ameesha Singh Australia Geetika Verma Australia Jina Ratsinba RABEARISOA Madagascar Kamal Kalyan Australia Harsha Sapdhare Australia Bethwel Kemei Australia Navjote Khara Canada Niruban Chakkaravarthy D India Gunars Platais  USA GK Dinesh India Bijay Khanal Australia Sudarsshan Herle India Arvinder Kaur Canada Alejandra Vargas Madrid Colombia Pankak Kumar Australia Pavan Kumar Mandoddi India Rajbir Kaur Australia Abedin Mohammad Zoynul China Amani Alassaf Jordan Thanusshan (Thanussh) Packiyarajah Australia Meng SA China Marcio Brandão Brazil Dr Barbara Gemmill-Herren USA Kamal Mann India Ameesha Fernando Australia Sumit Chahal Australia Didar Cheema Australia Vatsal Patel Australia Sunil KS India Chathuri Nisansala Australia Jatinder Sharma India Kavita Sharma India Kunwar S Atwal Australia Chaitanya Sharma Florida, USA Deepali Bhalla Canada Aditya Bhalla Canada Neil Colhoun Australia Courtney Regan Australia Rhythm Gulati Australia Claire Winkel Australia Kamaljit Kaur Sangha Australia Kum Christian Tegha Cameroon Harbir Brar Australia Marieke van den Berg Netherlands Désirée Lucchese Australia Allison Loconto France

The Last Straw or a New Beginning? 

A new article by Dr Harpinder Sandhu published at FoodTank USA. 12 February 2021

India’s new farm acts might be the last straw for the country’s small-holders. As protests continue, could this lead to a new beginning for farmers?

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS AND REASONS FOR OUR SUPPORT

Right to farm with dignity: Dignity of farmers to be restored.Farmers in India are amongst poor of the poor. The average income of farmers is Rs 36,938 (USD 506) from cultivation of crops and Rs 9,176 (USD 126) from livestock per year per household, which is much below the average income from non-farm sector in India. And is well-below per capita GDP of India, which is USD 2099. There is need to develop policies to improve this income in consultation with farmers. This can happen by empowering them and not by creating conditions that will push them to sell their land, which is the only source of their livelihood. 

Right to well-being: Farmers’ wellbeing should be improved. Farmers’ suicides in India are a growing concern. In 2016, the number of farmers who committed suicide in India were 11,379 (i.e., 948 suicides every month, or 31 suicides every day). This tells a dark story of lack of any concern for the well-being of farmers and their families.  

Right to environmental payments: Farmers should be paid to protect the environment.Farmers should be paid to protect biodiversity, sequester carbon and provide numerous ecosystem services on their farms. They already provide these public goods and services but never get any incentive. In contrast, air pollution issue in northern India is solely blamed on their farm practices, that include selective burning of paddy straw. Burning of straw and stalks in the field is a practice, which is selectively used by farmers in many developed countries including Australia, USA, Europe and others. These are regulated but there are no fines and penalties in those countries. However, there are payments to avoid these practices. In India, there are no provisions to provide any help through technologies or incentives. If there are incentives to adopt alternative technology and practices like improving soil carbon by mulching the straw and/or to grow alternative crops instead of rice, then farmers are more likely to respond positively. Blaming farmers and slapping heavy fines is no solution to this environmental issue. Public money should be channelized to incentivise farmers along with appropriate technology to change these practices.  

Dialogue for a new beginning

1.     Minimum income guarantees to be secured for each farmer. 

2.     Government purchase at minimum support price (MSP) should be extended to all crops (grains, oilseed, sugarcane, fibre, legumes etc.) as a right to protect incomes of all farmers. This will ensure diversification, saving of natural resources, and improved incomes of farmers. 

3.     Agribusiness has a role to play but it has to be conditional after consultation with farmers. Agribusiness can help in transport, processing and delivery of this food to consumers in responsible way but not in the purchase of key crops. Contract farming has role to play in specialized crops – fruits, vegetables, biodiesel, dairy, potato, olive oil, palm oil etc. 

4.     People of India and rest of the world should have right to healthy, safe and nutritious food. The best way to achieve this is to protect food growers. 

Your Response/Suggestion/Opposing views: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Recent media coverage links for those who are not familiar with these issues.

CNN: India cuts internet around New Delhi as protesting farmers clash with police

BBC: India protests: Internet cut to hunger-striking farmers in Delhi

NY times: In the Cold and Rain, India’s Farmers Press Their Stand Against Modi

The Guardian: India blocks mobile internet at sites of farmers’ protest

ABC News: India's farmer protests against agricultural reforms receive celebrity support from popstar Rihanna

Rihanna and Greta Thunberg Showed Support for India's Protesting Farmers

Times of India: Farmers' protest live updates

The Indian Express: Peaceful protests are a hallmark of any thriving democracy: US on farmers’ protests

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

This message is to solicit your support for the ongoing farmers’ protest in India and raise concerns about the outrageous response of the Government of India.

 

Thus is to request national and international scientific community, wider fraternity, social thinkers, students and members of public to support the farmers in India and elsewhere by signing this open letter. 

 

If you agree, please email me at Harpinder.s.sandhu@gmail.com  Follow feed on Twitter 001harpinder 

 

And/Or 

 

Provide your comment or response by return email (alternative, opposing or other viewpoints are also welcome). 

 

I will update list of signatories and responses on this blog http://harpindersandhu.blogspot.com

 

I plan to send it as an open letter to the Indian government in support of farmers via press and social media.

 

Thank you for reading this letter and your support will be greatly appreciated.

Please feel free to share with your network. Help spread the word. 

Kind regards

Harpinder

 

Dr Harpinder Sandhu

Adelaide, Australia