INDIA'S FARMERS SEEK URGENT SOLIDARITY. GLOBALISE THE STRUGGLE, GLOBALISE HOPE!

#SUPPORTINDIANFARMERS #PEASANTFORPEASANTSOLIDARITY

Thousands of our sisters, brothers and kins are pressing on with protests in and around India's National Capital, against three agricultural legislations that could be exploited by the private sector to buy crops at low prices. Despite the cold weather and brutal police crackdowns in some areas, protesting farmers and farm workers are resolute in their demand for a complete roll-back of these legislations.

Since September 2020, several farmers' organisations in India, among them Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Bhartiya Kisan Union and many others, have been protesting the national government's attempts to bring in three legislations, that could make small-scale food producers vulnerable to exploitation by big corporations.

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These legislations, the farmers allege, would provide a perfect cover for corporations to further push down the prices of the produce. It would also weaken the government's procurement system, whereby the government buys staples, such as wheat and rice, at guaranteed prices.

PROTESTING FARMERS WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO FIRST ROLL-BACK ALL THE THREE LEGISLATIONS, which they say were brought in with little or no consultation with them. They have demanded that the Government forms a Panel, which will then evaluate these legislations in consultation with the farmers and then build a consensus with the people who are affected by any reforms.

THE FARMERS ARE ALSO DEMANDING THAT GOVERNMENT BRING IN A LAW THAT GUARANTEES MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE FOR THEIR PRODUCE so that under no conditions, farmers are forced to sell their produce at losses.

On 08 December 2020, farmers have called a nationwide strike across India, which also found support from trade unions, transport unions and many others.

As La Via Campesina South Asia, representing and led by small-scale food producers in the region, WE CALL UPON ALL PEASANT ORGANISATIONS AROUND THE WORLD TO SEND MESSAGES OF SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY TO THE PROTESTING INDIAN FARMERS and echo their demands. It is time that peasants of the world unite, as the struggle for dignity and respect binds us all together, irrespective of where we are. Time has come to 'Globalise the Struggle and Globalise the Hope' for a dignified life for the communities who feed a majority of the world's population. It is essential to show our collective strength and remind the world that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!

HOW CAN YOU SHOW SOLIDARITY?

* MOBILISE IN YOUR REGION, in support of Indian farmers and send photos/video messages to SECRETARIATLVCSOUTHASIA@GMAIL.COM * WRITE LETTERS TO INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONS in your country and extend your solidarity to India's small-scale food producers. Find the contacts of Indian Missions in your country/region here: https://mea.gov.in/indian-missions-abroad-new.htm#A * ISSUE STATEMENTS OF SOLIDARITY WITH INDIAN FARMERS and email them to secretariatlvcsouthasia@gmail.com * SHARE YOUR MESSAGES OF SOLIDARITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THE HASHTAGS #SupportIndianFarmers and #PeasantForPeasantSolidarity and tag @lvc_southasia on Twitter and @lvcsouthasia Facebook

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_issued by LA VIA CAMPESINA SOUTH ASIA | _08 December 2020

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