Why I Support Indian Farmers - #FarmerProtests 2020-2021

After all, we are Indians, jis thali mein khate hai usme ched nahi karte, which can be translated to – we do not make holes in the plate we eat or, for a better understanding, we don’t bite the hand that feeds us.

Indian farmers know what they are doing. They have a right to choose how to work and who to sell their produce to, just like the rest of us. Farmers in countries, such as USA, UK, Australia, South Africa and much of Europe are prosperous and wealthy, whereas most Indian farmers and farm workers live Below the Poverty Line. We all eat well because they work hard and take risks. They deserve to put themselves first and chose how they want to function. If nothing else, they deserve to be heard and treated with respect. What they do not deserve is being called Khalistani, just because they are asking some tough questions.

Farmers fully understand the new farm laws that the Modi government wants to implement, which is why they are unhappy and are protesting. There is nothing wrong with what they are doing, but there is everything wrong with how they and their supporters are being treated. We need to respect their decision and choices.

The Modi government is being unnecessarily cruel, and the consequences are visible to the whole world. What happened on India’s Republic Day on 26 January 2021 is a shame. Such things should not happen in a secular democratic country, definitely not in the world’s most populous democracy. Unfortunately, this has been occurring with increased frequency in India for the past few years, without resolution or improvement. Protests are violently clamped down by authorities, Internet connectivity is cut-off, curfew is imposed – what does this sound like? A government that is afraid of its own people or one that will do anything to stay in power.

The Modi government has not practiced how to "listen". When you do not listen, you do not know and that’s why you can't resolve anything. The least the government can do is show farmers some sympathy as one human being must show another. After all, this is a human issue. Isn't the plight of so many farmers and people visible? It is but the government would rather turn a blind eye to them and go ahead with unreasonable policy making, which only harms the Nation. All they want is the Ram Mandir. That will be their legacy and nothing else matters. When the British ruled us, their policy was ‘divide and rule’. The BJP government is doing the same – dividing us on religious lines and polarising our society’s fabric, thus attempting to change the meaning of being Indian.

We Love Western Attention, But…

There are many discussions going on around global icon Rihanna bringing the world’s attention to the farmer protests. Others, such as Greta Thunberg, Lily Singh and Mia Khalifa have done so too, but Rihanna proved that all it takes is one powerful person, who chooses to wield the power they have been granted, to be the voice of reason and a part of something that is bigger than all of us.

Rihanna is not just a singer. She is a businesswoman; she is one of the most powerful and influential women in the whole world. If she says something, the world will not just notice, it will listen carefully. She definitely knows more about business and economics than the unqualified and inexperienced people who are ruling India today. If you want to dispute this, then take a look at the sorry state of the Indian economy, unemployment rates, the average quality of life and the February 2021 National Budget. As much as people are admiring Rihanna for using her platform, there are also people who are accusing her of interference. If she had used a Bollywood song in her support post, she would have been worshipped.  

India always needs international attention. That is why we get excited over the tiniest achievements of any Indian origin person in any part of the world. When an international celebrity says they love India, says or does something related to India, we cannot get over the excitement. But, if they say something that goes against the Modi government, they are trolled and made to be the villains, who are interfering in an internal matter. We Indians crave for Western approval, we are hungry for it and cannot get enough. This is our culture and suddenly some people are being selective about it. Suddenly some Indians no longer want the attention of the West, but they forget that beggars cannot be choosers.

Whether anyone likes it or not, these protests are getting international attention and deservedly so. And anyone asking why only farmers from Punjab and Haryana are protesting, I request you to go through the news articles below.

1. Tamil Nadu farmers lend support to Singhu protesters, say ready to join agitation
2. Farmers' protests not limited to Delhi: South Indian farmers oppose Union govt claim

People from Punjab and Haryana are known for their bravery in our armed forces, the farmers are no less brave. I took the liberty to analyse why farmers from Punjab and Haryana are ready to give their lives for the country, based on my experience of visiting farmers and farms all over India. These are just my thoughts and not taken from any news article.

Have you ever been to a farm in Haryana or Punjab? I have. I used to travel across India very many years ago. A lot of my work was related to farmers, how tech can make their lives easy, what products they use to feed their cattle, etc. Farmers in Haryana and Punjab are very prosperous. Their cattle are of extraordinary quality, their farms are huge, lush and their harvests are plenty. They will spend Rs 10 lacs on a bull or more money on farming equipment, without blinking, if they feel they need that bull to farm better. Can farmers in any other part of the country afford to do so? Maybe yes, I do not know but I highly doubt it. I have seen farmers in Telangana, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka they are not as prosperous as their Punjab and Haryana counter parts. Farmers in North India absolutely struggle to cope financially and administratively. Farmers in North Eastern India are probably in a worse condition. They are fighting as well but they are in a situation where they may not have anything left to lose. When you are demoralised, you lack the motivation even to wake up. Our farmers are no different. This is not just India's internal matter. It is the biggest protest ever in the history of humankind. This is a Human Rights issue and that is why I support Indian farmers.