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Rajarshi Mitra - Wiki Commons
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - "The situation of Indian farmers is devastating. The inhumane treatment they face in this country is causing concern and a feeling of helplessness," said Jose Kavi, a Catholic journalist and analyst, commenting on the new protests of farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, who once again took to the streets with over 200 associations and headed again towards the capital, New Delhi.
The concerns and fears of Indian farmers are not new: in 2020, farmers protested against three agricultural laws that would have reduced production by favoring multinationals. After a year of protests, these laws were repealed in 2021 (see Fides, 20/11/2021). Now, India's farmers, some 700 million people who form the backbone of the country, are once again putting forward a series of previously unanswered demands to politicians: cancellation of agricultural loans, a pension scheme for farmers and workers, a halt to the increase in electricity prices. They are also demanding that the government drop charges related to the 2021 violence and provide compensation to the families of the 700 or so farmers who died during earlier farmer protests in 2020-21. Among the unions' demands is higher compensation for land acquired by the authorities for public or private construction projects. The protests had flared up again after the government rejected these demands at a meeting with farmers' unions last February. "We must not forget that these farmers are the citizens of our country. As responsible citizens, we must express our solidarity with the farmers to protect their dignity. The Catholic community of India, through its various institutions, has always been committed to the life of farmers, who are often among the poorest in society: this support means promoting justice, social equality and the sustainable development of our country's agriculture," said Kavi. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 7/12/2024)
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