As protests continue in India against new agriculture laws, women farmers have joined the fight for what most farmers in the country see as leaning towards big farming companies.
Iron Ladies of Indian Farming
Some of the ladies who joined protests in New Delhi over the weekend expressed concerns over the new laws that removed restrictions on big agriculture companies purchasing land.
Due to the lifted restrictions, many farmers fear that their ownership of land passed through generations of farming families may be jeopardized.
Indian forum Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM) said around 75 percent of farm work is being done by women, and the new laws will largely affect female farmers who run family farms.
Another aspect of the new agriculture laws that Indian farmers protest against is the lack of a Minimum Support Price (MSP), which is the minimum price that farmers can sell their farmed goods.
Female farmer Kulwinder Kaur said that without a fixed rate, it would be hard to sell crops, and this in turn will make it difficult to feed their families. Kulwinder traveled from Punjab to Tikri to join the protests.
While most of the protesters that took to the Indian capital to express their angst were men, the number of women farmers traveling from Punjab and other parts of India has grown.
Why are Indian Farmers Protesting?
While the new laws were passed to supposedly provide farmers with new economic freedom, protesting Indian farmers said the regulations appeared to be in less in favour of family-owned farms.
Basically, protesting farmers want the new laws to be repealed. They said it would be better to abide by the existing system as the new regulations appear to give the green light to big corporations in taking over a huge portion of the country's overall farming industry.
The three laws were passed in September, with one allowing farmers to stockpile crops without being accused of hoarding their products.
Sikhs Empower Protesters
As the protests continue in India, Sikhs from around the world have also joined the call for government interception as the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak with farming union heads on Tuesday.
Some Sikhs living outside India have started showing active support for small farmers who have been camping on the New Delhi borders since November.
Last week, an estimated 300 Sikhs gathered for a rally in Melbourne to display their support for farmers who refuse to be at the mercy of big companies such as India's Reliance Industries Ltd. and Walmart.
Other Sikhs around the world called on other governments outside India to help convey the message that small Indian farmers would like Modi and his government to hear.
