A convention of Indian farmers opposed to new agrarian laws opened at the Delhi border, PTI news agency reported on August 26.
Nine months ago mass peasant protests began on the borders of the Indian capital. To commemorate the event, a convention gathered here with 1,500 delegates representing farmers’, women’s, youth and workers’ organizations.
The convention will last two days. Those gathered intend to discuss their next steps toward the government’s repeal of the country’s controversial agrarian laws.
“It’s sad that nine months have passed, but the government is still not ready to talk. But we must not lose our motivation. During this convention, we will reflect on what we have lost and what we have gained in the last nine months,” Indian Farmers Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said as he addressed the event.
As a reminder, Indian farmers have been protesting at the Delhi border since last November, demanding the repeal of three agrarian laws. These laws are designed to liberalize the agricultural market. Farmers believe that they will ruin small farmers and are beneficial only for large corporations.