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INDIA: Indian Farmers Surround Delhi in Protest of Pro-Corporate Laws (International Briefs)

Hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers plan a tractor parade into Delhi on Jan. 26 if the anti-people, anti-farmer Farm Acts aren’t withdrawn.

On November 26, over 500 farmer’s organizations cutting across religion and caste came together to begin a nationwide struggle against the right wing BJP government’s anti-farmer, pro-corporate Farm Acts. These laws would condemn millions in India to poverty and hunger by allowing domestic and foreign corporations total control over Indian agricultural production as well as the ability to hoard and sell essential food stuffs on the black market to maximize corporate profits.

More than sixty percent of Indians are agricultural workers. Their struggle has been joined by labor unions, students, women, youth, workers, and peasants. Recently, on December 30, the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) held a countrywide strike at over 100,000 workplaces.

This is the longest and most powerful farmers’ protest in India’s history. This militant struggle has been brutally repressed by government forces who have already killed more than 60 people. But the farmers are steadfast. Thousands have camped out for weeks on the outskirts of Delhi and plan to hold a parade into Delhi on January 26 if the government does not address their demands, including the total withdrawal of the Farm Acts and provision of pandemic relief.

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Indian Tea Farmers Strike for Living Wage

Starting on Tuesday, August 7, Indian tea farmers went on strike in the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal state. Workers demanded an increase in daily wages. The unions planned the strike to coincide with monsoon season, which is peak production time. This is in order to exert maximum pressure on the tea estate owners and the government.

Aloke Chakraborty, president of the central committee of the United Union of Plantation Workers stated: “More than 400,000 workers from around 370 tea gardens are participating in the three-day strike. The minimum daily wage for a worker at the plantation is 169 rupees ($2.46). We have demanded a 20% raise to 203 rupees ($2.96).”

The tea plantation system in India is a holdover from the colonial era. Since the time of British rule, tea has remained a major Indian export, generating great wealth for the big tea companies and landowners at the expense of the farmers. These plantations are frequently in the news because of low wages and other abuses. Tea farmers are often from the ranks of India’s most oppressed ethnic minorities and face an uphill battle just to survive. Nevertheless, they have increasingly commanded national attention in recent years as they have organized for access to clean water and other basic rights. The recent strike could indicate an upturn in the movement in West Bengal.