Speaker: Balwinder Rana
‘Kisan Ekta Morcha’, the ‘United Farmers’ Campaign’, in India is an inspirational uprising against the far-right government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wants to push through free market reforms in agriculture that will allow big business to squeeze the poor for profit.
The Indian economy is in a nosedive, suffering from inflation, low growth rates and massive unemployment. Ministers hope that agricultural ‘reform’ will see big investment and the potential for exporting more foodstuffs. The price of ‘reform’, however, will be the destruction of millions of small farmers and landless labourers.
Tens of thousands of protesters have blocked main roads into the capital New Delhi since the beginning of December, and the struggle is transforming those taking part with huge communal camps of resistance springing up and women coming to the forefront.
On Tuesday, 26 January 2021 – Indian Republic Day – 100,000 tractors and other farm vehicles put New Delhi to siege. The right are scared and on the back-foot. If the farmer’s win it will be massive blow to Modi and his far-right BJP party and it will discredit neo-liberalism across the world. The stakes are high. Modi is trying to divide the movement along religious and ethnic lines.
The movement – so far – has resisted these tactics and has refused to be bought off with a temporary suspension of the laws.
In this meeting we will hear from Balwinder Rana, a socialist activist from a Punjabi farming background and a long-time member of the SWP, who will lead a discussion on the significance of this inspirational movement.
3rd March 2021
7:30 pm
Suggested Reading
https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/51228/Indian+farmers+reap+success+after+state+violence+fails+to+stop+march+into+New+Delhi
http://socialistreview.org.uk/464/india-falls-turmoil
http://isj.org.uk/polarisation-repression-and-resistance-in-modis-india/
We have cancelled all meetings in person and will be hosting this meeting via Zoom.
Meeting password: 967537
All welcome!
