Farmers’ Protests: IOC USA expresses downright disappointment over the SC-appointed Committee
Los Angeles, California, January 14, 2021
NRIpress.com/ Ramesh/ Gary Singh
Indian Overseas Congress, USA, an advocacy organization that stands for democracy and freedom, expressed its strong reservations on the Supreme Court appointed committee that includes strong backers of the newly enacted farm laws. The committee was named in order of the court, which was hearing several petitions challenging the Centre's new farm laws. In the order, the court said, the committee will listen to the "grievances of the farmers relating to the farm laws and the views of the government and make recommendations."
Farmer's groups have categorically rejected those members by saying they were all 'pro-government and had been justifying these laws" before the public. One of the Committee, Dr. Parmod Kumar Joshi, in an opinion piece written in Financial Express, said, "Any dilution in the farm laws will constrain Indian agriculture in harnessing the emerging global opportunities." Therefore, it is only common sense to assume what the farmers can expect from these experts selected most likely under pressure from the government.
This is just another instance where one may truly wonder whether the judiciary's independence is still real in India today! Although the court has temporarily stayed the farm laws, they appeared to have become a pawn in the Modi Government's political brinkmanship in their general assault on farmers across India on behalf of the crony capitalists. The farmers said the government was showcasing its "all-around-failure" in solving farmers' problems and misusing the Supreme Court as a "political Shield." "This is the government tactic to reduce pressure on" itself, said Balbir Singh Rajewal, a leader of one of the unions.
The farmers appear to have no choice other than to continue their sit-ins around New Delhi, and they have also made it clear that they may go ahead with a large tractor march inside the Capital later this month. It is disgraceful on the part of the government to allege that separatist Khalistanis have infiltrated the farmers' protests, and the Supreme Court was right in asking the Attorney General to submit evidence to that effect. The use of 'anti-nationals' against the farmers who are protesting under the freedom given to them by the constitution is hugely troubling and, if accepted as a norm, may sound a death knell for India's pluralistic democracy.
Indian Overseas Congress, USA joins scores of other NRI organizations in saluting the fortitude of India's farmers in staying the course while paying homage to fifty or so farmers who died fighting for freedom and their way of life. Jai Hind.
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