Deep concerns for our farmers brought us together. We are a diverse group of individual, we speak different languages, follow different faiths, work in different professions, have different backgrounds, but we stand united for our farmers and their welfare. It is in our humble attempt to do everything we can to stand in support and in solidarity with our farmers and daily workers.

In September 2018, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council. In October 2018, India became a member of the Human Rights Council. India voted in favor, thus giving a formal consent to the declaration.

However, in 2020, India acted to the contrary when the Indian government pushed through three pro-corporate bills now passed into laws — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill — in Parliament. All three laws are inter-connected.

A quick timeline of how the 3 Farm Ordinances turned to Farm Laws and the response from the farming community

• In June, the government announces the 3 ordinances in the midst of a pandemic giving no reasons. The Prime Minister claimed they are historic but refused to give even a press conference
• Farmer protests started in June and continued through the months of July and August.
• In September, the ordinances are introduced in the parliament with no parliamentary oversight, public consultation, violating the parliamentary norms.
• A few days later, the bills are passed - no vote by clause, no debate, no divisions allowed and the speaker just pushed the agenda of the government.
• In October, the farmers gave a call for rail roko, since their demands to meet and discuss fell on deaf ears.
• In November, gave a call for #DilliChalo.

Finally, they were passed into laws despite the opposition from major political parties with the proposal to amend them.

These laws are detrimental to Indian fFarmers which led to the biggest global protest in the history.

The fundamental pillar to any democracy is the right to peacefully assemble. Following the passage of the new farming legislation, millions of farmers and daily laborers from all parts of India peacefully expressed their opposition to the laws. Unfortunately, Indian law enforcement officers responded with brutality, including but not limited to water cannons, tear gas, baton attacks, barricades, and more.