American Farmers Union Shows Support To Indian Farmers Protests

The whole world is moved with the emotional value that India’s farmer is carrying around in their month long protests. It is now that the American National Farmers Union (NFU) that is supporting the farmers protests that are arms and about against the new amendments proposed by the Centre. 

Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, it is being proposed, to remove the middlemen in the farming business and create a protective net where farmers can negotiate directly with the private sector to sell their product. A minimum selling price (MSP) would be decided that brings the profit back to the farmer’s pocket. 

Indian farmers are completely against the Centre’s amendment. They are now receiving support from counterparts in America who have apparently fought a similar battle. According to its website, the American National Farmers Union represents 200,000 American farm families and their communities. The smaller American farmer lots its business as it fought similar market-oriented farm policies that eventually devastated the American rural landscape.

In a formal statement to the press over their support, NFU said, that it would like to support family farm agriculture across the globe and its support for Indian farmer comes from that commitment. “Our fellow farmers in India are fighting against measures that would shift authority over the agricultural industry towards corporations as well as weaken policies that sustain farmers and their communities. If our experience here in the United States is any indication, they are right to be concerned,” the media statement further states.

As the month long protests garner support, last week, 87 similar American unions have already shown their support for Indian farmers’ protests. It is being called one of the most ‘vibrant protests in the history’.

Thousands of protesting farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, have been camped at Delhi’s borders for almost three months, demanding the repeal of the amended farm laws. The negotiations with the government broke down on January 22 but the Centre is now communicating its desire to end the protest and hold a dialogue.