Brussels, February 19, 2024 – The European Sikh Group has issued a powerful condemnation following experiences of extreme power utilized by Indian safety forces towards farmers protesting in India since February 13, 2024. The farmers, who’ve been demanding the implementation of Minimal Assist Costs (MSP) for his or her crops, paying homage to the widespread 2020–2021 Indian farmers’ agitation, have reportedly confronted extreme and violent crackdowns.
In a distressing flip of occasions, it has been reported that the usage of pellet weapons by Indian forces has resulted in extreme accidents among the many protestors, with not less than three farmers being blinded. This methodology of crowd management, beforehand seen within the contentious areas of Kashmir, marks a troubling use of deadly power towards civilians voicing their dissent.
The European Sikh Group, representing the Sikh neighborhood in Europe, has taken swift motion by bringing this difficulty to the forefront of the European Parliament. The group plans to interact with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to focus on the severity of the state of affairs and advocate for the rights of the Indian farmers inside the broader framework of the European Union’s dedication to human rights.
Expressing solidarity with the farmers, the European Sikh Group emphasised the stark distinction between the dealing with of farmer protests in Europe and India. In Europe, farmers’ rights to protest and advocate for his or her pursuits are sometimes met with dialogue and negotiation, moderately than violence and suppression. This disparity highlights a big concern over the remedy of Indian farmers and the necessity for worldwide consideration to make sure their elementary rights are protected.
The help from the farming neighborhood in Belgium in direction of their Indian counterparts is a testomony to the worldwide nature of the problem, underscoring the common proper to peaceable protest and the significance of presidency accountability in addressing residents’ grievances.
Because the state of affairs develops, the European Sikh Group’s efforts to convey worldwide scrutiny to the usage of power towards Indian farmers are a vital step in advocating for justice and human rights. The group’s name to motion inside the European Union represents a broader plea for international solidarity with these preventing for his or her livelihoods and rights, towards disproportionate use of power and suppression.