Public Solidarity Statement: Greens With Farmers
Public Solidarity Statement: Greens With Farmers: #GreensWithFarmers Youth environmental groups join Dilli Chalo and Nationwide General Strike on 26th November to withdraw the three Anti-Farmer Bills and Reverse the Dilution of Workers’ Protections. Stop destructive projects, reverse anti-Earth policies, abandon fossil fuels, and implement a People’s Green Recovery Agenda to safeguard future generations! Environmental groups across India are joining the Dilli Chalo call of All Indian Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and General Strike announced by Trade Unions.
We join the people’s movements, people’s organizations, federations, and associations across the country to demand the withdrawal of the three Anti-farmer Acts, the new Labour Code and other anti-nature and anti-people policies. We oppose the handing over of PSUs, airports, seaports, and other national assets and natural resources to polluting corporations. We demand halting the conversion of the rich forests and landscapes of our country into mining pits.
We demand that the government take concrete steps to move away from a fossil-fueled and consumption-driven economy with an environmental justice agenda. The rights of all farming people: Adivasis, tribal, farmers, pastoralist, forest-dwelling, traditional fishing and historically marginalised people must be recognised, and the relationship of the nation with the Earth must be repaired. The true lesson of the Covid-19 pandemic must be heeded, and a Green Recovery Path must be followed towards an economy and polity that is ecological.
Rather than taking farming in the direction of localization, self-sufficiency, and ecological sustainability, as the requirement of our times is, the three farm laws will take farming towards large scale, monopolistic, contractual, industrialized, and toxic practices of agriculture. This will close the already narrowing path out of the ecological crisis for good.
The laws remove the safeguards given to vulnerable consumers and exploited farmers, and instead give free rein to large traders to hoard, black market, and control market prices for bigger profits. This will mean that large corporations control the prices at which consumers buy their basic ration and the prices at which farmers sell their produce. The provision to allow large corporations to enter into individual contracts with farmers creates a lot of room for legal manipulation in the absence of collective bargaining. Most notably, farmers cannot approach the judiciary in case of being cheated. At a time of climate crisis, all this goes against the requirements of food sovereignty and farmers’ resilience.
Despite long marches of farmers demanding a parliamentary session to discuss farming issues, the three anti-farmer laws have been brought without any consultation with farmers’ groups. This shows that the government, far from involving farmers in policy design, is not interested in even listening to farmers. Therefore any claims of the government to be acting in the interest of farmers are insincere. Whereas farmers have been willing to discuss the recommendations of the government-appointed Swaminathan Commission, the government itself has gone back on its promises of implementing the recommendations of the reports, and even refused to discuss them. Instead, a whole new set of laws have been introduced which have no history of public discussion in the country, let alone taking farmers into confidence.
The electricity subsidy was one hard-fought concession gained by farmers for bearing the burden of the ill-thought-out Green Revolution policies. Unless these burdens on farmers are lifted, lifting electricity subsidy is a betrayal and unjust use of state power.
The public and political discussions on farming must adopt the perspective of natural, organic, and ecological farming, and take steps away from energy and chemical input-intensive farming while recognizing the traditional wisdom of our farmers. Taken together, this would mean taking the balance of powers from large corporations to the last farmer and consumer. It would mean turning the wheel from accelerated exploitation of the soil to participation in the harmony of Earth’s food systems.
The government must convene a Parliamentary session dedicated to listening to farmers and discussing farming issues, especially the Kisan Mukti Bill.
Our relationship with the Earth is broken. The first step to repairing it is to recognize the rights of Adivasi, tribal, pastoralist, forest-dwelling, and traditional fishing communities. It is the presence of these communities that is safeguarding our natural heritage. Their displacement and dispossession is a deep injustice and to the detriment of all. Rather than exclusion, the government must involve them in the policymaking process of the country for a healthy future.
A green recovery is not possible without ensuring the wellbeing of every last worker who contributes to it. The government must take back the Labour Code and sit down with trade unions to discuss their real demands. A green recovery will ensure that existing livelihoods are not destroyed, that sustainable livelihoods destroyed by reckless industrialization of the past decades are recovered to the extent possible and new opportunities for work and entrepreneurship are possible in harmony with nature. Ecology and economy are interlinked, and we must repair this
Let India Breathe
SAPACC Youth
Youth for Swaraj
Yugma Network
NAPM (Yuva Samvad)
Fridays for Future India
Muse Foundation
XR India
Youth For Climate India
Chennai Climate Action Group
Millennials for Environment
Fridays for Future Delhi
Climate Front India
Amche Mollem
Youth for Aarey
Dehing Patkai Movement
Green Bud Society Assam
The Matter Collective
Mission Green Goa
Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, Pune
Bangalore Environment Trust
Let's Save Delhi
Peace Rights and Environment Society of GAIMS (Presog)
Earth Army Organization
Ek Potlee Ret Ki
Gram Seva Sangh
Final Stand JGLU
Young People for Politics
ROSTOGOA
All India Students’ Federation (AISF)
All India Students’ Association (AISA)
GNDU Student Unions (all)
Democracy Collective - Haryana
Himdhara Collective
COLLECTIVE
Chalakudypuzha Samrakshana Samithi
Poovulagin Nanbargal
The Nazareth Foundation team
