Lessons of the Indian Farmer’s movement

Watch the Webinar: 

The current struggle of Indian farmers is the most important mass mobilisation in decades and represents the biggest challenge to the BJP government since it first came to power in 2014. The farmers are protesting against the three agricultural-reform laws forced through Parliament which the Indian government insists are necessary to overhaul an antiquated and obsolete system. The session looked at the dynamics of the ongoing farmers mobilisation in India and the various opportunities it presents.

Objectives:

• To understand the deeper issues and the crises plaguing the Indian agriculture for the last three decades. Setting the agrarian situation in India, and locating farmers movement in that context.
• An analysis and lessons from the strength of the movement and its capacity to unify and ally with a larger mass transforming the issue from sectoral demands to a bigger political question.
• The wider context of the movement and the challenges.
• Exploring the issue of the marginalised, Dalits, Adivasis, landless farmers, agricultural workers and others who are not at the forefront of the struggle. Their involvement in the movement and stakes in the new farm laws and ongoing agricultural reforms in general.
• Caste, class divide within the movement and the way forward.
• Possibilities, hope and defragmentation.
• Ideas and lessons.

Speakers:

Manoj Jha: Member of Parliament, India; Professor, Delhi School of Social Work.
Yogendra Yadav: President, Swaraj India
Amarjit Kaur: General Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi: Member of Parliament, India; Secretary, Women’s Wing, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Praveen Jha: Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Moderators: Sandeep Chachra & Kathy Bernaerts

Organisers: AEPF Cluster on Food Sovereignty & Resource Justice