Photo courtesy of Al jazeera
Still on going, the world's largest workers strike, over 200,000 farmers and farm workers have been on strike since November 26th., 2020. They have been camped out on the borders of the city of New Delhi demanding the withdrawal of the governments intend new legislation, opening up Indian agriculture to the free market. This of course will benefit nobody but the big agro-business and destroy all the small farmers in India, all for corporate profit.
They have already won a small victory by getting the courts to delay the implementation of the new legislation until further notice. The farmers have stated they will not settle for less than the complete withdrawal of this legislation. Meanwhile the government has always stated that it would not back down with its plans to open up Indian agriculture to the corporate beasts of the free market.
Now it appears that the government has perhaps blinked first, as they have stated they are willing to delay the implementation of the legislation for 18 months and hold discussions with the farmers. It is to be hoped that the striking workers realise that this is not the time to concede, as the delay could be a tactic to sap the strength of the strikers by dragging the affair out for another 18 months.
To help the striking workers we should all show solidarity and support for their long drawn out struggle, three months out on strike so far is hardship, to hold out while the government for the next 18 months, pussyfoots around the discussion table with popcorn offers and bubblegum suggestions, with the intention of implementing the legislation as the workers resolve fades. All power to the workers' struggle, solidarity across borders.
