New Delhi: More than 200 academics, trade union leaders and activists from Canada, the US and elsewhere have signed a statement supporting the farmers ongoing struggle in India and criticising the Narendra Modi government for prioritising its electoral agenda while disregarding assessments made by experts on the pandemic.The signatories have demanded an immediate repeal of the farm laws passed in September 2020 so the farmers can protect themselves from COVID-19 and return to their homes. They have also demanded the release of all political prisoners, some of whom have contracted the COVID-19 infection, and free vaccination for all.They have also urged the government to ensure that the poor and the marginalised do not disproportionately bear the burden of the ferocious second wave.The statement which is more vocal on the farmers’ issue pointed how the Modi government continues to turn a deaf ear to their demands even as the protests enter sixth month on May 26.Also read: Samyukt Kisan Morcha to Observe May 26 as ‘Black Day’ Marking Six Months of Farmers’ Protest“Farmers rightly fear that these laws will empower corporations to seize their land, jeopardise their livelihood and deepen the agrarian crisis facing the country. Since November 2020, hundreds of thousands of farmers have camped at the borders of the capital New Delhi, in the bitter winter cold and now, the searing heat of summer, despite police tear gas, water cannons and barricades. Several hundred of them, young and old, men and women, have perished due to weather, disease, police violence and traffic accidents,” it said.It added, “With the current wave of COVID it is feared the government will opportunistically invoke public health [Act] and attempt to demolish the camps, just as it did last year, at the onset of the first wave of this virus, with the massive mobilisation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) designed to strip many Indians of citizenship.”“The farmers’ protest has garnered amazing support from all sections of Indian society and outside the country as well. In Canada, city councils such as Vancouver, Victoria, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Surrey, Brampton and others, along with many Canadian labour organisations, including Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Federations of Labour, and UNIFOR, have passed resolutions or issued statements in support of the demands of the farmers.”Also read: Former Civil Servants Slam Modi Govt for Mishandling Second Wave of COVID-19 PandemicFull text of the statement with list of signatories is below.§India is in the grip of a Covid catastrophe caused by criminal inaction on the part of the national Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Prime Minister Modi. It chose to prioritize its electoral and ideological agenda and disregard assessments and predictions based on Covid mapping scenarios by experts. This is consistent with the BJP’s governance model since 2014 weakening and decimating every countervailing centre of power be it media, judiciary, opposition political parties, trade unions or human rights groups. These divisive governance practices negatively impact the working poor, the marginalized and oppressed sections of society, while providing huge dividends for their crony capitalists friends.The current situation was not inevitable, proven by the state of Kerala where proactive measures resulted in them having a surplus of medical oxygen, or that the city of Mumbai chose not to dismantle large-scale temporary medical facilities created during the first wave because it foresaw a second coming.In this context, we note the on-going struggle of millions of farmers demanding that PM Modi’s government repeal the three farm laws passed in September 2020, without consultation or debate in the midst of the first wave of the Covid pandemic.This farmers’ movement, the largest and longest non-violent peaceful protest in world history, is now entering an unprecedented sixth month. Farmers rightly fear that these laws will empower corporations to seize their land, jeopardize their livelihood and deepen the agrarian crisis facing the country. Since November 2020, hundreds of thousands of farmers have camped at the borders of the capital New Delhi, in the bitter winter cold and now, the searing heat of summer, despite police tear gas, water cannons and barricades. Several hundred of them, young and old, men and women, have perished due to weather, disease, police violence and traffic accidents. Many have been injured by vigilantes of the ruling party. Yet the struggle endures and grows. But the Modi government continues to turn a deaf ear to their demands. With the current wave of Covid it is feared the government will opportunistically invoke public health and attempt to demolish the camps, just as it did last year, at the onset of the first wave of this virus, with the massive mobilization against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) designed to strip many Indians of citizenship. While the farmers know the health risks they face by staying encamped at this time, they remain resolute because it’s a devil’s bargain between threat of covid infection or farm laws that spell death for them.The farmers’ protest has garnered amazing support from all sections of Indian society and outside the country as well. In Canada, city councils such as Vancouver, Victoria, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Surrey, Brampton and others, along with many Canadian labor organizations, including Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Federations of Labour, and UNIFOR, have passed resolutions or issued statements in support of the demands of the farmers. In the midst of the second wave of the covid pandemic ravaging India, we the undersigned, call on the Indian government to pay heed to the demands of the farmers and to ensure that the poor and the marginalized do not disproportionately bear the burden of the ferocious second wave. It is important to remember that farmers feed the nation and working people build it.IMMEDIATELY REPEAL the farm laws passed in September 2020 so the farmers can protect themselves from COVID and return to their homes, secure in the knowledge that the futures for themselves and their families are not jeopardized.RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS being held under draconian laws and now also facing COVID infection.FREE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS for all in India aged 18 and above.Feroz Mehdi, Alternatives International, Montreal, CanadaCatherine Pappas, Alternatives, Montréal, CanadaMohammad Imran, Retired, NJ, USAPatrick Farbiaz, PEPS-Pour une Ecologie Populaire et Sociale, ParisDolores Chew, Marianopolis College, Montreal, CanadaSophie Toupin, University of Amsterdam, Montreal/AmsterdamIshita Tiwary, Concordia university, Montréal, CanadaRicha Nagar, University of Minnesota, Twin CitiesDipti Gupta, Dawson College, Montréal,CanadaCory Legassic, Dawson College, Montréal, CanadaRahul Varma, Teesri Duniya Theatre, Montreal , CanadaPrashant Keshavmurthy, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaAfshan Nasseri, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaSid Shniad, founding member, Independent Jewish Voices CanadaJooneed J KHAN, Journalist and Writer, Montreal, CanadaJaswant Guzder, child psychiatrist, Montreal, CanadaChiara Letizia, Université du Québec à Montréal, CanadaBindu T Desai, Albany, CA, USARobert Apter, Retired UAW Local Rep, New York, NY, USALakshmi Sharma, Montreal, QC, CanadaJody Freeman, Montréal, Québec, CanadaBill Skidmore, Carleton University (Retired), Ottawa, CanadaAnita Lal, Poetic Justice Foundation, CanadaCarmen Jensen, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaPasha M. Khan, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaAdrienne Piggott, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaSadeqa Siddiqui, IMA Quebec , Montreal Canada.Robert Hornsey, President,Bergthorson Academy of Musical Arts, Maple Ridge, CanadaMalcolm Guy, International League of Peoples’ Struggle, Montréal, Québec, CanadaNiti Sharma, Richmond, B.C., CanadaM. V. Ramana, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaLavanya Narasiah, MD MSc, McGill and Sherbrooke University, Quebec, CanadaSteve Orlov, playwright, Montreal, QcOmer Morad, Montreal, QC .Sushil Handa, Saint-Lambert, QuebecGilles Sabourin, Saint-Lambert, QuébecDaniel Guerrier, ancien délégué national Service civil international, FranceChristiane Baril, Longueuil, Québec, CanadaAmrit Krishnan, Montreal, Québec, CanadaVijay Kolinjivadi, University of Antwerp, Montréal/AntwerpCaroline Kunzle, Montreal, Québec.Debdeep Chatterjee, Concordia University, MontrealJulie Vig, University of Toronto, Toronto, CanadaAyesha Vemuri, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaDarin Barney, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaFreda Guttman, Independent Jewish Voices, Montreal, CanadaJohn Price, University of Victoria, Victoria, CanadaGracy Fernandes -HaitiPrashant Olalekar – IndiaVinod Mubayi, Insaf Bulletin, New York, USAPenni Mitchell, Herizons Magazine, Winnipeg, CanadaAnne Caines, RECAA, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaJudy Wong, CanadaSalman Kureishy, Mississauga, CanadaBurç Köstem, Montreal, QuebecSamir Gandesha, Director, Institute for the Humanities, Simon Fraser University, CanadaDenise Nadeau, Concordia University, MontrealCarrie Rentschler, McGill University, Montreal. CanadaIan Angus, Professor Emeritus, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, CanadaJessica Fontaine, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaStephen Aberle, Independent Jewish Voices member, Vancouver, CanadaAndrew Stuhl, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaRana Khan, Working for Change, Toronto, CanadaMark Stiles, Stiles Associates Inc., Ottawa, CanadaSana Ahmad, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaDavid Barsamian, Alternative Radio, Boulder, CO USAKoushik Ghosh, Central Washington University, WA. U.S.A.Radhika Desai, President, Democracy, Equality and Secularism in South Asia (DESA), Winnipeg, CanadaR. Desai, Director, Geopolitical Economy Research Group (GERG), Canada Nicole Ranganath, UC Davis, USJyotsna Vaid, College Station, TX, USAJeremy Isao Speier, Artist, Vancouver, CanadaJerry Dias, Unifor President, CanadaV.K. Tripathi, New Delhi, IndiaCarolyn D’Cruz, La Trobe University, Melbourne, AustraliaSvend Robinson, Former Member of Canadian Parliament, JS Woodsworth Resident Scholar 2020-21, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, CanadaRami Katz, Vancouver, CanadaGlenn D’Cruz, Deakin University, MelbourneHanako Hoshimi-Caines, Centre de Creation O Vertigo, Montreal, CanadaAparna Sundar, Toronto, CanadaChantale Ismé, Montréal, CanadaRoopjit Sahota, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, CanadaTanveer Sahota, Simon Fraser University, Burnany, CanadaNavkiran Poonia, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, CanadaJaspreet Singh, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDilsher Athwal, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, CanadaKishore Gajbhiye, Mumbai, India.Gurman Sahota, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaJean-Claude Icart, sociologue, chercheur autonome, Montréal, CanadaHarjaap Singh, Simon Fraser University, CanadaAnjali Choksi, Dawson College Montreal, CanadaSaleha Athar, Toronto, CanadaPatricia Gruben, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, CanadaSadaf Rathod, UMass, AmherstMadhumita Dutta, Columbus, Ohio, USAGeneviève Rail, Concordia University, Montreal, CanadaChinnaiah Jangam, Carleton University, Ottawa, CanadaAnthony Dias, SJES SAsia, DelhiPrabhjot Parmar, SANSAD (South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy), Vancouver, CanadaNatalie Kouri-Towe, Concordia University, Montreal, CanadaNorma Rantisi, Concordia University, Montreal, CanadaSharanjit Kaur, University of British Columbia, Canada.Kris Foulds, The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford, BC CanadaOlivia Daniel, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC CanadaMo Dhaliwal, Poetic Justice Foundation, CanadaRenel Exentus, doctorant en études urbaines, Montréal, CanadaAlain Saint-Victor, historien, Montréal, CanadaHassan Yussuff, President, Canadian Labour Congress, Ottawa, CanadaStephen von Sychowski, President, Vancouver and District Labour Council, VancouverIan Rocksborough-Smith, University of the Fraser Valley, CanadaGian Sihota, VP Richmond South Centre Constituency Exec. BC, CanadaStefan Kipfer, York University, CanadaIlan Kapoor, York University, Toronto, CanadaSima Aprahamian, Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia University, CanadaKajri Jain, University of Toronto, CanadaRachel Berger, Concordia University, CanadaBianca Mugyenyi, Director, Canadian Foreign Policy InstituteDimitri Lascaris, lawyer, journalist, activistAntonio Torres-Ruiz, Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto, and Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean.Guillaume Bernardi, Drama Studies Program, Glendon College, York University.Steven Bush, Senior Lecturer (rtd), University of Toronto, CanadaBhavani Raman, University of Toronto, Canada.Prabhjot Parmar, University of the Fraser Valley, CanadaSedef Arat-koc, Ryerson University, Toronto, CanadaKatharine Beeman, Alternatives, Montréal, Québec, CanadaEvelyn Mondonedo, PINAYQuebec, CanadaRadhika Desai, President, the Society of Socialist Studies, CanadaSejal Lal, South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Vancouver, CanadaRadhika Mongia, York University, Toronto, CanadaMustafa Koc, Ryerson University, Toronto, CanadaRavindra K. Jain, Retired, JNU, IndiaAmanda R. Shankland. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaRachel Portinga. Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, CanadaNavjotpal Kaur, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s NL CanadaMarie Boti, Women of Diverse Origins, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaMaria Worton, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaE McLean, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaKora Liegh Glatt, Victoria, BC, CanadaAmbrose Pereira, Port Moresby, Papua New GuineaMay Chiu,Montreal, Québec, CanadaBarbara Parker, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, CanadaBertrand Guibord, Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain – CSN, Montréal, QuébecEric Shragge, Immigrant Workers Centre, Montreal, QuebecBryan Dale, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaMonika Korzun, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaRyan J. Phillips, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaLionel Fernandes, Ontario, CanadaOmar Latif, Committee of Progressive Pakistani-Canadians, Toronto, CanadaNilambri Ghai, Ottawa, CanadaDominique Daigneault, Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain – CSN, Montréal, QuébecChristine Marrewa-Karwoski, Columbia University, NY, USMalcolm Blincow, Retired, York University, Toronto, Canada153. Doreen Fumia, Associate Professor Emeritus, Sociology, Ryerson University, CanadaMichelle Smith, Dawson College, Montreal, QuebecAziz Choudry, University of Johannesburg, South AfricaStefan Christoff, Artist, community organizer and studentJohn DMello, PEACE, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, US, 33410Nazila Bettache, MD CM, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, CanadaOdile Hélier Paris FranceWaheed Mukaddam, Cambridge, MA, USJean Swanson, Councillor, City of Vancouver, CanadaMei-ling Wiedmeyer, MD, CCFP, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaShireen Hamza, History of Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USAntonio de Jesus, Centre for Philippine Concerns, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaVijay Puli, South Asian Dalit-Adivasi Network (SADAN)Robyn Andrews, Massey University, NZKamala Visweswaran, Rice University, Houston, TXElena Razlogova, History, Concordia University, Montreal, CanadaMartha Stiegman, Environmental & Urban Change, York University, Toronto, CanadaLauren Kepkiewicz, Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Calgary, CanadaLorelei Hanson, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Athabasca University, Athabasca, CanadaFrancis Cody, University of Toronto, CanadaRajee Paña Jejishergill, NSCAD University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaJennifer Chew, Montreal, CanadaElaine Power, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaKelly Tracey, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC, CanadaBetween the Lines, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaLarry Brown, President, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), CanadaAndrea Yovorsky, EcoTrust Canada, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, CanadaSyeda N Bukhari, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaRavneet Sidhu, Simon Fraser University, BC, CanadaIris Yellum, South Asian Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USClarisse Wells, South Asian Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USCatie Peters, American Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USAnelyse Weiler, Sociology, University of Victoria, BC, CanadaRichard Swift, New Internationalist MagazineHarnek Dhaliwal, Punjabi Literary and Cultural Association, Winnipeg, CanadaMukhtiar Singh (Retired), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, CanadaDonna Denina, International Women’s Alliance, Seattle, WA USAmélie Nguyen, Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)Caroline Quesnel, Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN)Paritosh Kumar, Global Development Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaMarie Stuart, Montréal, QuébecMarguerite Kephart, Montréal, CanadaSheetal Lodhia, Toronto, ON, Canada198 Shree Mulay, St. John’s NL, CanadaMaurice Dufour, Montreal, QcBhajan Gill, Secretary, Progressive Cultural Association, Calgary, CanadaHarcharan Singh Parihar, Editor, Sikh Virsa, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaVrinda Narain, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaKaleem Siddiqi, McGill University, Montreal, CanadaHarbans Singh, Editor, Sarokaran Di Awaaz, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaGurcharan Brar, Punjabi Cultural Association of Alberta, Edmonton, CanadaGurvinder Gill, Secular People’s Association, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaDr. Shaheen Ansari, Arkitect India, New DelhiMritiunjoy Mohanty, CERIAS, UQAM, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaJodi Koberinski, SSHRC Doctoral Fellow, University of Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaNancy Sears Barker, teacher, Toronto, Ontario, Canada211.Jonathan S. Barker, professor, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaLaird Cronk, President, BC Federation of Labour, Vancouver, CanadaSussanne Skidmore, Secretary Treasurer, BC Federation of Labour, Vancouver, Canada
