Eight Months on Farm Protest Continues Unabated

On 2nd of August, I was stopped by some policeman near the bridge  of  Gazipur border . “No one is allowed there. ” The protest  is still going on.

The permit helped us to enter the protest area . A bridge that roughly connects the two states , delhi and uttar pradesh . Our car moved through the lane which had colourful tents on both side . One of the tents had a quote ” one protests other feeds” . Not all of them were just normal tents , some of them carried hoarding like ” Medical aid  “,”baba ka khana”  and camps for the storage of water.

The farmers have been camping at different border points in Delhi for more than 8 months. We approached a tent where we saw and young man who welcomed us with a big smile. He told us about the black laws and how how farmers are being affected by the same. The protest started on 26th of November and since then they have been camping at several Delhi borders. Their demand of repealing the tree farm laws were totally unheard and ignored by the government. The farmers there said that these laws enacted at the centre will dismantle the minimum support price system. The corporate will dictate terms and farmers will end up getting less for their crops.

Farm protests at Delhi-Gazipur Border Photo:Soma Mukherjee

“Aap log khana khake jaane ” (Have your lunch with us before you leave “) set an old man standing right in front of a tense with a medal in his hand. He was an ex army officer who had been there during the Kargil War. He said he is adamant to protest and stay there unless and until the government repealed the laws. Few minutes walk to the bridge let us to a tent where we have our lunch.

Throughout the last eight months, they’ve constructed tents and toilets, and many people have slept in tractors. For days on end, they haven’t gone out, haven’t had any fun, and have been adamant about their decisions. Their main goal was to demand their rights on a daily basis, even in the midst of scorching heat and harsh winters.

According to a protesting farmer,debates after debates have claimed that they are fake farmers and terrorists, despite the fact that they have stood united on the Delhi borders for the past eight months to protest the ‘government’s injustice’.

Even the children who have been taking their studies online are aware of the protest and have expressed their views. When I returned, my camera caught a glimpse of our familiar symbol, our pride, our national flag, clear and soaring high among the colourful tents.

The Lessons of War:Survival Classes Introduced in Ukraine’s Schools

In order to educate students lifetime lessons on survival and patriotism, Ukrainian schools have introduced a new subject called “Defense of Ukraine,” which includes first aid, drone operation, and weapons safety handling.

Read More

Cybercrime in Nigeria:Inside a “hustle kingdom”

In West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Nigeria, there is a rise in informal academies known as “hustle kingdoms,” where young people are trained how to carry out online frauds.

Read More

Weather Damage and Arson Attacks Are Challenges US Election Officials Facing

Election officials in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon, where ballot box arson has raised concerns, and in the hurricane-damaged parts of North Carolina state are facing additional challenges as voting gets underway in a tightly-contested U.S. presidential election.

Read More

UN Security Council Meets on Threats to International Peace and Security

Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, briefs the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.

Read More

US Political History:Some of the Most Bizarre Moments

The turn up to the 2024 United States presidential election has been full of twists and turns,but believe it or not,some of the most bizarre events in American election history have happened. America has seen everything, from imprisoned politicians to election chaos.

Read More

UN Security Council Hears Report on United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo

Marko Đurić, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, addresses the United Nations Security Council meeting that heard a report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

Read More

As Aid Access Blocked,Community Soup Kitchens Feed Sudan’s Starving

With little help from the international community, those in need are being fed by community-funded soup kitchens in war-torn Omdurman, the most populated city in Sudan. As one part of Sudan faces famine for the first time in seven years, the United States and other countries have urged the warring sides to grant humanitarian organizations unfettered access.

Read More

Are Religious Groups in Bangladesh Gaining Power?

Since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, religious parties in Bangladesh have active in national politics.VOA’s Sarah Zaman reports from the capital, Dhaka, on their impact.

Read More