Intervene to protect Farmers and Human Rights in India
As an American and your constituent, I am deeply concerned with the deteriorating human rights situation with respect to farmers peacefully protesting in India against the enactment of three new controversial farming laws and appeal to you to carry out an urgent assessment and intervene on our behalf.
Two months earlier, farmers from across India, especially Punjab were initially prevented from peacefully taking their protest to Delhi with roads being dug up and barriers installed, use of tear gas and water cannon and police used batons to beat farmers indiscriminately.
Farmers have been camped outside Delhi for over two months in very difficult circumstances and around 150 have died. The situation has significantly deteriorated following the protests in Delhi on the 26th January 2021 and we fear that the Indian Government are using it as affront to further violate human rights.
We are concerned with the gross violation of human rights, harassment of the elderly, women and children and denial of freedom of expression and protest. The right to protest peacefully is an internationally enshrined fundamental human right. Despite the Supreme Court of India observing that the farmers have a fundamental right to protest, the police and paramilitary forces are now indiscriminately detaining people, slapping charges of terrorism, sedition and anti-national conduct on hundreds of people associated with the farmers protest.
We are thankful to the American Sikh Caucus Committee to have had requested the American Sikh Congressional Caucus to address this issue. There efforts had led to letters written by Rep. John Garamendi Co-Chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, to the Ambassador of India to the United States on December 9th 2020. We are further thankful to Rep. Jim Costa (Ca 16th Dist.) and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (Tx 18th Dist.) they write “We have been distressed this year to see actions by the Indian government that have restricted these rights for many Indians; not only for farmers, but also for religious minorities, and human rights organization”
Seven additional Members of Congress wrote letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the farmers’ protest, expressing “serious concern” over the “ongoing civil unrest” in India. The letter asks Mr. Pompeo to reach out to his counterpart, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, on the issue.
Sen. Robert Menendez also wrote to Ambassador of India to the United States, “Indian government to respect the farmer rights and for their right to peacefully protest” on Dec 11, 2020.
We also urge you to write to Secretary of State, Mr. Antony J. Blinken and urge him to bring up the matter of the safety of the protesting farmers with his counterpart for India, India should abide by its own Constitution which provides the right of “freedom of speech and expression” given in article 19 , as one of its six freedoms.
Two months earlier, farmers from across India, especially Punjab were initially prevented from peacefully taking their protest to Delhi with roads being dug up and barriers installed, use of tear gas and water cannon and police used batons to beat farmers indiscriminately.
Farmers have been camped outside Delhi for over two months in very difficult circumstances and around 150 have died. The situation has significantly deteriorated following the protests in Delhi on the 26th January 2021 and we fear that the Indian Government are using it as affront to further violate human rights.
We are concerned with the gross violation of human rights, harassment of the elderly, women and children and denial of freedom of expression and protest. The right to protest peacefully is an internationally enshrined fundamental human right. Despite the Supreme Court of India observing that the farmers have a fundamental right to protest, the police and paramilitary forces are now indiscriminately detaining people, slapping charges of terrorism, sedition and anti-national conduct on hundreds of people associated with the farmers protest.
We are thankful to the American Sikh Caucus Committee to have had requested the American Sikh Congressional Caucus to address this issue. There efforts had led to letters written by Rep. John Garamendi Co-Chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, to the Ambassador of India to the United States on December 9th 2020. We are further thankful to Rep. Jim Costa (Ca 16th Dist.) and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (Tx 18th Dist.) they write “We have been distressed this year to see actions by the Indian government that have restricted these rights for many Indians; not only for farmers, but also for religious minorities, and human rights organization”
Seven additional Members of Congress wrote letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the farmers’ protest, expressing “serious concern” over the “ongoing civil unrest” in India. The letter asks Mr. Pompeo to reach out to his counterpart, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, on the issue.
Sen. Robert Menendez also wrote to Ambassador of India to the United States, “Indian government to respect the farmer rights and for their right to peacefully protest” on Dec 11, 2020.
We also urge you to write to Secretary of State, Mr. Antony J. Blinken and urge him to bring up the matter of the safety of the protesting farmers with his counterpart for India, India should abide by its own Constitution which provides the right of “freedom of speech and expression” given in article 19 , as one of its six freedoms.
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