Rejecting Agricultural Reform, Indians Call For National Strike

JAKARTA - Action against agricultural reform in India has spread to almost all corners of the region. They are calling for a national strike day. The emotions of Indian citizens exploded when farmer representatives who met with the government of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi did not get satisfactory results.

In western and eastern India, farmers have blocked roads and they are sitting on railroad tracks. The effort was made to disrupt the wheels of the Indian economy.

Not only that, farmers in the states of Punjab and Harayana have even held protests since last month. They even set up protest camps around the city.

Not a few of them live in the tent. All activities such as eating, sleeping, they do in tents. Sikh religious organizations even helped them by providing them with food, water and masks.

"We will not allow the government to change the rules because they want to harm farmers' income by filling the pockets of big companies," said Gurwinder Singh, a 66 year old farmer from Punjab.

Previously, agricultural reforms were implemented last September by the Indian government. The rule removes any market protections around selling, pricing and storing agricultural produce that could have protected farmers from the free market for decades.

However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said that reforms will not harm farmers' income. To that end, the government will immediately hold further talks by inviting farmer organizations.