BRAMPTON: Canadian organized demonstrations and Car rally in different parts of City Brampton to support peaceful farmer struggle in India. The call was given jointly by ‘Sarokaran de Awaz’; ‘Alliance of progressive Canadians”; Indo- Canadian Workers Association; North-American Tarksheel Society, Ontario; GTA west club, Communist Party of Canada, Desh Bhagat Sports Cultural society, Brampton and others.
The residents of Brampton hold demonstration in different parts of city with banners and hold a large road protest in form of ‘Car-Rally’ on the Bovaird Drive starting from Brampton Soccer Centre to car parking of Indian Passport Office, Brampton. More than 800 cars took part in the rally along 7 KM stretch of the road in city, the Canadian police remain busy to clear the traffic paths for the comforts of peaceful participants. The rally was attended by all walks of society without any discrimination of region, religion and color.
The Canadians were demanding to get roll back all three new Agriculture laws imposed by Government of India. They alleged that these laws are not in favour of Farmers of India and damage the existing agriculture economy of India.
All the cars attending the Car- rally were displayed with the slogans, Flags and banners supporting their demands. Large number of protesters were standing along the roads to welcome the road show they were carrying placards highlighting support of Farmers agitation.
Addressing the rally Dr Hardeep Singh and Harbans Singh of Sarokaran-de-Awaz condemned the Indian Government for using water canon, lathis and barricades to supress the peaceful demonstrations of Farmers of Punjab and Haryana. They told that in every corner of India, farmers are up in arms against three new agricultural laws imposed by Government of India. These laws -‘Farmers Produce Trade and commerce Bill 2020; --The farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price assurance and Farm Services Bills, 2020 and --The essential Commodities (amendment) Bill 2020.
These laws would be big threat to present protected APMC ( Agriculture Produce Market Committee) market system which ensures MSP (Minimum support price) to farmers and purchase of food to supply in PDS ( Public distribution System) to poor consumers. With these laws Agriculture economy will be opened to establish private market for big Corporate houses and these bills are paving way to Free Trade and competitive market prices, Contract farming and cutting short the regulated list of essential food items for public. Regulated existing APMC market system could not survive in competition and unable to supply for PDS. These farm laws would threaten the security of price to farmers but also a big threat to food security stocks provided to every citizen of India. Farmers are small players and would not be able to survive in competition with big corporate houses. The collapse of APMC market will ultimately lead to monopoly high prices by Corporate sector.
These laws also talk about Minimum Support Price to Farmers. They apprehend that these laws talk about the introduction of contract farming by corporate companies. This means the farmers must bargain for their produce in every season and could not be survive as small player. With the third bill of amendment of essential food product, the Indian Govt. has further cut down list of regulated items and now onions and potatoes are also out of regulation. This is a bigger threat to all the consumers of India as this would give free hand to stocking and black-market resulting in rising of prices by monopoly stock operators. We all Indo-Canadians are demanding immediate roll back of all three bills and more protection of MSP and PDS system for the welfare of Farmers and workers.
Kuldeep Bopari social activist, Devider Toor of ‘Sarokaran de Awaz’, Harparminder Gadri of ‘Alliance of Progressive Canadians’, Harinder Hundal of ‘GTA West Club, Communist Party of Canada’, Surjit Sahota of ‘Indo- Workers Association, Brampton’, Baldev Rehpa of ‘North American Tarksheel Society’, Darshan Gill of Desh Bhagat sports and Cultural Society, Shamshad Shams of ‘Alliance Of Progressive Canadians’ and others. All the speakers declared full support to the agitating Kisan Unions.