Photo Essay—When the youth comes together, a new energy is born
Kisaan rally participants reflect on their experience protesting.
By: Navneet Kaur and Manpreet Kaur
As Sikhs, it is our duty to stand up against injustices, and the injustice farmers are facing in India is no exception. Last weekend, it was so inspiring to see huge youth turnout, backed with the support of our elders at the Washington D.C. rally. You could feel the passion, emotion, and energy from each protester. The ekta (unity) was unmatched.
We were impressed by how well thought out, organized, and safe the rally was, from ensuring everyone was wearing masks to frequent distribution of hand sanitizer. Protesters were even sent periodic text alerts throughout the day to update them of any route changes, reminders, and CDC guidelines.
The kisaan (farmer) issue in India impacts us all. Indian farmers supply food across India and abroad, so their struggle is ours as well. Punjabi culture in particular is also heavily influenced by farming, and many Punjabis abroad have a direct connection to it.
We’ve learned about the increasing farmer debt and suicide rates in Punjab, and the government’s inability to take action to help solve this cyclical problem. The agriculture bills passed by the Modi government will only exacerbate these problems and work to destroy the state.
We may not physically live in Punjab, but Punjab lives in us. Our people’s problems are our problems, and that’s why we protested in D.C. outside of the Indian embassy. This protest showed us that our youth is charged up and ready to come together to have our voices heard. And we will continue to raise our voices (online and in person) as Punjabi Sikh Americans in solidarity with the farmers of India.
