Punjabi Sikh Americans show up in thousands to support farmers in India
“We want to show the Indian government the solidarity of not just Indian people, but Americans as a whole.”
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This weekend, thousands across the country came together in car and truck rallies in support of India’s farmers who have been protesting against new agricultural legislation that favors large, private corporations.
The rallies, which were organized by various Gurdwaras and Sikh organizations, were COVID-19 friendly. And each hosted hundreds to thousands of vehicles. Many participants have personal connections and family in Punjab whose voices they were hoping to amplify.
Mandeep Brar attended the rally in Riverside, California. She said her family could lose their livelihood as a result of the new farming policies in India.
“All of my mom’s side is in India so this affects me personally,” Brar said. If my mame (uncles) lose their land, they’re going to have nothing. They’ll be on the streets.”
Komal Chohan, who attended rallies in Indianapolis and Chicago, said her family in India is already struggling to maintain their farms. The new laws could further slow or stop their source of income.
“A lot of my family back home relies on farming. That is all they have done for generations and they have put so much money into their land. My family, like many others, is swarming in bank debt just to stay afloat due to the rising costs to keep their farms open,” Chohan said. “The government allowing privatization would lower their income even more, which would lead them to lose their farm to banks, like many others have lost theirs.”
The controversial bills, which remove the Minimum Support Price that the government pays to farmers, were passed in September. India’s Prime Minister Modi said the bills are intended to give farmers the freedom to do business with whoever they want. Farmers and other opposition argue that dealing directly with large corporations will drive the prices of produce down so low that they will not be able to afford the upkeep of their land anymore.
“Sikh farmers have raised their concerns and their voices for decades in India, and their basic needs have been ignored by the Indian government,” policy analyst and rally participant Sehej Kaur said. “These three policies that Modi just passed are kind of like the cherry on top. They’re horrible. And they will really create chaos and horrible effects for Sikh farmers and farmers all over India.”
Punjabi and Sikh communities around the country feel that demonstrating in their cities can help bring awareness to the farmers’ cause in India. Chohan said the rallies might work to get international governments involved.
“I hope these rallies bring attention to our local governments. We need them to take a stand and make a public statement condemning how India is handling the situation,” she said. “We want to show the Indian government the solidarity of not just Indian people, but Americans as a whole.”
Sahibjit Singh, who participated in the California Bay Area rally, thinks calling attention to the farmers’ protest could force India to reverse the contentious legislation.
“These rallies will put more pressure on Indian government. They simply cannot ignore the issue and suppress the Indian people now because the movement has become global,” Singh said.
So far, organizers have put on rallies in several U.S. states including New York, California, Indiana, Illinois and Texas. The events consisted of cars and trucks traveling a certain route together, and passengers holding up signs and saffron Nishaan Sahib flags. Punjabi music and jakaras (Sikh battlecries) could be heard for miles.
All of these rallies were planned last minute in reaction to escalating tension in India. In the past week, peaceful protesters marching to Delhi were met with water cannons, tear gas and batons. Photos and videos of that violence quickly spread on social media, motivating Indian Americans to use their voices.
The Jakara Movement organized the Oakland to San Francisco rally, which hosted an estimated 10,000 cars, according to a toll worker. Jakara staff member Ragini Kaur said volunteers planned the rally to San Francisco in under a week after members of the community expressed interest in attending. Punjabi Americans were looking for an outlet to speak up about the matter, Momi said.
“You can just feel through friends, through conversations that everybody felt like they needed to do something,” Kaur said. “People were feeling agitated and wanted to do something about what’s going on in India, so, so much support poured in” in favor of the rally.
Rising COVID numbers were a major concern for organizers, but the car and truck rally system allowed people to remain in their cars, many of which were decorated with posters, paint and flags.
“We thought that the matter was too important, and we thought we could mitigate risk by keeping it a car-based caravan and protest,” Jakara Movement Executive Director Naindeep Singh said.
The rallies were also an opportunity for young Punjabi Sikhs to make a statement, he said.
“We wanted to center Sikh youth in the conversation. So always our goal was to build power and confidence and focus the conversations around growing fascism and neoliberalism within the Punjabi Sikh youth,” Naindeep Singh said.
Participants described seeing their community gather together for this cause as “energizing” and “inspirational.” Sarabjit Singh said he was proud to see fellow Punjabis and people of other backgrounds support the movement.
“We got so much love from people from other ethnicities and backgrounds. It was unreal,” he said. “Everyone was putting their fists up or showing thumbs up with smiles even when the freeway shutdown.”
Naindeep Singh echoed a similar message, adding that the global Sikh community is tight knit, and always willing to show up for one another.
“I definitely have family members that are affected in Punjab, but I think the most critical factor is, wherever the community demands, Jakara Movement, and I specifically, will be there.”
