A BRADFORD MP has joined the debate on the farmers’ protests in India, urging the country’s government to avoid “marginalising another minority community” as demonstrations continue.

Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, has described the issue as an “alarming situation”, as the farmers – who are largely from the states of Punjab and Haryana, two of India’s biggest agricultural producers – continue to protest against government reforms which they argue only benefit large corporations and leave them disenfranchised.

Ms Shah said that the “average farmer” has been left “worse off” following the reforms, which were made in September 2020.

Since then, the farmers – many of whom are Sikh – have taken to the streets in India’s capital Delhi, in violent clashes which have seen over 200 deaths.

“The very argument made by the innocent farmers is that when the new laws take effect – taking away the regulated markets that allow for minimum prices for their crops and replacing them with deregulated markets that work in the favour of the big, powerful corporations –  who then will listen to the average farmer?”, Ms Shah asked.

“The Indian Government talks about how prices will be able to be negotiated, but as we all know, without the safety net of minimum prices, when the big, powerful corporations do the negotiating, it is the average farmer who is left worse off.

“That is what the debate is really about: ensuring that the voices of ordinary farmers can be heard.”

The protests have garnered international attention, while singer Rihanna notably tweeted about them last month.

Ms Shah said that celebrities raising awareness of the issue should not need to happen in order for “the world to take notice”, although she added that this “in some ways explains how the world now works”.

“We should not need someone such as Rihanna to speak up on such issues as the farmers’ protests in India for the world to take notice”, Ms Shah said.

“But the powerful are heard with a single tweet, while the average person’s voice is often ignored. That is one of the central arguments that the Indian farmers are making”, she added.

“Let me be clear: when we raise such issues because they are a very serious concern for our constituents, who often have families in India struggling in such circumstances, it is not about being anti-Indian. India is the fifth-largest economy in the world. It is ranked second in the world in agricultural production and ninth in the world for agricultural exports. India has a rich history and culture, and is a rising economic power.

“However, with such increases in economic opportunity comes responsibility. It is important that we support the average farmer, especially when they are faced with large and powerful corporations.”

Ms Shah also added that poverty and debt is leading to an increase in suicides amongst Indian farmers.

“This is not a debate between two equals. These farmers are already struggling. More than 52 per cent of India’s farmers are living in debt, which is causing a shocking increase in the suicide rate”, she said.

“In 2019 alone, nearly 10,300 Indian farmers killed themselves. Such an alarming situation cannot be ignored.

“In addition, because the protests have been dominated by Sikh protesters from Punjab, the Government have tried to silence their voices by marginalising the issue to one that affects a single community.

“The current Indian Government’s record on minority rights is not one to be proud of. I urge them to consider the issues of globalisation and capitalism in a serious way, and to avoid making this situation another case of nationalism and marginalising yet another minority community in India.”