Indian Americans in at least six states including California and New York held protests against new laws in India they say will hurt farmers.
The protests took place from San Francisco to New York City, as well as Houston, Washington, DC, Chicago and Canton Township near Detroit.
“Farmers are the soul of any nation. We must protect our soul. People around the world, including many cities in the US and Canada, have come together to dispose of the bills that will open India’s agricultural market to the private sector; allowing major corporations to take over independent farming communities and dilute crops’ market value,” said Indiana-based Gurinder Singh Khalsa to The Tribune.
In San Francisco, a caravan across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge snarled traffic for several hours, reports the Mercury News.
“This is a cultural movement,” said Navi Singh to the Mercury News. “Farmers have never been able to get by in India and everyone knows that.”
According to the Detroit News, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi defends the new laws as a benefit to farmers by allowing them to increase production through private investment. Indian farmers are threatening a nationwide strike on Tuesday.
The protests were organized by the Sikh Coalition and Jakara Movement
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