Since late November 2020, thousands of farmers have been protesting on theoutskirts of the Indian capital, blocking roads in Uttar Pradesh andHaryana states. They demand a complete rollback of farm laws passed by thePrime Minister Narendra Modi government in September 2020.
A 40-second advertisement drawing attention to the ongoing farmers’protests in India was aired during the Super Bowllink, the annual championship game ofthe National Football League, in California on Sunday.
The video, featuring Fresno City Mayor Jerry Dyer, highlights how Indianfarmers have been protesting for over 70 days against new farm laws passedby the Narenda Modi government, as they call for the reforms to bewithdrawn.
The clip ends with the message “No Farmers, No Food, No Future”, along withthe hashtag “#IStandWithFarmers”.
The Super Bowl link is among the mostwatched sports matches in the United States.
Over the last few days, several international celebrities and activistshave come forward to extend support for the ongoing farmers’ protests inIndia.
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Farmers are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the FarmersProduce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and theEssential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
According to the government, the laws allow farmers to sell their produceat places apart from their designated APMC market. They also aim atallowing contract farming under which they can enter into supply agreementswith private firms for remunerative and pre-decided prices.
Farmers believe that the new laws would pave the way for the dismantling ofthe minimum support price system (MSP), leaving them at the mercy of bigretailers.
