Darshan Pal, leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, raised the issue of India’s controversial agrarian reform laws at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday, urging the United Nations to repeal the laws from the Government of India.
Speaking via video message during the general debate at the ongoing 46th session of the council, Drs. Pal said that India was a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Farmers and was thus committed to the protection of small farmers.
However, he alleged that agricultural laws would remove such protections by eliminating the minimum support price system, the use of profits for rural infrastructure and access to the courts. “In some states where similar policies have been introduced, farmers have to work elsewhere, drowning themselves in poverty, losing their lands and working as laborers,” he said.
“The United Nations Declaration stresses that the country should consult farmers before law and policies are implemented. We humbly ask the United Nations to abide by the declaration from my government, repeal the laws, and initiate consultations to initiate a favorable reform agenda for farmers and to do good for the environment, as by the Declaration on Farmers’ Rights Is necessary, “he said.
Dr. Pal was listed as representing a Sikh human rights group. In the same session another speaker, who represents integrated youth empowerment, raised the issue of arrested journalists covering the protests of farmers in Delhi.
Accusing India of “suppressing freedom of expression”, IYE speaker Valentin Hopfinger said those who had reported on the alleged gunshot wound in the post-mortem of the protesting farmer killed on Republic Day are now criminal There have been allegations.
“For the first time, India is abusing the right to a peaceful assembly. The second thing is that those who are trying to report the truth are facing retaliation from the Indian authorities, ”he said.
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