As many as 200 people from the local Punjabi community took part in a car rally to protest against new farm laws in India.
The car rally made its way from Downtown Squamish to Garibaldi Highlands and back, with local Punjabis voicing their disappointment and anger against the Indian government with posters, placards and flags.
Terming the new laws as completely unfair, organizer Tejinder Gulati said they will adversely impact farmer’s incomes while leaving them vulnerable to corporate greed.
“Supporting small traders and farmers is not the same thing as opening the market to bigger corporations, who will only care about profits,” he said.
Another local resident, Jasbir Singh Thind, said Modi government has belittled the farmers by forcing laws on them they simply don’t want.
“There is a reason why thousands of farmers have gathered in the national capital in the cold. How can a law be good if it isn’t supported by the people it claims to help,” Thind said.
The Indian Government says the laws will enable private investment, and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
That is a sham, says local Balihar Singh Uppal.
“The Indian government has argued the changes will give farmers more freedom, but farmers are concerned that new laws will drive down the prices of their produce with no safeguards to protect them against corporate takeover and exploitation,” he said.
Another local, Joga Singh Sahota, said Prime Minister Modi should listen to farmers and just scrap the law.
“They should simply scrap the law and then start a new consultation process with famers and other experts on how agriculture sector can be reformed,” Joga Singh said.
