A group of seven US lawmakers, including Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, has written to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to raise the issue of the farmers’ protest with his India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
“As a nation that is familiar with political protests we believe that the United States can offer counsel to India during their current period of social disturbance,” the lawmakers wrote on December 23 about the thousands of farmers from States like Punjab and Haryana who have been engaging in a ‘Dilli Chalo’ (march on Delhi) protest for a month. The farmers are protesting agricultural laws passed by Parliament in September.
In their letter lawmakers have termed the protests an issue of particular concern to Sikh Americans linked to Punjab and that it also heavily impacts the Indian Americans belonging to other Indian states.
The letter has been signed by Congressmen Donald Norcross, Pramila Jayapal, Brendan F Boyle, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mary Gay Scanlon, Debbie Dingell and David Trone.
“As national legislators, we respect the right of the government of India to determine national policy, in compliance with existing law. We also acknowledge the rights of those in India and abroad who are currently protesting peacefully against agricultural laws that many Indian farmers see as an attack on their economic security,” the letter as quoted by Press Trust of India.
The lawmakers also suggested providing counsel to India during the current period of social disturbance across the country.
India has called the remarks by foreign leaders and politicians on protests by farmers as “ill-informed” and “unwarranted”, asserting that the matter pertains to the internal affairs of a democratic country.
“We have seen some ill-informed comments…relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said earlier this month.