By Gaggan Sabherwal
South Asia Diaspora Reporter, BBC
22nd December 2020
Over the last few weeks videos and photographs of farmers in India protesting about agricultural reforms have been aired and published all over the world and the Indian farmer’s issue was even raised with UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the Parliament last week. Besides this, a number of protests too have taken place in the UK in cities like London and Birmingham organised by the Indian diaspora in support of the farmers protesting in India. Countries like the US, Netherlands and Canada too have witnessed similar protests.
(Picture Credit : Gopal Shoonya, BBC)
But why do people living in the UK feel so strongly about an issue affecting agricultural workers in India and why are British MPs seeking UK’s intervention in the Farmers’ Protest happening in India?
Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma is a British politician who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ealing Southall a borough in London where around 31% of the population are of Indian origin and Punjabi is the most widely spoken language after English. Mr. Sharma along with 35 other MPs from across political parties have written to UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb asking him to raise their concerns over the Indian farmer protests with the Indian government. British Sikh Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi had organised this letter and besides Virendra Sharma and Tanmanjeet Dhesi other Indian origin Labour MPs like Seema Malhotra and Valerie Vaz and Liberal Democrats MP Munira Wilson and former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn have also signed the letter. But why did they decide to send this letter and what are they hoping this will help achieve?
‘’We are the members of the British Parliament and as a British MP, India is a foreign country for us and its administration is an internal matter and we can’t interfere and nor should we interfere in its internal affairs just like how we wouldn’t want people from other countries to tell us how to run Britain. But at the same time many of us are originally from India. I am first generation Indian who was born and brought up in a village in Punjab and migrated to Britain and I joined the politics here and our main responsibilities lie with Britain but most of our constituents just like me have strong links with India and with their villages back in India,’’, Mr. Virendra Sharma told the BBC.
He further added, ‘’Many Indian children live here and their parents are still living back in India and so whatever is happening in India concerns them and based on what our constituents have told us we have told the Foreign Secretary that the Indian community living here are disturbed about what is happening in India. We aren’t offering a solution to the problem and nor are we saying whatever is happening in India is right or wrong. All we want the Foreign Secretary to do is speak to the Indian High Commission and the British High Commission in Delhi and let them know how our constituents are feeling about whatever is happening in India’’.
These 36 British MPs aren’t the only ones who have raised the issue of the Indian farmers protesting in India here in the UK. Lord Indarjit Singh, a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, also raised the issue in the Upper House of Parliament last week and the UK Cabinet Office minister responding in the House, Lord Nicholas True, refused to address a "broad denunciation" of any nation, adding: "Our values are democratic; they are very widely shared and practised across the world. We wish to sustain that."
Besides this, around 25 community & charity representatives, faith & business leaders, councillors & individual professionals from Indian backgrounds have also sent a joint letter to the Indian High Commissioner Ms. Gaitri Issar Kumar in London and to UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb. In their letter to Ms. Issar Kumar, they have expressed their solidarity to the Indian farmers and have ‘’condemned the use of tear gas and water cannons by the administration in Haryana on the farmer and labourer protesters who wanted to simply reach Delhi for a peaceful protest’’. They have also asked her to take ‘’swift action and stop any further polarisation here in the UK’’. Their letter further added that, ‘’ The Indian government is stating that these farm bills are for the benefit of farmers but the farming communities have clearly rejected these bills. We would like to request the Indian Government to take their demands into full consideration and resolve their grievances’’.
But what do the Indians living in the UK have to say about their British MPs and local councillors involving themselves in India’s internal matters?
Overseas Friends of BJP UK President Kuldeep Shekhawat told the BBC: ‘’Indian farmers are protesting in India which is their right and if they have any issue with the Government of India then they can raise it with the Indian government. India is a sovereign democratic nation which has a very vibrant democracy and UK Parliamentarians have no right to speak about Indian farmers in the UK as it amounts to interference into the internal affairs of a Sovereign nation. Writing to Mr. Dominic Rabb or asking the UK PM a question about the farmers protesting in India is unwarranted. PM Modi has a very clear agenda to double the income of the farmers and this entire misinformation campaign will be thrown out soon’’.
London resident and Indian born Rashmi Misra too has raised similar concerns and said: ‘’Have the British MPs and the councillors read the farmer’s bill? Do they understand the past sufferings of the farmers? Do they know what is the suicide rate of the Indian farmers since we got our Independence in 1947? Did anyone try and help to resolve this? What right do they have to interfere in India’s internal matters?’’
Vaishali Nagpal an Intellectual Property lawyer has reacted very strongly to the letter that was sent to UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb. She said: ‘’ This is the most ill-informed, intervening and baseless act by them. Probably they have not read even the bullet points of the new farming bill in India. Their letter concentrates and talks about the state of Punjab and calls it most affected due to the bill as it is ‘bread basket’ of India. Please google and check this as the most farm producing state of India is Uttar Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh is not even participating in the protest’’.
Andrew Thomas from Wolverhampton is one of many people in the UK who aren’t happy about British MPs raising an issue that isn’t affecting the UK directly and told the BBC, ‘’ There are other pressing issues in the UK such as the corona virus pandemic and Brexit and I don’t quite understand why are our politicians raising an issue that is happening in another country. Our MPs should be working for us and should be addressing our issues and concerns. Maybe they are doing this to keep some of their voters and constituents happy but I don’t think it is UK or British MPs jobs to deal with issues affecting another country. UK and its people should be their priority’’.
But not everyone is unhappy with the British MPs for raising this issue in the UK. Many have on the contrary praised these MPs and councillors for raising their constituents fears and concerns about everything that is happening in India and one such person is Indian business consultant Sandeep Bisht from Twickenham who has been following the farmer protest story closely and said, ‘’ It is nice to see Indian farmers getting support from all around the globe including Britain. The letter and whatever is happening in Britain in support of the farmers will somehow pressure the Indian government I think. In India, farmers were always ignored for decades regardless of whichever party ruled in India and this is the first time when farmers from entire India have united and are protesting together on a common demand. It is good to see our British MPs supporting too but I did hear comments from MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi the other day, where he was accusing the Indian government more than supporting the farmers and this isn’t good. They should be balanced and maintain good diplomacy’’.
Ajmer Kaur Mahal from Harborough District has been involved with community and social work for a number of years and she too is happy that British MPs are raising the Indian Farmer’s issue here in the UK. She said, ‘’ I am originally from Punjab and 90% of my mother’s family were farmers and so I do feel for the farmers who have worked so hard and are still working so hard to bring daily bread not only for their families but also provide grains and spices and a whole lot more that we all enjoy even here in the UK and no doubt in other parts of the world. I do think where possible, UK’s MPs or even the PM should intervene and give Mr. Modi a reminder about what is going on in his own in country in case he is not aware. So, I think Dominic Rabb needs to somehow, not sure how but maybe say something on this issue’’.
Balbir Singh from Leeds too feels that the UK government should raise this issue with the Indian authorities as Indians have played a major role in building UK and its economy. He said, ‘’ The British government should be concerned about the farmers because Indians like me have contributed so much to this country and also because of the trade the UK does with India. Besides this, Indians have rescued the steel and car industry in this country’’.
British Kashmiri Owais Rajput from Bradford too thinks it is important for British MPs to raise the issue of the Indian farmers and said, ‘’ Even though I am not an Indian and the issue of the Indian farmers don’t affect me directly but as an human being whatever is happening in India does concern me from humanity’s point of view and if someone’s human rights are being violated then I would definitely like my MP and the other British MPs to raise their voices against it and would also like our PM Boris Johnson to do something about it’’.
Historian and curator Rajwinder Pal from West Midlands was born in India and moved over to the UK as a little boy. He said, ‘’ MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi is himself from a Punjabi background as are many of his constituents who have made representations to him about this issue and so it is right and proper that he should raise these issues in the Parliament. It is another matter of course that our PM hadn't a clue what Mr. Dhesi was talking about, and this is a matter of great shame. Politicians in Canada, the US and Australia too have raised concern. Those of us who come from families with farming backgrounds have a very strong emotional and cultural connection with the land that is almost primeval. It is part of our DNA and arouses emotions and reactions most people cannot comprehend. It is right and proper that when we our kith and kin are being attacked and treated like enemies and terrorists that we ask our government to intervene. So, yes. Dominic Raab should raise our concerns with his Indian counterpart’’.
But what are British MPs and local councillors trying to achieve by involving themselves in matters concerning India and are they right in doing so? To find out this and more, I spoke to Dr. Mukulika Banerjee, Associate Professor of Anthropology at London School of Economics (LSE) who has over twenty years of research experience in agrarian India. I asked her what does she make of everything happening in India right now and what does she think of British Parliamentarians raising issues involving India’s internal matters here in the UK?
‘’The farmers protests happening in India is both exhilarating and concerning. Exhilarating because we see democracy in action with farmers and their supporters utilising their right to peaceful protest; the creativity and resolve of the farmers’ movement is inspiring. In a country as large and diverse as India, to see over 200 farmers’ organisations come together in common purpose is a huge achievement. As a result, for the first time in years, agriculture and farming issues have dominated headlines for days, as they should, given their large contribution to India’s economy and self-sufficiency’’, Dr. Mukulika Banerjee said.
She further added, ‘’It is very concerning however that an elected government is so reluctant to take their concerns on board with any seriousness. They first tried to physically stop them with teargas, water cannons and roadblocks and later when they conceded to talks, the communication seemed to be mostly one-way i.e. talking down to them. The response is to both vilify them as terrorists using fake images and that is shocking or treat them as children who have been ‘misled’ which is patronising’’.
When I asked her if it was right for British Parliamentarians to raise issues concerning another country in the UK, she said, ‘’British politicians have always raised issues round the world – and in this case, their constituents are directly linked through kinship and family to the farmers in India. An MP is duty bound to respond to the concerns of their constituents, that is how parliamentary democracy works! Also, after Brexit, Global Britain will have to form bilateral relations with each nation and the relationship with India is a special one. The Indian diaspora is a key living bridge between the two nations and the Government of India continually engages and works with its diaspora for this reason’’.
But should UK and its citizens interfere (as some may see this as an interference) in another country’s internal matters?
‘’They have not interfered in India’s domestic affairs by suggesting changes to the farm bills or advising the Government of India on how it should manage India’s agricultural economy. They have expressed their concern about how peaceful protestors have been treated in a democracy. Citizens, wherever they live, have the right to ask questions of their government. That is true of Indian citizens abroad too’’, Dr. Banerjee replied.
She further added, ‘’In recent years, the Indian diaspora have been assiduously courted by India’s ruling party and in turn members of the diaspora have actively funded and campaigned in Indian elections. Adulation and financial support of individual leaders and parties by foreign citizens of Indian origin when they do not have to contend with the consequences of their politics is problematic and could be seen as foreign interference in the elections and affairs of another country. But is understandable that citizens of the UK and of Indian origin who have family and investments in India will obviously want to remain connected to affairs in India and watch developments closely’’.
Now since 2019 there has been a number of protests in the UK on issues concerning other countries – be it on Kashmir or CAA or even the recent protests organised in support of the Indian farmers. Why is the Indian Diaspora suddenly involving themselves in issues happening outside the UK?
To this Dr. Banerjee replied, ‘’The Indian diaspora, even the second and third generations, have always remained connected to Indian affairs and as UK citizens, they use their right of peaceful protest here in the UK. This is far from sudden’’.
‘’But recent years have also seen an additional factor - a huge increase in the numbers of Indian students in UK universities, and postgraduate students especially who have studied for their first degrees in India, are vocal and proud of being Indian – these are well informed Indian citizens who follow the news in India closely and care about what is happening in India. Large number of them do not want to see their fellow citizens reduced to second class status or tear gassed. Students have always been at the forefront of the fight for justice across the world’’.
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