Washington: Two top Democratic senators have urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to raise with the Indian leaders the issue of treatment of peaceful farmer protesters and journalists even as they acknowledged that it is for the people and the Government of India to determine the path forward on its recently enacted farm laws.
In a letter to Blinken, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday urged the Biden administration to further engage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over its treatment of farmers in India who have been peacefully demonstrating against the passage of new farm laws.
Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
The government has denied allegations that it was trying to put an end to the MSP and the mandi system.
India has also emphasised that the protests by farmers must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity and the Ministry of External Affairs last month said that some vested interest groups have tried to mobilise international support against the country.
In their joint letter to Blinken, Menendez and Schumer noted that India is a “long-term strategic partner with deep ties to the United States thanks to our many shared values and our large and valued Indian American community.”
“In light of these shared values and strong connections, we write with serious concern regarding the response of the Indian government to the farmer protests, they said.
In their letter, released to the press on Thursday, the two senators urged Blinken to raise the importance of freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest in conversations with his Indian counterparts and to ensure that State Department officials at all levels do so as well.
After becoming the Secretary of State, Blinken has spoken with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar multiple times. The readouts of the phone calls do not indicate that Blinken raised this issue, under pressure from his party leaders, with Jaishankar. The Biden administration has insisted that the two countries share democratic values.
Schumer and Menendez said the months-long demonstrations have been met with orders from the central government and local authorities to shut off internet access in protest areas, cut off water and electricity supplies for the tens of thousands living in protest camps, and impede the work of journalists reporting on the protests.
India’s people and the government will determine the path forward on these laws, and peaceful dialogue and respect for the viewpoints of all peaceful actors should drive that decision,” they said.
“As the US pursues a more perfect union here at home, including efforts to bolster the rule of law and our democracy, those efforts reinforce the importance of addressing challenges to democracies abroad as well, they wrote.
The letter by Schumer and Menendez comes a day after the latter wrote a similar letter to Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is visiting India this week.
There has been no response from either Austin or Blinken if they plan to raise these issues with their Indian counterparts, especially when the Biden administration is going out of its way in its outreach with the Modi government given the serious challenge it is facing from China.
Blinken and the US National Security Advisor have met their Chinese counterparts in Anchorage, Alaska. This is the first in-person meriting that the Biden administration is having with the Chinese leadership.
In their letter, Menendez and Schumer said following the passage of new farm laws last fall, the farmers have engaged in over 100 days of peaceful demonstrations to express their opposition to certain policies.
Also read: There would have been no protest had govt consulted farmers on agri laws — UP BJP minister
While we do not take a position on internal Indian policy matters, we recognise and condemn that on January 26, a small faction of protesters engaged in unacceptable violence at the Red Fort in New Delhi, but protest leaders quickly condemned the violence and the vast majority of protesters remained peaceful.
“However, Indian authorities at different levels of government have used that day’s events as a pretext to undertake a broader and sustained crackdown on peaceful protesters, journalists, and government critics, they alleged.
Noting that they are alarmed by the sedition charges against a leading
Opposition politician and a 22-year-old climate activist related to the protests, the two senators said that the central government has repeatedly ordered Twitter to shut down accounts that relate to or report on the protests, including those of media organisations and journalists, and threatened to arrest Indian Twitter employees if the microblogging site fails to comply, as reported by CNN.
At the same time, Indian authorities have also sought to hinder the work of journalists reporting on the protests. Indian authorities have filed criminal complaints against at least 10 journalists for their reporting on the protests, including charges of sedition.
“Reporters Without Borders said the accusations represent a headlong assault on press freedom, and Indian press freedom groups have characterised them as an intimidation tactic to stifle the media, the senators wrote.
In the past, both Schumer and Menendez have spoken about the important role that India has in the US’ China policy.
They have both called for a strong relationship with India. Both have been sponsors of some key legislations on the matter.
Prominent among them include the Democracy Technology Partnership Act which says that the world’s major liberal-democratic nations must work together in a technology partnership to ensure that these technologies advance democratic institutions, norms, and values, contributing to global peace and prosperity.
The Democracy Technology Partnership Act establishes an inter-agency office at the US Department of State to lead in the creation of a new partnership among the world’s tech-leading democracies.
Multiple rounds of talks between the Indian government and farmer unions have not been able to resolve the deadlock over the new agri laws.
The government has said it has shown the utmost respect for protests by farmers and has remained engaged in dialogue with them to address their concerns.
Also read: 35 years ago on this day, first farmer family suicide was recorded in Maharashtra
Look who’s talking?
Senator Menendez is a snollygoster. He was convicted for indulging in corrupt financial deals and extending favours to his cronies through the use (abuse) of his office as Senator from New Jersey.
A morally bankrupt man lecturing others on fundamental rights and democraric values.
Indian people requested to Mr. Menendez and Mr. Chuck Schumer to visit India and sit for week time to observe what is going on in India and as well for observation on who is s farmers, where is farmers, also who sits in Delhi border.
Sitting in USA and talking with half knowledge not acceptable by Indians.
I fail to understand what is the issue. SC and the SC appointed committee is engaged with the farmers for their suggestions. Some farmers don’t want any of that but only want repeat of the laws. No govt worth its name would do it. But it is ready for any suggestions
So is panel appointed by SC. They ought to be advised by all’ well meaning people to end the agitation and get to the drawing board. All these well meaning people can also give their own suggestions if any father than going in cirles
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer need to first worry about the frequent gun violence, the black lives matters, and the flawed election system that failed to ensure a smooth non-violent transfer of power in a 400 year old democracy.
Free and fair elections is the fundamental requirement of any democracy, if that is flawed the democracy is flawed. If with a population of 130 cr. India can conduct the elections in an undisputable manner then it is capable of all internal issues democratically.
Senators Bob Menendez and Chuck Schumer, as first priority should have requested Austin or Blinken to seek Indian help for conduct of free, fair and quick elections that will ensure smooth transfer of power in future.May be even out source the conduct of US elections to India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is not treating the farmers like George Floyed. In the 4 month long agitation there are no injuries or deaths at the hands of Police. There are farm economics experts, the Supreme Court and different vested interests claiming to represent farmers, the complexities of which cannot be understood by Senators Bob Menendez and Chuck Schumer unless they are expert Adtiyas.
If US does not want India to buy S400, yes that is their opinion to express, but leave 370 and farmers for India to handle
Peaceful farmer protests,we saw that on 26th January
The yankees are trying to poke their dirty nose into our arse. Dont try to be foolish and try to interfere in our matters. U have enough shit in your country . Poke your nose there
The news report, quite conveniently, ignores the colourful personality of Senator Menendez (Democrat, elected from New Jersey).
From the report, it seems Mr. Menendez has taken the lead in “expressing concern” for all sorts of activists and protestors in India and has also made the right noises about upholding democratic values and fundamental rights. Surely, he would be the darling of the Indian Left liberal cabal and the Left leaning media houses are sure to portray him as the upright and steadfast saviour of fundamental rights and democracy.
What has not been mentioned in this report is that Mr. Menendez has been convicted by the US judiciary on multiple counts of bribery and abuse of authority. He has been held guilty of quid-pro-quo deals too and has grossly abused the office of Senator. Given his colourful past, he should be the last person to pontificate. Alas!
“…….peacefully demonstrating against the passage of new farm laws.”.
Are these blind idiots unaware of the Jan 26 riots by “peaceful protesters”?
Or are they just plainly ignorant and stupid?
Why don’t we give the US congress the power to run india? Why don’t these law makers deal with their own country do horribly divided, hell bent on “cancelling” each other, not able to contain China despite having the tag of “super power”?
I am so tired of listening to sermons from other nations. While there is much to be desired from our own govt in dealing with the protests, i am not in favor of frequent commentary on India’s affairs….this commentary is getting ludicrous by the day. Running commentary as if this is a cricket match.
Here’s a thought experiment. How about all these enlightened “developed” “super power” lawmakers step into the shoes of an Indian policymaker, deal with myriad of complex identities with conflicting interests, seeking prosperity but not wanting to change the status quosit socialist economic regime? These people won’t last a day as district collector in India let alone run it from a political high office like a minister. Across parties all our leaders try a complex balancing act, dealing with identities, framing policies to give a better standard of living, all the while trying not to change the status quo too much because the voters don’t understand economics or what makes a good policy.
So tired of these sermons.