NRIs call convention in US on October 17

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, October 16

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Punjabi NRIs have called a national convention over three farm laws on October 17 at GN Event Centre in Virginia in the USA. All parties and organisations have been given an open invitation.

Representatives of all political parties, organisations and clubs are slated to participate and put forward their views.

The banner of the event reads “Na main Akali, na main Congress, te na main AAP, main haan Kisan”.

Organiser Mehtab Singh, who is the director of the Sikh Political Affairs Committee, US, while talking to The Tribune over phone, said, “Office-bearers of all political parties — Congress, SAD, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab Ekta Party and SAD (Democratic) — and various other organisations will participate in this convention and will present their views on farm laws.”

He said Punjabi NRIs would be made aware of farmers’ woes so that they could participate in getting these laws revoked.

Mehtab said, “Various clubs, including Punjabi Club Maryland, Ek Punjabi, United Punjabi, Chardikala Sports Club, World United Guru Nanak Ek, Sikh Community Center Maryland, Young Professional Network and others have announced to participate in this convention.”

Moreover, he said street meetings over the issue were already taking place in the US and protests would be intensified.

At public meetings over this issue, Punjabi NRIs claim they are from families with a farming background and many of them still had agricultural land in Punjab and a large number of their relatives were involved in agriculture. They said this was the right time to stand with Punjab’s farmers and to raise their voice at all platforms to get the laws revoked.

Punjabi NRIs from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, France and other countries have come forward to voice their solidarity with farmers on the issue.

Leaders of farmer unions say the solidarity is unprecedented. “Never in the history have NRIs taken part in a protest movement on such a large scale. They have come out in unison against these farm laws,” said a leader.